hummingbird nectar question

13 years ago

Hello all. I decided to set up a feeder this year, and have a question about the nectar mix. Most sites I have been to say to use tap water instead of distilled water, because it may lack some trace elements the birds need. The thing is, the tap water around here smells like a swimming pool! Considering the huge volumes of liquid they drink compared to their body size, I was wondering if this would be a problem. Some people have suggested using distilled water with a pinch of potassium chloride. Does anybody do this, and if so how much is a "pinch?" Thanks for the help.

Featured Answer

Tom

8 years ago

If you are boiling the water and changing the feeders every three days you are doing two things right. Mold will grow under most temperatures, but grow best with heat and moisture. If you have any significant mold spores either in the feeders or the jar you store the mixture in they will grow rapidly.

Generally, using very hot water and soap works, as long as the feeders and jars are very dry before you add the sugar water. In your case I recommend using a mixture of bleach and soap to clean, making sure that you rinse off the feeders and jars very well afterwards because bleach tends to adhere to most surfaces. Also, make sure the feeders are completely dry before you add the sugar water. The one thing that mold loves is moisture. If the feeders and jars are dry you can be sure that there is very little mold.

Feeders aren't expensive. I put out only two. I have four feeders, so the new ones I put out are completely dry.

Let us know how things go and good luck.

Comments (12)

greenthumbzdude
13 years ago
When creating the nectar, make sure you boil the water then add the sugar. This will weaken the chemicals that are put into tap water. I use a ratio of 4:1 so 4 cups of water mixed with 1 cup of sugar. I typically make 2 batches and store the rest in the fridge(it will last for about 2 weeks).You do not need to add anything else to it it.Hummingbirds get most of their nutrition by eating small insects like nats.New Jersey Tea is a great plant to attract insects for hummingbirds. Also, do not add any red food coloring as this may harm the hummingbird.In addition, do not be discouraged if you dont see any hummingbirds at first, it may take a few weeks for the hummingbirds to find your feeder. Good Luck!
khutto1
Original Author
13 years ago
I doubt boiling would do much to remove dissolved chemicals. True, they do get most of their nutrients from insects, which leads me to believe that using ro/di water probably wouldnt do too much harm. I did find a really neat article about the chemical makeup of flower nectar. Heres the link http://www.bb.iastate.edu/necgex/Nectar.htm
According to this article amino acids, vitamins, ionic metals, etc can be found in nectar as well as the usual carbohydrates (usually sucrose, but sometimes glucose and fructose too). Potssium made up the largest part of the ions, with sodium and calcium making up most of the rest. They don't give concentrations on any of that stuff though, so I dont know how relevant it is. I'd hate to think I was shorting them any nutrients. my best bet is probably just to plant some flowers near the feeder and let them choose.
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ctnchpr
13 years ago
My well water has Iron oxide in it, so I mix 1/3 well water: 2/3 distilled water. (I read that too much iron can harm them.) That mix seems to be OK, the group gets larger each year.

Here is a link that might be useful: The crew last Fall
boozie
13 years ago
"ctnchpr": where did you get that unusual hummingbird feeder?
hummersteve
13 years ago
My tap water tastes ok to me so I dont even boil it just serve it up with the norm 4:1 ratio

Although there was a time when I used only bottled water but as the hummer volume increased it didnt seem practical. I also didnt see a preference either way. The most important thing in my mind is to keep the feeders fresh and clean and free of mold especially once it warms up for good. I try to make only as much mix as they will use in a 2-3 day period. With the high cost of sugar that seems essential.
boozie
13 years ago
Don't you at least use hot water? If you don't get all the sugar dissolved it can cause bacteria in the feeder. I put some water in a Pyrex measuring cup and microwave it for a couple minutes. I then mix in my sugar and stir it until I'm sure it is dissolved. I then add cold water or a couple ice cubes up to the 1 cup measure. That way I can usually take it directly outside without fear of it being too hot.
ctnchpr
13 years ago
boozie, It's a feeder I made using PVC pipe and a 3 L wine bottle.

Here is a link that might be useful: A better look...
khutto1
Original Author
13 years ago
I have a reverse osmosis filter I use for my fish tank, so I can get pure water for pretty much free:) I found some vitamin and mineral supplements made for birds at the pet store. I thought about adding very small amounts of that to the food, to better simulate the nutrients found in plant nectar. Has anybody ever done anything like this? Am I just begging for trouble here? I suspect that I am, but it also seems that there's more to nectar than just sucrose + water. I don't know a whole lot about hummingbirds dietary requirements, and most of the stuff on the internet is just hearsay anyway. So i guess I'm back at my original conclusion, that I should just buy some flowering plants!!!
Thats a cool feeder you made!
Tom
13 years ago
ctnchpr, that's an amazing video. Where do you live? I have a difficult time imagining so many hummingbirds at one time. They seem to be Ruby-throateds, so I imagine you live near the mountains in Georgia or the Carolinas?

Khutto, I keep seeing long-time hummer hosts posting that you should keep it simple. Just sugar and water. Boiling the water would evaporate most of the chemicals.

I have often wondered about the nutriion of just sugar water. I think that the vast majority of hummingbirds will prefer flowers to feeders if the nearby flowers are nectar-rich. For the most part the feeders are used as supplements rather than the main thing they are using to eat. Females especially prefer small insects for the protein when they are taking care of their babies.

The more nectar-rich flowers you have the more you will attract hummingbirds and also butterflies. So go for it!
ctnchpr
13 years ago
Thanks, folks! I don't want to hijack khutto's thread, so the link to the original post...

Here is a link that might be useful: ...is here...
Vicki Tolliver
8 years ago
Ok all, I have a question for ya. I have been having a problem with mold getting in my hummer feeder... and .also the extra nectar I store in the fridge. I use the 4/1 ratio and boil it for 2 minutes and I've been changing the feeder about every 3 days, and cleaning the feeder.