Testing Hummingbird Feeders in Winter

13 days below 25° at night

We have had some very cold weather here at our home in Central Alabama this January 2010. As noted in the sub-title, we had 13 straight days in which the temperature at night dropped to 25° F or colder. Several of those nights had temps in the 15-18° F range. I decided since the long range weather forecast was accurate, that I would do a test of Dr. JB’s feeders to see how they would respond to the colder temperatures that would freeze the one to four sugar/water.

To be fair, I took the five feeders that I had hanging in hopes of getting a wintering hummer and put them in five very different locations in the yard. One was under the eave of our home, two were on shepherd hooks that got some sun and some shade, and two were in places where the winter sun never touched them during the day.

In the 13 day period, all of the feeders froze to some degree or other. The feeder under the eave looked frozen solid on each day, but actually remained “slushy” in the red base. All the others froze solid as a brick each night. I tested the feeders with varying volumes of sugar water solution to see if the amount in each feeder made a difference.

At the end of the period, despite the very cold weather that dropped down in the low teens on two nights, there was no breakage on any of the Dr. JB’s feeders. This impromptu test, while not scientific, proved what I already knew about these rugged feeders. I have used them since they were in the prototype stage and they are as rugged as any feeder I have ever purchased or tested.

As you know, I do recommend this wonderful feeder to others. You can now understand why Martha and I have between 40 or 50 of these hanging in our yard each summer during the southbound migration. Note…I did not receive any request to perform this test, nor was I reimbursed in any way for doing so.

Bob Sargent

Posted: 2010-03-15