Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
Someone mentioned boiling sugar water for hummers....
27 views
Skip to first unread message
Nanzi
May 20, 2012, 1:43:37 PM5/20/12
to
I've never done that. I just mix the sugar and water in proper proportions. Why do you boil it? Do I need to for the health of the birds? I've notice black dots on the insides of my feeder. What is it, and how best to get rid of it. I always use dish soap, and bleach occasionally when I clean and refil.
Thanks, Nan
Thanks, Nan
Dickr
May 20, 2012, 2:01:21 PM5/20/12
to
On 5/20/2012 12:43 PM, Nanzi wrote:
> I've never done that. I just mix the sugar and water in proper proportions. Why do you boil it? Do I need to for the health of the birds? I've notice black dots on the insides of my feeder. What is it, and how best to get rid of it. I always use dish soap, and bleach occasionally when I clean and refil.
> Thanks, Nan
Hi Nan,
> I've never done that. I just mix the sugar and water in proper proportions. Why do you boil it? Do I need to for the health of the birds? I've notice black dots on the insides of my feeder. What is it, and how best to get rid of it. I always use dish soap, and bleach occasionally when I clean and refil.
> Thanks, Nan
I don't boil, but I'll put a cup of sugar and 2 cups of water in a Pyrex
bowl and microwave for a couple of minutes just
to dissolve the sugar. Then add 2 cups of cold water and the syrup is
ready to go.
Dick in MN
Larry Sheldon
May 20, 2012, 3:01:01 PM5/20/12
to
On 5/20/2012 12:43 PM, Nanzi wrote:
know more than me:
There are two reasons for boiling it--to sterilize it, and to make the
sugar dissolve faster. The evidence is the little birds carry more
"germs" to the feeder than boiling removes, so boiling is a waste of
time and energy--if the water and sugar are safe for you, they are safe
for the birds. The recommended cup of sugar will dissolve in a quart of
water in about the same time as it takes to cool the boiled
version--again a waste of energy.
I use 32 oz. Best 1 feeders and clean the feeders (using hot soapy water
and brushes, rinsed very well), the put a cup of sugar in the bottle,
fill it almost full, and let it stand while do other stuff. Every time
I go by it, I cover it with a clean hand and invert and shake it. When
it all dissolved I reassemble the bottom on the top of the bottle, take
it out, turn it bottom-side down and hang it up (usually replacing one
that is there).
The black stuff I have never analyzed, but I think it is mold (might be
bacteria). As above I have a long bottle brush and use it and hot,
soapy ("liquid dish detergenty") water to dislodge the scale. The base
of the Best 1 accumulates the stuff--I use a finger-nail brush and
tissue-on-toothpicks to clean that up.
Bleach is harsh.
--
Idioten aangeboden. Gratis af te halen.
h/t Dagelijkse Standaard
ICBM Data: http://g.co/maps/e5gmy
Howard Lester
May 20, 2012, 4:59:52 PM5/20/12
to
I was told that boiling the *mixture* is not a good thing. Why? I don't
remember.... If I AM going to boil any part of it I will boil the water
alone, then add the sugar. (Why heat the sugar?) Even so, there is likely
absolutely no need to boil the water unless you really do have to sterilize
out the cooties.... I otherwise have no problem dissolving the sugar even in
cold tap water.
Howard in upstate somewhere such that it doesn't even matter...
remember.... If I AM going to boil any part of it I will boil the water
alone, then add the sugar. (Why heat the sugar?) Even so, there is likely
absolutely no need to boil the water unless you really do have to sterilize
out the cooties.... I otherwise have no problem dissolving the sugar even in
cold tap water.
Howard in upstate somewhere such that it doesn't even matter...
Larry Sheldon
May 20, 2012, 5:02:31 PM5/20/12
to
On 5/20/2012 3:59 PM, Howard Lester wrote:
> I was told that boiling the *mixture* is not a good thing. Why? I don't
> remember.... If I AM going to boil any part of it I will boil the water
> alone, then add the sugar. (Why heat the sugar?) Even so, there is
> likely absolutely no need to boil the water unless you really do have to
> sterilize out the cooties.... I otherwise have no problem dissolving the
> sugar even in cold tap water.
If you literally boil the mixture, you screw up the 1/4 ratio.
> I was told that boiling the *mixture* is not a good thing. Why? I don't
> remember.... If I AM going to boil any part of it I will boil the water
> alone, then add the sugar. (Why heat the sugar?) Even so, there is
> likely absolutely no need to boil the water unless you really do have to
> sterilize out the cooties.... I otherwise have no problem dissolving the
> sugar even in cold tap water.
