How can I keep air bubbles from appearing on my hummingbird feeders?
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I love to watch the humming birds feed but they keep leaving and try again to get food out of the feeders. I have noticed air bubbles keep appearing and perhaps that is why they are feeding. Am I right? Help please.
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Don't understand your question about the air bubbles. Hummingbirds return to the feeders repeatedly. Air bubbles have nothing to do with anything other than the replacement of fluid in the area when they drink. They stick their long tongues in to get nectar. Rarely do they even sit. They dart away and come back repeatedly.
Dianne....Do you keep them clean and make sure the holes are not stopped up? Wash in hot water but don't use detergent. Use a toothpick for the little holes. Do you make your own food or use the liquid that you add water to. Sometimes the sugar will clog the holes if you make your feed. Good luck!
The air bubbles happen when the liquid is flowing down into the grid area where the hummingbirds drink from. You might want to check and see if there are any bees/flies/bugs that got into this area and that is stopping the flow. Normally you don't see air bubbles as the hummingbirds feed. It might appear that they are not getting any liquid as they feed because they are so quick as they dart back and forth but if the level of your liquid is going down and you have to refill your feeders frequently the hummingbirds are drinking it.
My hummers are little piggies. They sit and gulp constantly. I have one tiny female that tries to run others off. The bubbles occur when they drink and nothing to be concerned about. I fill 5 feeders up every single day . . .
I have to use a toothpick to clean out their drinking holes when I refill it. I then use an old soft toothbrush after soaking in the sink to make sure their clean.
I have a similar problem. The hummingbirds act like they are want to feed --they go to the feeder and immediately leave--and hoover over it. Then they go maddly to flowers (which I think don't have nectar-wrong kind of flowers) and try to drink--but also leave in a split second . The feeder water never went down. HOWEVER when I tipped the feeder to the side slightly immediately the water went down (filling the reserve below)--a big "gulp" and bubble appears. Sooooo I think the reserve where the birds can land and drink had an air bubble. My feeder I think is a poor design.