In article <6bdu17F3beeiaU1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
Laurence Sheldon <lfsheldon@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> I've always thought the "replace every day" dictum was a bit much, but I
> took all three down and scrubbed them a while ago, and I must confess
> that however long it has been it was way too long.
Clean and replace the syrup when it starts turning cloudy. In hot
weather, that could be every other day. The milkiness is bacteria bloom.
This is another reason not to use red dye--it makes syrup spoilage
harder to see.
If you stay ahead of it, black mold growth is insignificant. If you do
see mold in the feeder, a soak in dilute bleach (1/4 cup in a sink of
hot water) will prevent an early recurrence
Or, if you're the type who prefers a regular schedule over
feedback-based hygiene, soak in bleach monthly.
Since most if not all of this mold and bacteria arrives at the feeder on
hummingbirds' bills, it's not preventable. We just have to deal with it.
> But I can't afford 8 pounds of sugar a day!
No one says you have to keep all your feeders full, all the time.
Flowers don't produce nectar that way, they come and go. You might want
to feed early and late in the day, when flowers have little nectar, and
let the birds fend for themselves in the middle of the day. They'll soon
learn the schedule, and they'll do fine.
--
Lanny Chambers
St. Louis, MO
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