Glass hummingbird feeders are a popular choice among many bird lovers. They aren’t very stylish or don’t have many options. But they are suitable to feed hummingbirds for many reasons. However, one thing always terrifies the feeder owners. You might be thinking, “do glass hummingbird feeders get too hot?”. Let’s get you the best answer below!
Glass Hummingbird Feeders do not get too hot as glass is an insulator. The feeders can sustain external temperature and keep the food temperature moderated. However, this heat is good enough sometimes to spoil nectar, cause burns. A balance of sunshine and shade on feeder is always good.
What is the best hummingbird feeder temperature?
Every hummingbird feeder has a suitable temperature or a range. They can keep the nectar cool only at or under the range. It’s better to maintain that temperature to avoid sugar crystallization and nectar warming.
The glass hummingbird feeder operates the best till 104° Fahrenheit. The plastic feeders operate the best at 77°F. The metal feeders have a much lower optimum temperature (68-86°F). So, depending on the feeder material, the optimum temperature varies. It’s best to choose a hummingbird feeder with a high-temperature range if you live in a warm climate. You can go for a low-temperature feeder if you hail from a cold place.
Do glass hummingbird feeders get too hot?
Many people have a notion that glass hummingbird feeders will heat up if left outside on a summer morning. However, it’s a false idea!
Do you know? Experts consider mounting glass feeders to keep the hummer’s food protected and saved from heating effects. These feeders don’t become too hot because glass is an insulator. It can sustain high temperatures and keep the nectar cool in summer. The hummingbird feeders don’t become hot to crack even in scorching temperatures.
Although glass feeders do not become too hot, the heat is good enough to spoil the nectar and make it hot. It is always suggested, sunshine is provided within limits and at same time, a shade is always good for the hummingbird feeders.
Also, it is good to keep the feeder under moderate conditions as it avoids any air locking in the feeder.
What happens when a glass hummingbird feeder becomes too hot?
A glass hummingbird feeder will not become exceptionally hot. It will maintain its temperature to an optimum level in extreme temperatures. However, their tolerance can break in conditions and temperatures higher than 104°F can compel the glass hummingbird feeder to become hot and cause the following impacts:
The content inside the hummingbird feeder will become too hot
When the temperature outside the feeder gets too high, the glass feeder will become hot. Gradually, the food inside the glass feeder will become hot. Sugar syrup can get concentrated when exposed to such high temperatures. The sugar might become crystalline and hard when the temperature inside your feeder rises above the required temperature value.
It can cause scaling inside your hummingbird feeder which is challenging to clean. Also, hot sugar is a breeding ground for fungi and molds. These parasites can kill the birds if left unattended. So, hot glass hummingbird feeders have long-term impacts.
The glass feeder might crack
Glass doesn’t react well to high temperatures. Hot summers and cool feeder content can create a temperature difference causing the glass feeder to crack. You can think of pouring hot coffee into a glass tumbler and cracking it. It’s a similar thing with glass feeders in the opposite manner.
Besides, hot sugar can trigger the cracking of glass hummingbird feeders. The feeders can easily break if the temperature outside drops suddenly while the content inside was warm due to external factors. So, glass hummingbird feeders have a high cracking tendency which can be hazardous if you live in a hot climate.
Hummingbirds might get a burn when trying to sit on your feeder
Although glass feeders don’t become too hot, they can reach optimum temperature levels leading to an untouchable outer surface. Many times, human owners get a slight shock when touching the hot hummingbird feeders. So, the birds can get a burn when trying to feed on an over-heated hummingbird feeder.
They might have to wait for long before the nectar becomes accessible
If the nectar becomes too hot, the birds will face trouble consuming it. The hummingbirds are hungry due to their raging metabolism. They might have to wait to get the feeder and the content to get back to normal. In the event, they might fly away to other food sources.
Since glass is a poor conductor of heat, your feeder content will take a long time to become cold and back to normal. So, it’s not a great thing if you live in a hot region where the temperature becomes over the top in summers.
Moving on, let’s understand how you can keep the temperature of your glass feeder cool.
How to cool down hummingbird feeders in summers?
Hummingbird feeders can become highly heated in summers. You need to cool them to help the hummers get their favorite sugar syrup. Here are some techniques you can follow to bring the hummingbird feeder temperatures back to normal.
Keep the feeder in the shade
It’s best to hang the glass hummingbird feeders in shade. Since glass doesn’t become too hot usually, you can manage the temperature when placing the feeder away from direct sunlight. You can pick an isolated and safe place to hang hummingbird feeders like by a branch.
Cover it with a wet cloth
You can take a light cloth piece and get it wet to cover your hummingbird feeder. It will help you cool down the temperature of the feeder and keep the glass surface away from cracking. You can replace the cloth with freshly wet ones to maintain the temperature of glass feeders in summers.
Change the feeder content regularly
If you wish to prevent the glass hummingbird feeders from cracking, it’s best to keep the content fresh and cold. You can replace the food in the glass feeder from time to time to give the birds cold food and nectar that doesn’t harm them.
Wash the feeder under cold water
You can wash the warm feeder under cold water to maintain the temperature of the feeder. However, don’t wash the feeder under cold water if the feeder is too hot to touch. It can break the feeder and make it useless almost instantly.
Conclusion
Glass feeders are organic and high-quality. They don’t get too hot during summers till a certain temperature. However, it feels too hot to touch when the temperature rises further. So, you need to maintain precautions when dealing with glass feeders in areas where the temperature can rise above 100°F.
