Description
Help hummingbirds sustainably
Love hummingbirds, but hate waste? This is the feeder for you! Save your old soda bottles, keep nectar stock in each one. Then swap out using this attachment. This hummingbird feeder lets you play an even bigger role in ecology and backyard bird conservation by recycling and helping hummingbirds at the same time.
What’s in the kit:
Inside this bundle is the feeder with ports that’s threaded to fit most standard 16 ounce soda bottles. Also included is a red mesh sleeve that holds the soda bottle, a thin plastic hanger with eye hole to mount your feeder, and snap on port perches.
Added on to this bundle is an ant moat to prevent ants from taking over your hummingbird feeders.
- Threaded hummingbird feeder for 16.9 ounce soda bottles
- Mesh sleeve to hold the soda bottles
- Port perches
- Paper funnel to fill bottle (It works, but a small plastic funnel or turkey baster is easier)
- Small hanger that can hook into the ant moat
- 9 ounce ant moat (hanging hook not included)
Not Included:
- Mounting hook for the ant moat (innovate by making one from an old wire hanger)
- Soda bottle
Assembly information
Initial assembly includes snapping the flower ports to the port holes on the feeder, sliding the bottle into the sleeve, and hooking the plastic hanger through the mesh sleeve.
From there, fill your feeder when you’re ready – we suggest only half way or 3/4 of the way full. With your bottle facing up, twist the feeder over the bottle as if it were the bottle cap.
NOTE: This works best if you pull the ring off of the bottle. Make sure to snip the ring before throwing it away or recycling so that some animal does not get caught in it (Pictured)
Do not flip upside down until you are ready to hang. Then carefully turn the feeder so that the bottle faces downward.
Ant moat information:
The ant moat is a cup that sits over the hummingbird feeder. Any ants that would normally travel down a pole and hook into the feeder will get stopped by the ant moat, and drown.
To use the ant moat, fill it with water and hook it to your shepherds hook or a tree branch. Make sure it stays full on a regular basis for full effectiveness.
We recommend keeping the ant moat clean because some small birds will drink from it.
This ant moat has a hook on the top and bottom. The top hook is small and connects to a small bird feeding hook (not included but can be made with a wire hanger) or found at a hardware store. You could also use string or a looped thin wire, or even a rubber band.
The bottom hook will hook through the eye of the plastic feeder hanger.
Once your feeder is hooked underneath the ant moat, you’re all set.
Never use ant moats or ant repellent with insecticides because this can hurt birds. A water filled ant moat is all you need.
Preventing sticky messes:
Sugar water can splatter as you use this. A good way to prevent messes is to add nectar to your bottle over a sink. While this kit does come with a paper funnel, a small plastic funnel or turkey baster may make the job easier.
After twisting the threaded feeder over your bottle like a bottle cap, do not flip it over until you are ready to hang it outside or it will splatter nectar on your counters and floor.
When bringing your nectar feeder back in side for cleaning, we recommend cupping the feeder’s base with a cloth underneath to protect from any potential spills during transport.
Finally, when cleaning the feeder, we recommend separating the port section from the bowl in or over a sink.
How often to refresh your nectar:
Not only do clean feeders protect hummingbirds from very serious infections, but hummingbirds also prefer clean feeders.
Based on new information coming from the Audubon, we recommend changing out your nectar every other day, which is why this feeder is so great. Have old soda bottles with nectar ready to go in your fridge and swap them out (just do it over the sink).
On very hot days where temperatures are reaching the upper 80s and into the 90s, refresh your nectar every day.
When the weather starts to get colder, in the 50s or even the 40s, you can go a few days before changing out nectar.
NOTE ON CLEANING SCHEDULES: If you’re swapping your nectar out regularly, you may not need to clean these feeders quite as quickly. We recommend every 3 days on warm days, every 1-2 days when it’s very hot (90s). Cleaning also involves cleaning out the ports.
Any time you observe feces on the feeder, it’s recommended to clean that out to prevent sickness.
Cleaning instructions:
The threaded feeder’s port section separates from the feeder bowl for cleaning. The first time trying to separate it can be challenging. But after that, it separates easy.
With your thumb in the center of the feeder, and the rest of your finger on the edges of the port section, push with your thumb to separate the sections.
Clean with soap and water, and then rinse thoroughly. If it is very dirty, you can add a small amount of white vinegar for some disinfectant. Then make sure your feeder is thoroughly rinsed to prevent any leftover soap or vinegar from being ingested.
Once you have cleaned the inside thoroughly, you can put it back together by stacking the port section over the bowl, and pushing firmly over the middle of the feeder until you hear a click.
Always clean the port holes. An easy way to clean out port holes is by using pipe cleaners. Pipe cleaners are easy to cut. Keep a few handy, and cut them in half, so you have easy cleaners that can be disposed of after a few uses.
Clean your ant moats regularly by washing in soap and water. You can use a very small amount of white vinegar to disinfect. Always rinse thoroughly.
Product testing information:
Nest Hollow likes to test products before putting them up for sale. We tested this feeder, and found it really is convenient.
What we love:
It’s just so easy to swap out. You can keep fresh nectar in other old bottles. When you’re ready to swap, bring it in, and over a sink, twist off the old bottle, then dump the sugar-water out of the red reservoir. You can give it a quick rinse. Then twist it on to your fresh bottle, and set it out for your hummers.
The separation between the top portion of the feeder and the bowl/base is a must, and is a great design feature. It makes cleaning this feeder out, super super easy.
The ant moat works great, and on occasion, we’ve observed smaller birds like goldfinches and chickadees take a sip from it.
Some cons:
The top portion of the feeder and the bowl/base separates for easy and thorough cleaning. However, upon first try, it may be difficult. After popping it off a few times, it gets much easier.
The only other con is that sugar-water can spill out of it if you’re not careful. The best way to prevent that is not to have the bottle upside down when you’re taking it outside. Keep the bottle upright at all times after twisting the feeder section onto it. Then when you’re ready to hang it, invert it slowly and hook it to your hanger.
