How to Keep Hummingbird Food From Freezing

Hummingbirds will sometimes spend the winter in colder climates.

Hummingbirds are small, often brightly colored birds, which enjoy great popularity in North America. They are mostly migratory birds, and many people in the U.S. look forward to their spring migration into the country, and put out feeders to induce these birds to stay in their yards. In the springtime, they eat mostly bugs, but enjoy sugar feeders as well. Occassionally, some birds choose to winter in colder climates, and, without the bug population, they need this sugar mixture from feeders. But it can sometimes be frustrating when feeder contents freeze overnight.

Things You'll Need

• Hummingbird feeder
• Lamp

Instructions

1. Place the feeder in a spot easily accessible to the hummingbirds. If you already have hummingbirds, try not to move the feeder from the spot they're used to.

2. Place a lamp a few feet from the feeder, and turn it on overnight (or leave it on during the day, if the temperature will drop below 27 degrees F).

3. Replace the nectar every few days, as you would in the summer. This prevents the sugar water from spoiling due to the heat.

Tips & Warnings

• If you can't get a lamp to place near the hummingbird feeder, try moving the feeder close to a porch light.

• Make sure not to leave an indoor lamp outside when it's raining or snowing.

• If you prefer not to leave a lamp on, you can always bring the hummingbird feeder in at night and replace it before the hummingbirds begin to fly around the next day.

References

• Audubon: Feeding Hummingbirds
• Hummingbirds.net: About Hummingbirds
• Wild Bird Shop: Anna's Hummingbirds