Do it long enough and you have candy.
Nanzi
May 21, 2012, 11:11:00 AM5/21/12
to
On Sunday, May 20, 2012 1:43:37 PM UTC-4, Nanzi wrote:
> I've never done that. I just mix the sugar and water in proper proportions. Why do you boil it? Do I need to for the health of the birds? I've notice black dots on the insides of my feeder. What is it, and how best to get rid of it. I always use dish soap, and bleach occasionally when I clean and refil.
> Thanks, Nan
Thanks all, I just don't want to hurt these amazing little birds. They are so fun to watch. Nan
> I've never done that. I just mix the sugar and water in proper proportions. Why do you boil it? Do I need to for the health of the birds? I've notice black dots on the insides of my feeder. What is it, and how best to get rid of it. I always use dish soap, and bleach occasionally when I clean and refil.
> Thanks, Nan
---MIKE---
May 21, 2012, 4:54:14 PM5/21/12
to
I DO boil my sugar mixture. This is to kill any bacteria that may be in
the water. I'm sure that it does no harm but I feel better doing this.
This has been my procedure for years.
---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44� 15' N - Elevation 1580')
the water. I'm sure that it does no harm but I feel better doing this.
This has been my procedure for years.
---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44� 15' N - Elevation 1580')
Larry Sheldon
May 21, 2012, 5:06:54 PM5/21/12
to
On 5/21/2012 3:54 PM, ---MIKE--- wrote:
> I DO boil my sugar mixture. This is to kill any bacteria that may be in
> the water. I'm sure that it does no harm but I feel better doing this.
> This has been my procedure for years.
As long as you add a little water, or don't boil it long, that should be
> I DO boil my sugar mixture. This is to kill any bacteria that may be in
> the water. I'm sure that it does no harm but I feel better doing this.
> This has been my procedure for years.
OK. (Conventional wisdom used to be that you ave to boil stuff 20
minutes to sterilize--in that time enough water would be lost to matter,
I think.)
If the water is safe for you to drink without boiling, it is safe for
the birds. (You should watch what else they drink!)
Howard Lester
May 22, 2012, 5:31:19 PM5/22/12
to
> I DO boil my sugar mixture. This is to kill any bacteria that may be in
> the water. I'm sure that it does no harm but I feel better doing this.
> This has been my procedure for years.
As I said earlier, boiling the mixture may not be a good thing; boiling the
> the water. I'm sure that it does no harm but I feel better doing this.
> This has been my procedure for years.
water and *then* adding the sugar... that's a good thing.
OTOH, your hummingbirds haven't suffered from your boiling, so what the
hell....
Les Stewart
May 23, 2012, 3:05:48 PM5/23/12
to
"Nanzi"
There is a wonderful hummingbird expert who used to post here all the time.
His name is Lanny Chambers and this is his website:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/
Here is his FAQ (frequently asked questions) about humming bird feeders:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/feeders.html
He says boiling is unnecessary and here is what he says about cleaning: DO
NOT USE SOAP!
"Every filling, flush the feeder with hot tap water; a bottle brush can be
very helpful. Do not use soap - hummers apparently don't like the taste, but
bleach will remove it if you have this problem. Visually inspect the entire
feeder for black mold; a bleach soak (see the next paragraph) is the best
way to remove mold. Discard any unconsumed sugar water. If the birds are not
emptying your feeder between cleanings, it's unnecessary and wasteful to
fill it completely. If the sugar solution in your feeder turns cloudy, it's
spoiled and needs to be replaced. This can happen in as little as two days."
The whole website is great with lots of scientific info and a spring
migration map for Ruby Throats.
Hope this helps!
Les Stewart
Nacogdoches, TX
Rick
May 23, 2012, 3:13:18 PM5/23/12
to
On 5/23/2012 2:05 PM, Les Stewart wrote:
>
>
> "Nanzi"
>
> I've never done that. I just mix the sugar and water in proper
> proportions. Why do you boil it? Do I need to for the health of the
> birds? I've notice black dots on the insides of my feeder. What is it,
> and how best to get rid of it. I always use dish soap, and bleach
> occasionally when I clean and refil.
