How to Clean Mold Out of Glass Hummingbird Feeders

There are many types of glass hummingbird feeders on the market today, coming in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Although some may be described as more effective than others, the truth is that hummingbirds will feed out of anything that supplies them with nectar. When choosing a feeder pick one that is easy to clean and easy to fill. This will make the task less bothersome and, in the event of mold, it can be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

Things You'll Need

  • Small plastic scrubbing brush or bottle brush
  • Bleach
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Instructions

    • 1

      Discard any leftover nectar and dismantle the feeder if it can be taken apart and rinse all the parts under hot water. If the feeder is a bottle design, then wash out the interior repeatedly with hot water. The hot water will help to dissolve any sugar that has dried onto the sides of the feeder as well as loosen up the mold.

    • 2

      Scrub the feeder with a small plastic scrubbing brush or a bottle brush for the bottle design feeders. Rinse the parts and brush constantly under the hot water to keep the debris out of the feeder. According to Hummingbirds.net soap should not be used to wash anything as hummingbirds can taste it and will not visit the feeder. Soap will not hurt them but it will discourage them from eating at your table. Keep scrubbing until all visible signs of mold are gone.

    • 3

      Soak the feeder and all of the parts in a solution of bleach water for one hour. There should be 1/4 cup of bleach for every gallon of water. This solution should kill the mold and prevent it from growing again as long as the feeder is cleaned regularly. Soak the scrubbing brushes too as they will need to be sterilized to prevent the spread of mold.

    • 4

      Scrub the bottles with the scrubbing brush or bottle brush in the bleach solution, paying particular attention to the area that contained any mold. Continue to wash the feeder and the parts in the bleach solution until there are no traces of sugar buildup or mold.

    • 5

      Rinse the feeder, parts and the brushes in hot water until most of the bleach has been washed away. It is best to let everything air dry so most of the water and bleach will evaporate. Any traces of bleach that may be left will be neutralized by the replenished sugar water.