Hummingbird Feeder FAQs

Clean it every time you refill it. Empty the old nectar, take the feeder apart, and scrub every part, including the feeding ports, with hot water and a bottle brush, then rinse well. In hot weather (90°F and up) that means every 1-2 days, in the 80s°F every 2-3 days, and in cooler weather every 4-6 days. Every so often, soak the parts in a mild bleach or vinegar solution and rinse thoroughly.

Black spots are usually mold. Take the feeder apart, soak the parts in a mild bleach or vinegar solution, then scrub the ports, seams and corners with a small brush or pipe cleaner. Rinse very thoroughly with clean water until no smell remains, and let everything dry before refilling. If mold keeps coming back in scratches or cracks you cannot reach, replace that part or the whole feeder.

Both work well. Glass does not scratch or stain easily, handles hot water, and lasts for years if it is not dropped. Plastic is lighter, cheaper and will not shatter, but it can scratch, cloud and fade over time, and scratches give mold a place to hide. More important than the material is a design that comes apart completely, so you can scrub every surface at each refill.

Saucer (dish) feeders hold nectar below the feeding ports, so they rarely drip, are easy to clean, and keep nectar out of reach of most bees and wasps. Inverted bottle feeders hold more nectar and show the level at a glance, but warm air expanding inside can push nectar out and cause leaks. For most yards, a small saucer feeder is the easier one to live with.

Choose a feeder your hummingbirds will empty in two or three days, because nectar spoils quickly in warm weather. Early in the season, or with only one or two regular visitors, a small feeder is plenty, and you can fill any feeder only partway. If the birds drain it quickly, add a second feeder in another spot rather than buying a bigger one.

Hang the feeder below an ant moat, a small cup filled with plain water that ants cannot cross, or choose a feeder with a moat built in. Keep the moat topped up, fix drips that leave sugar on the outside, and hang the feeder where branches and railings do not touch it. Never use oil, grease or insecticide on the feeder or its hanger, because it can harm the birds.

Bees and wasps come for leaking or spilled nectar and for nectar they can reach. Switch to a saucer feeder where the nectar sits too low for them, add bee guards to the ports, fix any leaks, and avoid feeders with yellow parts, a color that attracts bees. Moving the feeder a few feet can also help. Do not spray insecticide on or near a feeder.

Pick a spot in partial shade, which slows spoilage, where you can see the feeder and reach it easily for cleaning. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology suggests placing feeders within about 3 feet of a window or more than 30 feet away to reduce window strikes. Hang it near shrubs or trees where hummingbirds can perch, and away from spots where cats can hide.

Put it out about two weeks before hummingbirds usually arrive where you live, so early arrivals find it. In the southern United States that can mean late February or March; in northern states it is often April or May. Local Audubon chapters, bird clubs and online migration maps show when the first sightings are reported near you each spring.

No. Hummingbirds migrate on instinct as the days grow shorter, and a feeder will not keep a healthy bird from leaving. Leaving it up actually helps late migrants refuel on their way south. A common rule of thumb is to keep the feeder clean and filled until you have seen no hummingbirds for about two weeks, then clean it and store it for next spring.

Each guide is researched from recognized sources such as Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and university extension services. It is drafted with AI-assisted tools, then reviewed and edited by the Hummingbird Feeder Team before it is published. We do not claim lab testing, and every guide lists its sources so you can check them yourself.

Use the contact page to send us the link to the guide and a short note about what looks wrong or what you would like us to cover. We read every message, check corrections against our sources, and update the guide when a fix is needed. For an injured or sick hummingbird, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator right away rather than waiting for our reply.