> Thanks, Nan
>
> Les Stewart
>
>
> "Nanzi"
>
> I've never done that. I just mix the sugar and water in proper
> proportions. Why do you boil it? Do I need to for the health of the
> birds? I've notice black dots on the insides of my feeder. What is it,
> and how best to get rid of it. I always use dish soap, and bleach
> occasionally when I clean and refil.
> Thanks, Nan
>
> Nacogdoches, TX
>
>
>
Boiling is totally un-necessary. I use a toothbrush and or a quitip to
clean the fungi off the feeder.
--
Rick Holbrook
Fargo, ND
N 46°53'07"
W 096°48'18"
or
46.887527N
-96.805079W
Remember the USS Liberty
http://www.ussliberty.org/
Reply to: fholbrook(at)cableone.net
Message has been deleted
Larry Sheldon
May 23, 2012, 7:46:17 PM5/23/12
to
On 5/23/2012 2:05 PM, Les Stewart wrote:
>
>
>
>
I wonder why he says that.
For what it is worth, I use the brush, a bit of liquid dish detergent
and hot water to scrub the bottle and bottom-plate parts clean and free
of what ever the black stuff is.
Then I rinse everything under hot running water until I think that there
can not possibly be any residues left. Then, more often than not I
air-dry it all and inspect for misses that are sometimes not visible t
me when wet.
Larry Sheldon
May 23, 2012, 7:56:36 PM5/23/12
to
On 5/23/2012 6:24 PM, Dennis M wrote:
> I buy the powdered mix you can get at the big box stores for a dollar&
> change. It seems to dissolve pretty well after you shake it thoroughly, I'm
> pretty sure the granules are finer than regular sugar.
If you are using the red stuff, I heartily suggest you stop, the red is bad.
Unless you are quite wealthy, you might want to look at these:
http://www.amazon.com/Domino-Sugar-Granulated-10-Pound-Bags/dp/B00060N5OW
http://www.bing.com/shopping/artline-hummingbird-nectar-8oz-feeding-nectar/p/F08CB8E38D5AA1FC5012?q=hummingbird+nectar+mix+price&lpq=hummingbird%20nectar%20mix%20price&FORM=HURE
> There's no way I'm going to hassle with boiling water and waiting for it to
> cool down every time, I use mini-tube feeders and I've been having to
> refill the liquid every 3 or 4 days.
The bottles I use are near a quart, so the logistics are different, but
when I make a batch in a big plastic bowl I have most of a gallon left
over which I put in an old glass orange-juice bottle which goes in the
refrigerator for when I want to restock a feeder but don't have a lot of
time.
> I buy the powdered mix you can get at the big box stores for a dollar&
> change. It seems to dissolve pretty well after you shake it thoroughly, I'm
> pretty sure the granules are finer than regular sugar.
If you are using the red stuff, I heartily suggest you stop, the red is bad.
Unless you are quite wealthy, you might want to look at these:
http://www.amazon.com/Domino-Sugar-Granulated-10-Pound-Bags/dp/B00060N5OW
http://www.bing.com/shopping/artline-hummingbird-nectar-8oz-feeding-nectar/p/F08CB8E38D5AA1FC5012?q=hummingbird+nectar+mix+price&lpq=hummingbird%20nectar%20mix%20price&FORM=HURE
> There's no way I'm going to hassle with boiling water and waiting for it to
> cool down every time, I use mini-tube feeders and I've been having to
> refill the liquid every 3 or 4 days.
The bottles I use are near a quart, so the logistics are different, but
when I make a batch in a big plastic bowl I have most of a gallon left
over which I put in an old glass orange-juice bottle which goes in the
refrigerator for when I want to restock a feeder but don't have a lot of
time.
MajorOz
May 28, 2012, 7:58:05 PM5/28/12
to
On May 23, 6:56 pm, Larry Sheldon <lfshel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 5/23/2012 6:24 PM, Dennis M wrote:
>
> > I buy the powdered mix you can get at the big box stores for a dollar&
> > change. It seems to dissolve pretty well after you shake it thoroughly, I'm
> > pretty sure the granules are finer than regular sugar.
>
> If you are using the red stuff, I heartily suggest you stop, the red is bad.
>
> Unless you are quite wealthy, you might want to look at these:
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Domino-Sugar-Granulated-10-Pound-Bags/dp/B00060...
> On 5/23/2012 6:24 PM, Dennis M wrote:
>
> > I buy the powdered mix you can get at the big box stores for a dollar&
> > change. It seems to dissolve pretty well after you shake it thoroughly, I'm
> > pretty sure the granules are finer than regular sugar.
