Should feeders stay up in the summer?

By Bettyann Nagy

Ohio certified volunteer naturalist

Winter is a great time to feed birds.

Natural foods are less abundant and the cold weather makes window-side birding a pleasure.

But birds flock to feeders in the summertime, too, especially in midsummer when they have new mouths to feed.

It’s also a fun time to try offering some different kinds of foods to see what kinds of birds you can attract to your feeder.

Don’t fear that feeding birds in the summer will cause them to stop eating “natural” foods and become dependent on your feeder.

No matter how expensive or awesome your seed is, it cannot compete with the abundance of insect life during the warmer months.

Most bird species cannot live by black-oil sunflower seed alone.

You may see different birds at your feeders during summer than you do during winter.

And many, such as finches and warblers, will sport their vibrant spring and summer plumage, spreading color throughout your yard.

As summer progresses, you can watch adult birds bring their young to the feeders and teach them how to use the feeders for extra nourishment.

A main bird of summer for many backyard gardeners is the delightful hummingbird.

Attracting hummingbirds to your yard is easy. Hang a hummingbird feeder and fill it with a sugar water solution (1/4 cup sugar per cup of water).

Generally, they begin to arrive here in our area with the blooming of the rhododendrons.

The flashy orange orioles can be lured to your yard by slicing an orange in half and then set it on a platform feeder or skewer it on your feeder pole.

They prefer dark fruit like cherries and grapes. They also love grape jelly.

Perhaps you have nest boxes ready to entice bluebirds to your property.

If so, try setting out a snack of mealworms or waxworms. Although they prefer insects, the high protein worms are hard to resist during breeding season.

Their appearance in your yard will be wonderful.

Once you have attracted the summer birds, you will want to keep them safe.

Hot, humid summer weather creates the potential for mold. Keep your seed dry.

Fill the feeders halfway and refill more frequently so the seed doesn’t sit for long periods.

Move feeders occasionally. This will prevent seed-hulls and bird droppings from building up in one area.

Put suet and nectar feeders in the shade. Even no-melt varieties of suet can spoil and nectar should be changed every two or three days to avoid mold.

Clean feeders every two weeks with soap and water or a diluted bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water), then rinse and allow to dry.

Hopefully, these tips create a summertime backyard buffet that will keep your guests healthy and might bring a few new faces to your feeders for your watching pleasure.

To learn more about keeping your feeders clean and the birds healthy this summer, visit go.osu.edu/cleaningfeeders.