Last post of the season: I just did it today so thought I'd pass it along - the feeders really need to be cleaned through out the spring and summer because mold will start to build up and the hotter and more humid it gets, the faster the mold will accumulate, and it is not healthy for people or mini-Aves alike to ingest mold! I do this outdoors, and have two buckets of water side by side, the one pail has a mild bleach solution and the other is plain water to rinse. I simply take down one to three or maybe two feeders at a time, (depends on their size) drain the sugar solution, and plunk all parts of the feeder into the bleach pail and let the parts soak maybe 10-15 minutes. For me, having such a big yard and lawn, I then go off and do something else - some mowing, plant some flowers or whatever. When I get back to my pails I then take the now cleaned feeder and parts, swish everything completely in the water, refill my feeder and place it back in its location! The cleaning of my feeders is something I do maybe once every 2-3 weeks! Currently in my yard I have around 12-15 total feeding stations! Lastly, over the years of doing this, I have found out that the simpler the feeder, the more they are used by the hummers The clear plastic feeders with the red plastic screw-on bases are superior to the fancy ones! Last year at an art show I purchased for around 50 bucks, a lovely looking blown glass feeder with a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors and it is a beauty! Problem being, my local hummers bypass it and head right to the $5.99 model I picked up at local Wal-Mart! We live and we learn! Enjoy your hummers, my friends!
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