Last Updated on January 16, 2022 by Guillermina
Hummingbird’s sweet nectar recipe consists of water and granulated white sugar in the right proportion. But when it comes to this nectar recipe, do you know how often you should change hummingbird water? Ever wondered what kind of water can be used? Let’s look into this.
Hummingbird lovers usually indulge in providing sweet nectar to hummingbirds because this is one diet they love. This sweet nectar must be in the right ratio for hummingbird’s well-being and satisfaction.
All the components of the hummingbird feeder should be made safe to keep our hummers healthy. This can be done by maintaining a clean feeder, using clean water, as well as changing the water at appropriate times.
So, let’s look into how often to change hummingbird water and other necessary things to do to maintain a clean feeder.
How Often Should You Change Hummingbird Water?
A clean feeder always keeps hummingbirds safe and makes hummingbirds happy to come to visit more often. One way of keeping a clean feeder is by changing the water when the time is due.
Replacing the water or the nectar recipe of your feeder is necessary even if it looks like it has not lost any drop. This is because the content of the nectar solution is prone to fermentation. And fermentation causes the nectar solution to become unpleasant especially to the hummingbird.
But when it comes to changing the water solution of your hummingbird’s feeder, it will majorly depend on how hot the weather is. So, the water content of your hummingbird feeder should be changed every two days in very hot weather. Then when the weather is mild, you can change the water content once or twice a week.
Is Tap Water Safe For Hummingbirds: Consider The Source Of Your Water
The question about if you can use tap water to make your hummingbird feeder will depend on what your tap water contains.
For instance, tap water that has heavy chemicals shouldn’t be used. Also, if your tap water has a strong odor or has a strong taste, then you should consider going for purified water or you can simply make use of bottled water.
Should I Boil Hummingbird Food?
Once you’ve mixed and prepared hummingbird food that consists of 4 parts water and 1 part sugar, boiling the prepared food isn’t really necessary.
However, boiling tends to slow down fermentation, the nectar solution is usually contaminated once the hummingbird drinks this boiled nectar. Hence, boiling your nectar after it has been dissolved is not recommended.
But you can also use boiled water as a water source to make your hummingbird nectar recipe. This should be boiled right before you add your sugar. When you do this, it will help purify your water source.
However, once you are done boiling the water, make sure you crosscheck the volume of the water. This is to ensure the volume of water has not been reduced. The solution could become concentrated with lesser water. Remember you are to make use of 4 part water and 1 part granulated sugar.
Although, when the volume of water is reduced from boiling, the nectar solution may only become sweeter. Hummingbirds will enjoy this sweeter nectar solution but these birds may find it hard to digest this food.
Also, boiling the food of hummingbirds tends to increase fermentation. Your feeder ports may also become clogged as the sugar crystallizes.
How Long Do You Boil Sugar Water For Hummingbirds?
You do not need to boil the sugar water mixture as this isn’t ideal. However, you can boil the water before you mix or dissolve the sugar into the water.
Dissolving the white granulated water in water that has been boiled and cooled is a good way of making a hummingbird nectar solution. But do you know how long you’re meant to boil the water for?
The water to make your sugar solution can be boiled for around 5 minutes. Once you’ve added sugar and mixed or dissolved the solution, you should allow the mixture to cool down.
Do not pour the mixture while it is still hot into your hummingbird feeder. Pouring hot nectar into your feeder can cause cracking of the feeder and we want to avoid this.
Read more about Do Hummingbirds Fly Backwards?
Changing Hummingbird Nectar: When Is The Appropriate Changing Period?
- Temperature
Temperature is one major determining factor when it comes to deciding when to change nectar solutions for your hummingbirds. Nectar solution tends to ferment quickly with rising temperatures. This makes the taste of the nectar unappealing to the hummingbirds as heat affects the quality of the nectar.
A surrounding temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or more is potentially dangerous to nectar solution. You may need to replace nectar solutions every two days during this period.
However, temperatures below 90 degrees may require you to change nectar every 3 days. Then lower temperature can require you to change your feeder nectar once or twice a week.
Furthermore, ensure you place the feeder in shaded spots during hot temperatures.
- Mold formation
Once you begin to notice any mold forming in your hummingbird feeder, you should know that you have left your feeder far too long and it should be cleaned and replaced immediately.
Feeders are also prone to mold formation during hot temperatures. Mold build-up can cause our lovely hummers to become sick. Therefore, avoid placing feeders under direct sunlight especially during hot seasons.
Extra note: additionally, ensure you clean or wash your hummingbird feeder every time you replace your nectar. Don’t just pour out the old nectar and refill with new nectar. You need to properly clean your feeders and doing this will help keep your hummingbird far away from getting sick.
Conclusion On How Often Should You Change Hummingbird Water
How often you should change hummingbird water has been discussed in this guide. Hummingbirds enjoy sipping nectar that is sweet and always tastes fresh.
So, we have seen how important it is to change hummingbird nectar at appropriate times. Doing this not only provides fresh and clean nectar to our charming hummers; it will help increase the visit of hummingbirds to your yard.
Eunice is a passionate lover of hummingbirds and all things nature. She loves to observe and study the tiny birds, learning about their unique behaviors and unique features. She has written a number of articles about hummingbirds and their habitats, which have been featured in a variety of publications. In her spare time, she enjoys visiting hummingbird sanctuaries and going on bird–watching trips in her local area. She also volunteers with local wildlife rescue organizations, helping to rehabilitate injured birds. When she’s not outdoors, Eunice can be found writing articles, creating bird–inspired art, and playing the flute.