get those hummingbird feeders out....sugar mix recipe in thread

[BlackSand]

Would love to have barn swallows build on my house.

I don't know about that ... especially if you haven't had them build before.
They are very courageous birds and you will not be able to enjoy the area where they build.

They will dive-bomb you relentlessly ... And they immediately call friends to come and help dive-bomb you.
They make clay and dirt nests ... And a terrible mess.

.

 

[Moonglow]

Don't use anything BUT white sugar, boil the mixture and let it cool.
During hot weather, change the it often.
Clean the feeder well but make sure you rinse and rinse and rinse and then rinse some more.
If you get ants, slather some cooking oil on the hanger well above the feeder.

Why do you need to boil the mixture?

Your not making booze....

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I have been feeding mine for over a month now.
I have 3 - 32oz feeders and I have to fill them up every single day because we have so many.
We go through 40 pounds of sugar a month.

I put mine up pretty early as well ... They help discourage the barn swallows from building nests under the porch.
I like barn swallows ... They are a beautiful bird and eat a lot of bugs ... But they are not friendly when they put a nest on your porch.

I don't get barn swallows but I have a small jug mounted sideways (pointing out) on the porch wall. Every year wrens build a nest in there.

We have a big screened in porch on our deck and roll-down canvas shades. Our Carolina wrens nest in the rolled up ends. Makes a mess but we can sit on the deck and watch them feed their chicks.

In Tucson, the cactus wrens nest year round and always in places you would prefer they not. But, whatcha gonna do?

 

[Pogo]

Don't use anything BUT white sugar, boil the mixture and let it cool.
During hot weather, change the it often.
Clean the feeder well but make sure you rinse and rinse and rinse and then rinse some more.
If you get ants, slather some cooking oil on the hanger well above the feeder.

Why do you need to boil the mixture?

One reason is that it makes it easier to get the sugar into a solution. Some say it stops or slows the fermentation process but I don't think that's true because that is caused by the birds themselves. That always seemed strange to me but there you are.

I think it's to ensure the solution is sterile (of anything but the sugar).

The fermentation is in my experience most influenced by heat, especially sunlight. That's why I always keep mine out of the sun. Sunlight on a feeder will shorten the effective life of the nectar dramatically.

 

[BlackSand]

We have a big screened in porch on our deck and roll-down canvas shades. Our Carolina wrens nest in the rolled up ends. Makes a mess but we can sit on the deck and watch them feed their chicks.

In Tucson, the cactus wrens nest year round and always in places you would prefer they not. But, whatcha gonna do?

Well any bird is going to make a mess ... But I don't mind the wrens or a tit-mouse.
You can Google "barn swallow nest" and look at the images ... That will clear up what the nests are like (especially when multiple pairs nest).
You will also have copious amounts of bird poo everywhere ... Barn Swallows eat a lot of bugs, and poo a bunch all over the walls and everywhere else.

I mean I have house and gold finches that build nests in my hanging porch lights.
I don't mind taking them down and cleaning them when they are through for the season.
The barn swallows are simply not worth the trouble ... And as I mentioned before, the mess is only half the problem.
You won't be sitting there watching them do anything other than dive-bomb you with about 6 of their friends unless you are inside looking out a window.

Edit:
Barn swallows won't build anywhere they can see the sky from the interior of their nest.
Because of this ... When touring, you may notice how older plantation houses in the south paint the ceilings of the porches "sky blue".

.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Would love to have barn swallows build on my house.

I don't know about that ... especially if you haven't had them build before.
They are very courageous birds and you will not be able to enjoy the area where they build.

They will dive-bomb you relentlessly ... And they immediately call friends to come and help dive-bomb you.
They make clay and dirt nests ... And a terrible mess.

.

I've had swallows build their big mud nests on my house. Just not on the house where I live now. I've also rehabbed swallows. Fascinating birds.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Don't use anything BUT white sugar, boil the mixture and let it cool.
During hot weather, change the it often.
Clean the feeder well but make sure you rinse and rinse and rinse and then rinse some more.
If you get ants, slather some cooking oil on the hanger well above the feeder.

Why do you need to boil the mixture?

One reason is that it makes it easier to get the sugar into a solution. Some say it stops or slows the fermentation process but I don't think that's true because that is caused by the birds themselves. That always seemed strange to me but there you are.

I think it's to ensure the solution is sterile (of anything but the sugar).

The fermentation is in my experience most influenced by heat, especially sunlight. That's why I always keep mine out of the sun. Sunlight on a feeder will shorten the effective life of the nectar dramatically.

That's always been my take on it as well but, in getting licensed to rehab hummers, I learned the same as is said here -

The microorganisms that cause fermentation don't come from the water; they are transported to the feeder on hummingbird bills.

I play it safe and boil.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

We have a big screened in porch on our deck and roll-down canvas shades. Our Carolina wrens nest in the rolled up ends. Makes a mess but we can sit on the deck and watch them feed their chicks.

In Tucson, the cactus wrens nest year round and always in places you would prefer they not. But, whatcha gonna do?

Well any bird is going to make a mess ... But I don't mind the wrens or a tit-mouse.
You can Google "barn swallow nest" and look at the images ... That will clear up what the nests are like (especially when multiple pairs nest).
You will also have copious amounts of bird poo everywhere ... Barn Swallows eat a lot of bugs, and poo a bunch all over the walls and everywhere else.

I mean I have house and gold finches that build nests in my hanging porch lights.
I don't mind taking them down and cleaning them when they are through for the season.
The barn swallows are simply not worth the trouble ... And as I mentioned before, the mess is only half the problem.
You won't be sitting there watching them do anything other than dive-bomb you with about 6 of their friends unless you are inside looking out a window.

Edit:
Barn swallows won't build anywhere they can see the sky from the interior of their nest.
Because of this ... When touring, you may notice how older plantation houses in the south paint the ceilings of the porches "sky blue".

.

You should try cleaning up after big raptors in flight cages. I use a power washer!

I swear, you could put a roof on with that stuff.