I am leaving for a week's vacation soon. I plan to clean and fill just before I leave. My feeder gets little sun and it has lasted a week before. I have seen/sniffed no evidence of spoilage, but I admit that I am not experienced. Maybe I just don't realize it has gone bad. Removing the feeder now might end my season as many of my plants are slowing down.

I guess I need advice too!

You could take them both down. Then when you get back put them back up. Sarah

I've been told to fill them with water and leave them up. Didn't go on vacation this summer, so I didn't do it.

I like the idea of filling a feeder with plain water in the interim during a vacation. That way, the feeder could remain in place but still provide sustenance.

That's an interesting idea about the water. They do need to drink water, right? :-)

I've been lucky to have neighbors who would take my feeders down after a couple of days and just empty them out so that the hummers wouldn't drink spoiled sugarwater while we're out of town. They were down for just 2 days though and the hummers came back fine when we got back.

Harryshoe - I used to not know exactly what was considered spoiled sugarwater either. I kept reading/hearing that once the water turned cloudy that that was the sign that you needed to change it out. Well, I assumed that it meant that when you see cloudy floaty things that it was time. I later figured out what they mean is when the clear sugarwater (ya know, the way it looks right after you fill the feeder up) turns thicker and cloudier (not necessarily any floaties or flakes of stuff) but when it's no longer clear is when it should be changed. When it's not so hot most of mine will last about 3-4 days, this summer though I've had days where it only lasted 1 day, but normally it's every 2 days. I like doing it every 2 days now though and will probably keep that up cause I like knowing that my little winged friends are getting fresh, cold sugarwater.

Thanks for the advice. I will try just water and hope they come back when I do!!

Filling them with water is a new one for me.
Never heard of that.

Okay experts, is this something to do or not?

My sis comes and stays at my house when I am away but
she gets tired of filling feeders everyday during migration.
She is about to jump ship on me.

Jan

What about providing extra feeders and pre-prepared (and refrigerated) solution so that all that would have to be done is take down the feeders with spoiled nectar and hang new feeders with fresh nectar?

Does the prepared red stuff have a preservative? I admit I am still using up the packets I bought this spring. Since I throw 99% of it away each change, I know I am not doing much harm to my hummingbirds. And yes, I tried plain sugar water without any increased interest. They just prefer the plants over the feeder.