How to Clean Plastic Hummingbird Feeders

Dirty bird feeders can make birds sick.

Hanging hummingbird feeders provides supplemental food for the hummingbirds and brings birds to the yard to watch while relaxing outside. Any experience bird feeder knows that keeping the feeder full keeps the little hummingbirds happy. But keeping the feeder clean is also an important part of bird feeding that helps keep the birds healthy. Daily cleaning helps to prevent the spread of bird diseases and the growth of infection-causing bacteria and fungi.

Things You'll Need

• Vinegar
• Water
• Baby bottle brush
• Sponge

Instructions

1. Clean the feeder every day. The sugar or nectar solution grows bacteria and fungi very quickly, especially during hot summers.

2. Take apart the feeder to clean. Do not use hummingbird feeders that you cannot take apart to clean inside.

3. Mix a solution of 50 percent vinegar and 50 percent water to clean with. According to the Audubon Society of Kern River Preserve "soap or bleach traces left in feeders, even after thorough rinsing, can harm hummers."

4. Scrub all the parts of the feeder, inside and out, with a sponge or scrub brush. Baby bottle brushes work well to clean the inside of the main feeder.

5. Rinse the feeder completely to remove all traces of vinegar before refilling it and setting it out for your hummingbirds.

References

• Kern River Preserve Audubon: Feeding Hummingbirds