If you have hummingbird feeders set up in your backyard, you may want to clean them from time to time. It is best to clean them with natural solutions, so it does not leave a lingering smell of dish soap.
Are you wondering how to clean hummingbird feeders with vinegar or can you use apple cider vinegar to clean the hummingbird feeder? Well, white vinegar will do a better job of getting rid of whatever’s building up on the feeder than apple cider vinegar.
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Importance of Cleaning the Feeders with Vinegar Regularly
You do not have to be a bird enthusiast to put up a feeder to feed hummingbirds. But you do need to know why it is important that you clean them when they get too dirty.
Hummingbirds are territorial and if you do not clean their feeders they will stop coming back.
Mold, Fungus, and Bacteria Growth
Hummingbirds are attracted to the sweet nectar in feeders. These feeders often get clogged with mold and bacteria growth. It gets dirty and contaminated if you do not maintain it properly.
Makes it hard for the birds to get the food out through the holes. When these birds take food through the holes with mold build-up, they can spread the mold spores wherever they go and create a cycle.
Makes The Birds Sick
Bacteria, fungi, and mold can make the birds sick. They can even lead them to their death. And it does not stop there. They become vessels for diseases to take hold.
And when they come into contact with other birds, the disease spreads to them as well.
Pests and Insects
Dirty feeders are breeding grounds for pests like ants and wasps.
They eat up the sweet nectar that the birds are attracted to and pose a threat to the birds themselves.
How to Clean Hummingbird Feeders with Vinegar
When you leave the feeders dirty, it starts to ferment the nectar for harmful microorganisms. Here is an effective way to clean the hummingbird feeders with vinegar:
DIY Cleaning Solution
You can make a DIY cleaning solution for the feeders. The recipe includes white vinegar and water. You can also use chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide to do the same work, but they may leave a tingling smell.
Take a measuring cup and a bottle. Pour in 1-part white vinegar with 4 parts water until the bottle is full. Stir the mixture until they combine well. Put a sprayer tap on instead of a bottle cap. The solution is easy and effective.
Tools You Need
There are a few special tools you will need before jumping on the process. You can get them from Amazon as a set or go to your local pet shop to buy them.
The tools are:
- $15 – Brushtech B122c Hummingbird Feeder Cleaning Kit (Buy here)
- $8 – Happyyami 50 Piece Mini Nylon Brush Straw Cleaner Set (Buy Here)
That is around $25 worth of tools that you need. You can reuse them so best if you just buy all three instead of renting or getting them from your neighbor.
Cleaning Process
Before starting to clean them make sure the birds have just done feeding themselves. Here is how to clean hummingbird feeders with vinegar:
- Take apart the feeder and empty it. Then run your finger inside the bottle and the feeder surface. If it feels slimy then you need to clean it.
- You can either pour the mixture into a tub or spray it onto the feeder body and holes. It cleans the same so do whichever feels easier.
- Use the Brushtech brush to rub the inside of the vacuum glass or bottle and the feeder body.
- When you are done spray some vinegar onto the tiny feeding ports and on one of the mini Nylon brushes and push it inside. Rotate the brush so it rubs the wall and takes out any dirt or mold build up.
- Soak the parts in warm water and then thoroughly rinse the vinegar off. After that air dry it completely, reassemble it, and put up new hummingbird nectar.
You can also use direct apple cider vinegar but do not mix it up with water. It is a weaker vinegar and does not need the water solution to lighten it up.
Types of Hummingbird Feeders
There are lots of different bird feeders out there. But only two types of feeders work well with hummingbirds.
1. Saucer Feeders:
The name comes from the alien ship or saucer-like shape. These are great for live views of hummingbirds taking a trip down nectar heaven.
(Source: Amazon)
2. Vacuum Feeders:
These feeders have a bottle-like tube attached to them. It slowly releases nectar into the feeding ports as the bird keeps eating.
(Source: Amazon)
How to Clean Hummingbird Feeders with Vinegar – (FAQs)
What is the best solution for cleaning hummingbird feeders?
Hot water and mild dish soap. But if you do not want the soapy stench afterwards, then apple cider or white vinegar with water.
Can you clean hummingbird feeders with baking soda?
You can clean the feeders with baking soda. But it will not do a good deep clean.
Which hummingbird feeder type is easier to clean?
The saucer feeder is easier to clean than the vacuum feeder.