Garden

[KatieB]

This is a hummingbird unable to retract her tongue, which is a sign of fungal spores that have germinated on her tongue or in her gullet caused by folks mixing honey or anything other than plain white sugar with water. She will die because she can no longer feed.

Please please PLEASE .... USE ONLY PLAIN WHITE SUGAR in your mixture of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. No organic, no raw, no brown sugar, no powdered sugar, no honey, no artificial sugar. Plain white sugar/water mixture is more similar to actual flower nectar. And no toxic red color!

Change the sugar water mixture every couple days, as it will start to ferment sitting out for days on end.

If you can't or won't do this, just don't put out a feeder at all.

[jannabelle1]

Thank you for posting this. It's so sad to see this little hummer in this condition. It's always

1 cup sugar to 4 cups water (or 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cup water). Combine. stir, and bring to a soft boil to melt the sugar. Let cool and fill a clean container. Empty your hummingbird feeders frequently and refill with the sugar/water mixture. I understand that everyone here knows this, but just in case someone doesn't, it never hurts to keep repeating it. We all so love these little gems who visit us for a couple of months!

[happycat]

That poor thing. I never heard of using any other sweeteners than white sugar myself. 

While we are at it, may I ask, how often do ya'll clean your feeders? I usually do once a week, then in hot weather I do it more often.

I ask because my dd asked me today. She said she read you are suppose to clean them every two days.

[BlueFinch]

@happycat I clean my feeders every two days. 

[tototwo]

Thank you, @KatieB -- I've never heard of this tongue problem - good to know.  I'm really fussy about sanitizing my hummer feeders and refilling with fresh sugar water every 2 days. 

And please don't buy those ready-made red liquid hummer foods at a store.  Besides the fact that the red dye is unhealthy, you don't know what sweetener is in it or how long it sat on a shelf in a warehouse.  Is there an expiration date?

I mix up a batch of 3 cups of sugar water once a week and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container.  Ready to go!

[Still Raining]

I never knew this and it just breaks my heart.

They are hardcore sugar fans!,  Only!