Some hummingbird feeders are dishwasher safe and may be more thoroughly cleaned this way every so often. Find one without many nooks and crannies that are difficult to clean. When choosing a hummingbird feeder look for one with a wide mouth that allows you to reach inside with a scrub brush. So it's okay to use liquid dish soap detergent to clean the hummingbird feeders. Soap contains fats (animal or vegetable). The dishwashing liquid I use to hand wash the dishes is evidently a detergent (as is the laundry detergent), while the hand soap (bar or liquid) is a soap. Okay, there's a difference that I've always wondered about. The Hummingbird Society says to use mild detergent (not soap). Do not refill a hummingbird feeder without cleaning! Audubon recommends hot water, or a weak vinegar solution, rather than soap, which may leave a harmful residue. ![]() It also recommends cleaning every time the feeder is emptied by hungry hummingbirds. The Audubon article mentioned above recommends cleaning 2 times per week in hot weather, once per week in cooler weather. Mold may grow on the inside of the feeder. The hummingbird nectar may become cloudy with bacteria. If you are unwilling to wash your hummingbird feeder to keep diseases away, then the hummingbirds would be better off without your feeders. She says she's too lazy (her words) to keep her feeders clean on a regular basis. Sanchez's second argument that feeding hummingbirds is bad for them has to do with feeder cleanliness. Since you have complete control over whether your hummingbird food has dye or not, I don't consider this a valid reason not to feed hummingbirds. Since most recipes advise against adding food coloring, the practice of doing so is becoming less common. There's no need to add red food coloring. But making your own hummingbird food is both easier and cheaper. Some commercial hummingbird nectars contain red food dye. Most hummingbird feeders have red feeder ports or decorations that are ample to get the birds' attention and interest. Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red and red flowers. Nevertheless, coloring the hummingbird nectar red is not necessary. There is no definitive proof that red food coloring is bad for hummingbirds. Its use was replaced by Red dye number 40 (Allura Red AC) ( Wikipedia). Red dye number 2 (Amaranth) was banned in the United States in 1976 (Wikipedia article here). What does the Hummingbird Society have to say about red food coloring? ( source) Well, its page on feeding hummingbirds gives the recipe to make it yourself and then has the words in bold: "No red food coloring!" with no further explanation. ![]() Its brief reason is that red food dye "could" be harmful to birds. ![]() The Audubon Society's Hummingbird FAQs ( source) recommends against adding food coloring to hummingbird nectar. The first reason Sanchez lists for saying that hummingbird feeders are bad for hummingbirds is the growing possibility that red food coloring may be harming hummingbirds. The article is entitled, "Why hummingbird feeders are a terrible idea." ( source) She has two main arguments against feeding hummingbirds. Science writer Anita Sanchez has an article on her blog that plainly states her sentiment. What possible bad can come to hummingbirds from feeders?
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