Feeder Maintance Important to a Hummingbird’s Health

Hummingbird feeders are a great way to attract hummingbirds to your yard, but they require a significant commitment of both time and effort on your part. If this is not a commitment you are willing and able to maintain then do not undertake it. Feeders which are not properly maintained can harm the health of a hummingbird. This post will explain how this occurs.

An improperly maintained hummingbird feeder can cause a hummingbird to obtain a serious and deadly fungal infection. This infection will cause the hummingbird’s tongue to swell and thus make it impossible for the hummingbird to eat and ultimately it will die a slow and painful death due to starvation. Since the mother hummingbird is responsible for feeding the young, this infection will be passed on to the young and they too will eventually die of starvation as well.

I am quite sure that no hummingbird enthusiast would intentionally wish to harm the hummingbirds that they so enjoy and wish to attract. With this in mind, please do not use hummingbird feeders to attract these birds to your yard unless you are willing to commit the necessary time and effort required to do so safely and effectively.