>
> If you are using the red stuff, I heartily suggest you stop, the red is bad.
>
> Unless you are quite wealthy, you might want to look at these:
>
>
> http://www.bing.com/shopping/artline-hummingbird-nectar-8oz-feeding-n...
>
> > There's no way I'm going to hassle with boiling water and waiting for it to
> > cool down every time, I use mini-tube feeders and I've been having to
> > refill the liquid every 3 or 4 days.
>
> The bottles I use are near a quart, so the logistics are different, but
> when I make a batch in a big plastic bowl I have most of a gallon left
> over which I put in an old glass orange-juice bottle which goes in the
> refrigerator for when I want to restock a feeder but don't have a lot of
> time.
>
> --
> Idioten aangeboden. Gratis af te halen.
> h/t Dagelijkse Standaard
>
> ICBM Data: http://g.co/maps/e5gmy
Mix your water and sugar.......hang it up.........enjoy.
> > There's no way I'm going to hassle with boiling water and waiting for it to
> > cool down every time, I use mini-tube feeders and I've been having to
> > refill the liquid every 3 or 4 days.
>
> The bottles I use are near a quart, so the logistics are different, but
> when I make a batch in a big plastic bowl I have most of a gallon left
> over which I put in an old glass orange-juice bottle which goes in the
> refrigerator for when I want to restock a feeder but don't have a lot of
> time.
>
> --
> Idioten aangeboden. Gratis af te halen.
> h/t Dagelijkse Standaard
>
> ICBM Data: http://g.co/maps/e5gmy
Why all the hassle?
The birds don't care..........they eat bugs, fer chrissake..........
Larry Sheldon
May 28, 2012, 9:09:17 PM5/28/12
to
On 5/28/2012 6:58 PM, MajorOz wrote:
> Mix your water and sugar.......hang it up.........enjoy.
>
> Why all the hassle?
Water here is pretty hard--takes a while for the sugar to dissolve even
> Mix your water and sugar.......hang it up.........enjoy.
>
> Why all the hassle?
if you heat it. So I usually put the measured sugar in the measured
amount of water and let it stand for a while, stirring occasionally.
OR, I put the right amount of sugar in the bottle and fill it with
water, then shake it every now and again.
The batch method usually yields 2 bottles worth of left-overs, whid I
put in and old orange bottle and put in the refrigerator for days when I
don't want to wait.
> The birds don't care..........they eat bugs, fer ..........
I worry about the mold and bacteria colonies and scrub up a bit until I
can't see them anymore.
Frieda
May 29, 2012, 9:44:52 AM5/29/12
to
This subject comes up every spring------
guess it's just something some of us can't remember "why boil the water"
and "how much sugar."
Frieda
guess it's just something some of us can't remember "why boil the water"
and "how much sugar."
Frieda
Larry Sheldon
May 29, 2012, 12:38:28 PM5/29/12
to
Larry Sheldon
May 29, 2012, 1:03:07 PM5/29/12
to
On 5/29/2012 11:38 AM, Larry Sheldon wrote:
> On 5/29/2012 8:44 AM, Frieda wrote:
>> This subject comes up every spring------
>> guess it's just something some of us can't remember "why boil the water"
>> and "how much sugar."
>
> Think "sweet tea" without the tea.
I looked for a recipe and discovered that there is a wide variation in
> On 5/29/2012 8:44 AM, Frieda wrote:
>> This subject comes up every spring------
>> guess it's just something some of us can't remember "why boil the water"
>> and "how much sugar."
>
> Think "sweet tea" without the tea.
recipes--I use 4 cups of water (including the water in the ice) to 1 cup
of white sugar.
I actually use one of the dark sugars for my tea sometimes--don't do
that for the birds. The experts caution against it, but I don't know
why. Honey is a nono as well for the same sort of reason.
And of course I use no red coal-tar products--my daughter who is deathly
allergic to them might visit. No point anyway.
An on the subject of not understanding all the things that I know....
Current wisdom is that if you use ant-moats, they should NOT be bright
red (like most of the ones I have were when new).
"Bee guards" (bright yellow, or other wise) don't bother bees or ants,
but the street wisdom is that they trap hummingbird beaks and break them.
On the subject of attracting the little birds, I am obviously not an
expert, but some of them find my Best 1 feeders that do not (as near as
I can tell) resemble any flower I know of.
The other day, the little bird I saw was checking out (and drinking
from) one whose base was badly faded.
MajorOz
May 29, 2012, 6:42:33 PM5/29/12
to
We worry too much.
