Comments on: Baby Hummingbird in a nest http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/ Growing kids, weeds, flowers and things... Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:19:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Judi http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/comment-page-1/#comment-37475 Judi Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:56:00 +0000 http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/#comment-37475 Good advice regarding cleaning, I don't clean that often as it hasn't been necessary for my feeders, but every few days to a week I generally give a good clean. The other link, the one to my recipe, does say to clean regularly. Nectar isn't intended to be their source of nutrients. Hummingbird nectar (as is flower nectar) is meant to as a fuel for them to search for insects - their source of nutrients. Regular cane sugar should always be used, no honey or powdered sugars - these can be harmful. No raw sugars - which contain iron and can be harmful over time. I have started planting more flowers to attract hummingbirds... much easier to have a garden full of flowers than worrying if the feeder anyway! Thanks for your information Mari. Everyone has their way of doing things and don't worry, my original post about feeding the little hummers does say to clean regularly. Good advice regarding cleaning, I don’t clean that often as it hasn’t been necessary for my feeders, but every few days to a week I generally give a good clean. The other link, the one to my recipe, does say to clean regularly.

Nectar isn’t intended to be their source of nutrients. Hummingbird nectar (as is flower nectar) is meant to as a fuel for them to search for insects – their source of nutrients.

Regular cane sugar should always be used, no honey or powdered sugars – these can be harmful. No raw sugars – which contain iron and can be harmful over time.

I have started planting more flowers to attract hummingbirds… much easier to have a garden full of flowers than worrying if the feeder anyway!

Thanks for your information Mari. Everyone has their way of doing things and don’t worry, my original post about feeding the little hummers does say to clean regularly.

]]> By: Mari http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/comment-page-1/#comment-37421 Mari Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:57:50 +0000 http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/#comment-37421 It's harmless if you empty and clean the feeders daily and twice a week with a solution of water and hypochlorite for 30 minutes, wash it really well and then let it dry naturally. BOIL it once a week; always use potable water. If it's not cleaned every day, the fungus that is produced causes a disease similar to cancer in their beaks and throat, distend their tongues and causes them to die of hunger or suffocation. Plus, it interferes in the polinization, as they tend to go to feeders instead of flowers. Sugar water offers energy, but it also prevents them from getting the nutrients from the small insects they feed off. It's like spoiling our kids. Not very healthy, is it? There are, HOWEVER, specific products sold at petshops and specialized stores for feeding hummingbirds, and they can be left up to 5 days without having to change it(but no more than that). I love them too, and I'm only saying this because there has been way too many reports on Brazilian media about that lately. If you're still gonna urge others on with sugar water, make sure you emphasize they must clean it well and boil the feeder every day, alright? Also, in the summer, it's important to change the water more frequently, because the sugar ferments easily in hot weather. Use natural water, for chlorined water may cause gastroenteritis. :) Cheers! http://www.petbrazil.com.br/bicho/aves/20.htm http://www.nitvista.com/index_frame.php?url=%2Fmicrosite%2Fartigos%2Fexibe.php%3Fid%3D589%26canal%3Decoando It’s harmless if you empty and clean the feeders daily and twice a week with a solution of water and hypochlorite for 30 minutes, wash it really well and then let it dry naturally. BOIL it once a week; always use potable water.
If it’s not cleaned every day, the fungus that is produced causes a disease similar to cancer in their beaks and throat, distend their tongues and causes them to die of hunger or suffocation.

Plus, it interferes in the polinization, as they tend to go to feeders instead of flowers. Sugar water offers energy, but it also prevents them from getting the nutrients from the small insects they feed off. It’s like spoiling our kids. Not very healthy, is it?

There are, HOWEVER, specific products sold at petshops and specialized stores for feeding hummingbirds, and they can be left up to 5 days without having to change it(but no more than that).

I love them too, and I’m only saying this because there has been way too many reports on Brazilian media about that lately.

If you’re still gonna urge others on with sugar water, make sure you emphasize they must clean it well and boil the feeder every day, alright?
Also, in the summer, it’s important to change the water more frequently, because the sugar ferments easily in hot weather. Use natural water, for chlorined water may cause gastroenteritis.

:)
Cheers!

http://www.petbrazil.com.br/bicho/aves/20.htm
http://www.nitvista.com/index_frame.php?url=%2Fmicrosite%2Fartigos%2Fexibe.php%3Fid%3D589%26canal%3Decoando

]]> By: Judi http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/comment-page-1/#comment-37402 Judi Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:08:15 +0000 http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/#comment-37402 How should we feed them if not sugar water? I think maybe you mis-typed or maybe have some mis-information... feeding nectar (aka sugar water) is perfectly fine. Bacteria will grow at some point regardless of how the mixture is made, so making sure there is fresh nectar is most important. Here is more information regarding making <a href="http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/23/homemade-hummingbird-nectar/" rel="nofollow">homemade hummingbird nectar</a> (or <a href="http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/23/homemade-hummingbird-nectar/" rel="nofollow">hummingbird juice</a> as I tend to call it). How should we feed them if not sugar water? I think maybe you mis-typed or maybe have some mis-information… feeding nectar (aka sugar water) is perfectly fine. Bacteria will grow at some point regardless of how the mixture is made, so making sure there is fresh nectar is most important. Here is more information regarding making homemade hummingbird nectar (or hummingbird juice as I tend to call it).

]]> By: Mari http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/comment-page-1/#comment-37397 Mari Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:09:18 +0000 http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/#comment-37397 actually, it's advisable NOT to add sugar to the water, because this water is subject to develop a fungus that attacks hummingbirds' beak, so instead of feeding, you're killing them =/ actually, it’s advisable NOT to add sugar to the water, because this water is subject to develop a fungus that attacks hummingbirds’ beak, so instead of feeding, you’re killing them =/

]]> By: VIP http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/comment-page-1/#comment-16965 VIP Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:16:24 +0000 http://www.mommamuse.com/2006/04/17/baby-hummingbird-nest/#comment-16965 that is such a cute picture! one of my all time favourites you should read the poem ''a hummingbird spoke to me one day" that is such a cute picture! one of my all time favourites
you should read the poem ”a hummingbird spoke to me one day”

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