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nbby40

Boiling the water

nbby40
16 years ago

Every year we have more and more hummingbirds at our feeders. At some point, I stopped boiling the water when I make the sugar solution, since I have to re-fill three one quart feeders several times a day.

I haven't noticed any change in the numbers of birds or in their activity, but since all directions for making nectar specify boiling the water first, I wonder if there is a specific reason for doing so, other than to simply dissolve the sugar.

Thanks!

Comments (16)

  • jenny_in_se_pa
    16 years ago

    I expect that the recommendations from the past may have to do with certain water sources. Certainly boiling will more quickly evaporate off any chlorine that many municipalities often use, although more and more treatment plants are using chloramine instead, which is harder to get rid of and boiling won't necessarily work in that case. Otherwise, boiling can kill some bacteria present before adding sugar, however more will get into the feeder once it is outside and the birds use it, so the purpose is defeated to a degree. But not introducing any extra microbes from the outset might help reduce how quickly the solution may turn cloudy if it is not changed often.

    I usually use my teakettle water not long after I've used it for making coffee so the water is already warm and will dissolve the sugar faster.

  • hummersteve
    16 years ago

    IM sure it would be a good thing to boil the water to get rid of impurities and make sure all sugar is dissolved although I dont boil or use soap for cleaning. I use hot water and bottle brushes for cleaning. As of last night I decided to change to bottled water to see if they like the taste better and they have drained one , mind you I just had a couple oz in it. I use sams choice which I got at walmart for $3.99 a case.

  • nbby40
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks for the thoughts on this.
    We have a well, so chlorine is not a factor. We use a house water filter, so I think the water is relatively pure. (We have been drinking for 25 years and so far are okay!)
    The hummers drain the feeders within a few hours this time of year (we put out fewer feeders when they slow down), so bacteria can't really build up. We scrub/rinse with plain water when we re-fill, and about once a week soak with white vinegar.
    What are your thoughts about high mineral content in the water? (The bottled water idea sounds like a good way to solve this problem) I know hummers are sensitive to iron, we have a water softener which removes a lot of the iron, and we use potassium instead of salt. Probably not the best for them, but perhaps better than the high calcium/iron in the untreated water?

  • jimmyjojo
    16 years ago

    I like the white vinegar too for cleaning it works great, way better than bleach and water. And way safer too.

  • yardenman
    16 years ago

    Water needs to be boiled to keep the suger supersaturated ("in solution")?

    Boiling should also have the advantage of sterilizing the nectar solution, allowing it to remain safe for hummers for a week.

  • hummersteve
    16 years ago

    Hummers use all my feeders but seem more preferrable to my window feeders maybe because they are higher up. It might be a good test to try one feeder boiled the other not as an experiment.

  • solstice98
    16 years ago

    Water doesn't need to be boiled or even heated for the 4/1 ratio recommended for feeders. The sugar will dissolve just fine in water directly from the tap. I've always heard you should not use distilled water because the hummers need some of the minerals found in tap water. Any thoughts on the tap water vs bottled water issue?

  • jenny_in_se_pa
    16 years ago

    yardenman - If a truly super-saturated solution of sugar/water were made, once the water cooled, the excess sugar would come right back out of solution (that is part of the process of making "rock candy").

    With respect to tap water vs bottled water - it's hard to make a judgment because every municipality or well will be different with a different selection of minerals or other chemicals in the water (eg., fluoride is usually added to municipal supplies, etc) and bottled waters vary with respect to mineral content (note that "bottled water" can be distilled, from a spring with various amounts of natural minerals and even natural carbonation, etc. If anything, cost would be the major factor.

  • yardenman
    16 years ago

    Solstice98 - I had always read that the water should be boiling to dissolve the sugar and keep in in solution, so I've never tried NOT boiling the water.

    I'll try just stirring it to dissolve the sugar next time. It sure would save a lot of time! Live and learn...

  • rthummer
    16 years ago

    I boil...just can't quit boiling...old habits die hard.

  • yardenman
    16 years ago

    Well, OK, the hummers seem quite happy with the simply dissolved sugar. Oh wow, is this ever going to make things a LOT easier!

    I made enough nectar for 4 feeders a few days ago. 2 went outside, 2 went into the fridge with caps. Yesterday, I noticed one feeder was almost empty, so I set one fridge bottle on the counter to warm up.

    It was so easy thast I am going to make enough for all 4 feeders and keep them outside in places where it is impossible for any hummer to "guard" all at once. And I can just dissolve more sugar to refill them in a couple of minutes.

    This changes everything for me...

  • nicknackhummer
    16 years ago

    Here's a link from The Hummingbird Society. Go down the page, and it talks about feeders--says no need to boil the water and never use distilled water. (I realize bottled water is not distilled water.)
    http://www.hummingbirdsociety.org/hottopics/attracting.asp

    Here's more info. This also says no need to boil the water, and has more info on distilled water. Go to the "recipe."
    http://hummingbirds.net/feeders.html#recipe

    Carol R

  • yardenman
    16 years ago

    LOL! I've been NOT boiling the water the past few days and it is ever so much easier!

    I've got all my feeders hanging around now and it is a treat seeing the hummers in different places.

    My thanks to those who corrected me on my mis-knowledge. It's not what you don't know that gets you in trouble, it's what you think you know that ain't so... :)

  • solstice98
    16 years ago

    Glad I could help! Whatever makes it easier for us to cater to these little birds is a good thing.

  • dutchiss
    16 years ago

    This is the first year I've actually HAD Hummers and I didnt boil, my mother was up for a visit and about had a stroke, "WHAT?? You dont boil your water for the nectar?!!" No mom, I dont, then she sat at the picture window where the window feeder is and was amazed. They came and fed and I didnt need to boil!! Of course since she left I havent seen them :( I cant quite figure out why. I've changed the nectar and cleaned the feeders. We dont spray or use any kind of pesticides.... I'm hoping they come back, to that end I'm making sure the feeders have fresh nectar. Otherwise I dont know what else to do.

  • luckydogg
    16 years ago

    Just got to boil. Keep the Hummers happy & safe.
    LuckyDogg

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