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Why You Shouldn't
Leave Your Hummingbird Feeder Out
At Night
By SAKSHI KHAITAN
Hummingbirds mostly feed during the day, which is reason enough to bring your feeder inside at night. Plus, these other factors will likely persuade you that it’s a good move.
Extreme weather conditions adversely impact the nectar. It’ll spoil rapidly in hot temperatures and freeze during frost conditions, making it necessary to move the feeder indoors.
Keeping it indoors also becomes necessary during bad weather conditions like heavy rainfall and gusty winds so it doesn't get knocked over or become damaged.
Your feeding station should also be taken inside if your landscape is home to nocturnal animals, such as bats, squirrels, and raccoons, which love the sugary nectar.
These animals can also damage the feeding station during their hunt, and feeders with big holes can become the hunting ground for unwelcome guests like orioles and finches.
Be sure to consider the material of the feeder as well. While glass feeders are generally considered more durable than plastic, they might get damaged during bad weather.
Bringing feeders inside at night also reminds you to clean them — twice a week during the summer and once a week during the winter — to prevent the nectar from developing mold.