TIL that leaving my hummingbird feeder out late October is actually fine

I always took mine down on October 1st like clockwork... thought the hummers would stick around and freeze. Then my neighbor Marty in Salem told me he leaves his up until November and just changes the sugar water when it gets cold. Saw a rufous hummingbird at his place last week, so I guess I was wrong for 3 years. Anyone else keep their feeders up past the usual cutoff?

2 comments

2 Comments

maxm639d ago

Left mine up one year and accidentally hosted a hummingbird frat party

karent757d ago

Marty in Salem sounds like the type who also tells you to leave your Christmas lights up until March. Just because one rufous showed up doesn't mean every feeder needs to stay out until November. Cold sugar water can ferment or get moldy way faster than people realize, and that can make the birds sick or even kill them. And what about the bears? We've had black bears in our neighborhood the past two Octobers, and leaving sugar water out is basically ringing a dinner bell for them. Seems like a lot of unnecessary risk just because one guy saw one bird.