Robert Miles
Jun 19, 2012, 12:10:41 PM6/19/12
to
Many of them contain iron. The natural diet for hummingbirds is so
low in iron that they absorb all the iron in their diets, and have
lost the ability to get rid of any excess iron. Therefore, red dyes
can slowly poison them.
Dark sugars and molasses both also contain too much iron to be safe
for hummingbirds.
Bright red is good for attracting hummingbirds to the area. They
will then investigate anything nearby that looks enough like a flower.
If they're familiar with hummingbird feeders, they will also investigate
anything that looks enough like a hummingbird feeder.
Larry Sheldon
Jun 19, 2012, 2:31:25 PM6/19/12
to
I'm not sure about the "looks like a flower" part--sometimes it seems
that they investigate anything they have not investigated before.
Glen Labah
Jun 20, 2012, 2:35:52 AM6/20/12
to
In article <4fe0a395$0$26164$882e...@usenet-news.net>,
It seems odd to include the extra step of adding a red dye anyway, when
it is a fairly simple thing to purchase a red hummingbird feeder which
essentially serves the same purpose.
Though, if you look at the 7th photo down on this page:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/bffcc/
you will see that at least the rufous hummers don't seem to have trouble
being attracted to (and defending) clear feeders as well. I think the
bottom plate on this one is yellow though, so the feeder does have some
bright colors.
Last week I saw one going after some brown seed pods, so it may very
well be that they are attracted to scent as well.
--
Please note this e-mail address is a pit of spam due to e-mail address
harvesters on Usenet. Response time to e-mail sent here is slow.
Robert Miles <mil...@Usenet-News.net> wrote:
> I've found information on why to avoid red dyes for hummingbirds.
> Many of them contain iron. The natural diet for hummingbirds is so
> low in iron that they absorb all the iron in their diets, and have
> lost the ability to get rid of any excess iron. Therefore, red dyes
> can slowly poison them.
>
> Dark sugars and molasses both also contain too much iron to be safe
> for hummingbirds.
Interesting information. Thanks for posting this.
> I've found information on why to avoid red dyes for hummingbirds.
> Many of them contain iron. The natural diet for hummingbirds is so
> low in iron that they absorb all the iron in their diets, and have
> lost the ability to get rid of any excess iron. Therefore, red dyes
> can slowly poison them.
>
> Dark sugars and molasses both also contain too much iron to be safe
> for hummingbirds.
It seems odd to include the extra step of adding a red dye anyway, when
it is a fairly simple thing to purchase a red hummingbird feeder which
essentially serves the same purpose.
Though, if you look at the 7th photo down on this page:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/bffcc/
you will see that at least the rufous hummers don't seem to have trouble
being attracted to (and defending) clear feeders as well. I think the
bottom plate on this one is yellow though, so the feeder does have some
bright colors.
Last week I saw one going after some brown seed pods, so it may very
well be that they are attracted to scent as well.
--
Please note this e-mail address is a pit of spam due to e-mail address
harvesters on Usenet. Response time to e-mail sent here is slow.
MajorOz
Jun 20, 2012, 12:12:19 PM6/20/12
to
On Jun 20, 1:35 am, Glen Labah <gl4...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> In article <4fe0a395$0$26164$882e7...@usenet-news.net>,
One of the popular hummer feeders we use when camping is a hamster
feeder -- the big tube with a rubber stopper in one end, containing a
small glass "straw".
No color in the feeder or the mix.........but them guys SWARM it.
> In article <4fe0a395$0$26164$882e7...@usenet-news.net>,
feeder -- the big tube with a rubber stopper in one end, containing a
small glass "straw".
No color in the feeder or the mix.........but them guys SWARM it.
Larry Sheldon
Jun 20, 2012, 12:47:47 PM6/20/12
to
On 6/20/2012 11:12 AM, MajorOz wrote:
> One of the popular hummer feeders we use when camping is a hamster
> feeder -- the big tube with a rubber stopper in one end, containing a
> small glass "straw".
>
> No color in the feeder or the mix.........but them guys SWARM it.
I think that we have no clue as to what makes them tick.
> One of the popular hummer feeders we use when camping is a hamster
> feeder -- the big tube with a rubber stopper in one end, containing a
> small glass "straw".
>
> No color in the feeder or the mix.........but them guys SWARM it.
MajorOz
Jun 20, 2012, 4:19:04 PM6/20/12
to
birds. They don't care.
0 new messages