Hummingbird Nectar is Cloudy

K

ktspirit

Guest
Hi. Yesterday afternoon I made three batches of hummingbird nectar because they were turning out cloudy. I've never had this happen before and I'm using the same stainless steel boiler, the kind with the copper bottom. The water from the tap looks clear in a glass and a jar. I didn't see anything in the sugar, which is stored in a closed container and is fairly new. After I boil the nectar, let it cool and pour it up, it's cloudy. What I put in the refrigerator, in a Mason jar, it has what looks like sediment floating after I shake it, but not in the jar with just water. I haven't shaken the feeder, but it's cloudy, too. I cleaned and sanitized everything three times. I've used this same sugar several times. I am completely stumped as to why this is happening now.

Any suggestions? Thanks!
 
Not from me........I do not boil. I just mix the sugar with water straight from the tap. Admittedly, I do not live in as hot a climate as you, and have really good water. Birds are fine all summer.
 
I just hope this isn't going to hurt my little hummers! At least it's boiled, so maybe there is nothing in there to hurt them.
 
kt ~ do you boil it after adding the sugar? I have no idea what might be happening with your solutions. I bring the water to a boil, add the sugar and let that come back to a boil, then let it cool down. I've never had any problems with this.
 
Could there be some sort of residue that has accumulated on the pot? Sort of invisible but there? Grasping at straws here.
 
I add sugar and water, then bring it to a boil. I've always done it this way. I have a few options: change pots; buy more sugar; or maybe just boil some tap water and see what it looks like after it cools. I'm not doing anything differently, though (not yet).
 
I scrubbed and sanitized that pot three times, lol. Unless there is a breach between the inside and the copper bottom, I don't know. It is an old pot.
 
Also, do not use food coloring. I just read something that if the nectar is turning cloudy, means there may be mold in the feeder. So you might try washing, then soaking all the feeder parts in bleach, then cleaning thoroughly again. ????
 
And it does say to boil the water alone......then add the sugar. Store extra in frig. I have a small feeder, so have taken to just making a batch that fills it without storing any. I used to use coloring, but so many places say don't.
 
I don't use food coloring, clean everything in soapy water then sanitize in bleach and store the remainder in the refrigerator, just like I've always done. There can't be mold in a fresh batch, so this is why it's blowing my mind, lol. I don't add the sugar after the water boils, but that hasn't been a problem before. This has me stupefied, lol.
 
Hmmmm, what about the feeder itself? Or does it all turn cloudy before you add to the feeder?
 
I guess I solved the mystery, hope so. I bought a new bag of sugar, made a new batch of nectar, all looks normal again. I don't see how sugar I've been using for weeks could have gone bad in a container with a screw-on lid, but it must have. I couldn't see anything in the sugar, but something was wrong. Thank you for your help and suggestions. I hope the hummers are happy now, lol.
 
Something weird happend today to mine. I filled it last night, as was completely empty. All was well. This morning, I take a look, the hummers have brought it down about 1/2 inch, maybe 3/4", but there is something black in the water. Look closer, it is ants, probably a couple dozen black ants, all congregated together, looking as though they floated to the top. Well, I take the thing down, and I have never had to empty a practically full feeder, so I go in the bathroom, dump in the toilet.....and those ants were ALL still alive. I mean they were swimmimg, getting to the part of the bowl that had no water, on my hands, I was having a fit. Flushed the toilet and down they all went. and yes, flushed a 2nd time. I had to make another batch, but I first sprayed the holder, and part of the house with ant spray. I go in the bathroom to put some toilet bowl cleaner in and there is still ONE ant clinging to the side. He met his maker as well. LOL
But in all the years I have had feeders up, that has never ever happened, I have seen ants crawling on the area, have found them inside the empty feeder at the bottom, but never ever bloating atop the water. Actually, they all seems to be just under the surface. Ugh.
 
Poirot, I live in the Woods Of PA in a little cedar log cabin. Carpenter ants are plentiful. I use a "Hummingbird feeder bell".. and haven't had a problem with ants in the 21 years I have been using it. It is plastic and shaped like a bell. You put vaseline on the underside of it and the ants can not cross the barrier! They are only a few dollars!

hummer bell.jpg
 
Those darn little ants sure have a sweet tooth, lol.

I've never seen beet sugar, RS. What I get is pure cane sugar. I don't know what happened to it between the previous time I used it and this time. Anyway, it's gone and I have a new bag. If this happens again, no more Great Value sugar!!
 
I use Great Value sugar most of the time.

If granulated sugar doesn't have the words "pure cane" on the label, it is partially beet sugar.
If it doesn't have "cane" on the label, it is all beet sugar.
Beet sugar and cane sugar are both sucrose.......basically no difference between the two except which plant it comes from..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top