Some feeders may actually be hiding black mold.

In preparation for the winter season, I recently took down the hummingbird feeders. Prepped for a thorough cleansing in the dishwasher before packing them away for spring, one feeder in particular left me wondering: how does this one come apart? Well, it didn’t, and I proceeded to break one of the perches in trying to do so! I thought it was a pretty decent feeder, with 4 perches and a built-in ant moat, it was purchased from a “big-box store”.

To my surprise, black mold was found in the base, hiding in the recessed areas next to the bottom of the feeding ports. You couldn’t reach it even with the craftiest of brushes. After running this hummingbird feeder through the dishwasher, the ugly black stuff persisted. This mold can be deadly to hummingbirds, and purchasing a feeder that doesn’t come apart was not my brightest idea. Placed in the bin for recycling, this bargain hummingbird feeder is now history. You can bet that any future ones will be be totally disassemble-able!