How to Clean a Glass Hummingbird Feeder

Glass hummingbird feeders, available in a wide range of shapes and sizes, make ideal additions to a hummingbird garden to attract and keep hummingbirds in your yard all summer. Although plastic hummingbird feeders are certainly an inexpensive option, the feeder ports tend to break easily and plastic ages quickly in the sun dulling its appearance Glass hummingbird feeders are designed to last for years retaining their natural beauty despite exposure to the elements. Keeping glass hummingbird feeders clean can be a bit of a challenge, particularly if the glass is colored making it difficult to determine if the inside is clean. By following a few simple steps, you can be sure your glass hummingbird feeders clean are free of harmful mold.

Things You'll Need

• Hot soapy water
• Bottle brush
• Nipple brush
• Pebbles/sand
• Dish detergent

Instructions

1. 

   Clean hummingbird feeders on a weekly basis. (More often if necessary) Remove stale hummingbird nectar from the feeder and disassemble the feeder. Place the feeder in hot soapy water and allow to soak for 15 minutes. This loosens any sticky residue left behind by the hummingbird nectar and makes it easier to clean.

2. 

   Use a bottle brush or cleaning brush to reach inside the feeder scrubbing all areas. A nipple brush found in the baby supply aisle is great for getting into tight areas and cleaning crevices. Use hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly to remove any traces of soap from your glass hummingbird feeder.

3. 

   Place small pebbles or sand in the hummingbird feeder, fill with water, and a squirt of liquid dish detergent and shake to remove black mold from areas you are not able to reach with a brush. This is a great option for removing black mold from the inside colored glass hummingbird feeders when visibility is restricted. Black mold forms quickly in the hot summer sun and must be removed to prevent harming your hummingbirds. Rinse thoroughly with water to remove residue.

4. 

   Place the hummingbird feeder in a visible location that is out of the direct sunlight to attract hummingbirds. Once hummingbird migration begins in early spring, hummingbirds follow the blooming cycle of natural hummingbird flowers as they migrate across the US from their winter homes in Central and South America. Providing hummingbirds feeders filled with hummingbird nectar not only attracts these delightful birds to your yard, it provides supplemental food if they arrive too early and native hummingbird flowers are not yet in bloom.

Tips & Warnings

• Always hang hummingbird feeders in shady locations to prevent overheating the nectar.

• Hang near natural shelter, like shrubs and bushes, to provide hummingbirds a place to rest and protection from predators.

• Never use artificial sweeteners when mixing hummingbird nectar.