Hummingbirds are back in the area after their winter migration, and that means it is time to put your feeders out. If you decide to take on the responsibility of feeding these incredible tiny creatures, it’s imperative that you understand how to ensure that your actions are a help and not a hindrance.

A few weeks back, on a gorgeous spring Friday, I was planting radishes and heard the familiar sound of the hummingbird “buzzing” around my head. I rushed to get the feeders out of the storage cabinet, wanting to make sure that this little fella got what he came for. I gave the feeders a quick rinse, quickly whipped up some sugar water and started filling the bottles. I raced outside, smiling, recalling that hummingbirds remember the feeders that they have drunk from in the past and often return to the same ones.

As I flipped the feeder right side up and hung it on my porch, I saw lots of floating black particles. I immediately took it down and began my research.

Photos by Ashleigh Newnes

I knew better. I was in such a rush to get this returning customer the sweet stuff he had asked for, I didn’t take the correct precautions to ensure that my efforts to feed the hummingbirds were in fact helpful and not harmful. The particles were black mold. In the heat of the summer or direct sunlight, the sugar water solution (1 part refined white sugar to 4 parts water) ferments and mold grows in the feeders very quickly. If consumed by a hummingbird, the mold causes their tongues to swell and they can no longer consume nectar, which of course leads to death.

White vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and a small amount of dish soap are all good options to clean your feeders as long as the residue is rinsed away thoroughly. I like to use a toothbrush to clean the hard-to-get-to places of the feeder and a bottle brush to scrub the inside of the bottle. When cleaning the feeders, be sure to take apart all the pieces and scrub in all the reachable places. With this type of cleaning in mind, when buying new feeders, there are a wide range of options and not all are the most ideal to clean. Take some time to figure out if the feeder you are about to purchase will be easy to clean. Some even have removable flowers so you can scrub the underside of those too, ensuring no hidden particles make their way into a hummingbird’s system.

Feeder placement can make a huge difference in the speed of black mold growth. Placing your feeder in the shade versus direct sunlight will greatly reduce the speed of growth. Feeders in the shade paired with regular cleaning of an easy-to-clean feeder should greatly reduce the risk of getting a hummingbird sick.

It is estimated that nearly half of the total population of hummingbirds have disappeared in the past 50 years. Just like many other creatures on our planet, they are facing habitat disturbance and climate change. Feeding hummingbirds is not only a great joy but it’s a small act that makes a huge difference.

I encourage anybody to hang up feeders, I guarantee, you will not be disappointed. Just remember to keep your feeders mold-free and you’ll have hummingbird visitors for years to come.