Hummingbird feeders get air locked when the sugar water within becomes overheated. As a result when hummingbirds or others birds attempt to use the feeder, they will air lock the feeder holes as the slurping action locks up the pathway. Water vapor rising within the feeder will also contribute to how often a feeder will air lock too.
Nevertheless, air locking isn’t a massive concern as it will very rarely happen, which is usually down to a tiny bit of negligence on the owner of the feeder. Throughout this article I will delve deeper into the topic and provide a few helpful tips to stop your feeders from air locking themselves.
How Often Do Hummingbird Feeders Get Air Locked?
Hummingbird feeders will air lock more often in the summer months, especially in drier, borderline boiling days. Of course, as long as you clean the feeder daily (as is recommended in the summer), the chances of this being a frequent occurrence won’t be too high.
Therefore, a feeder getting air locked is relatively rare, which is mostly down to how most responsible bird feeder owners will clean it every day if not every other day to stop air bubbles from locking the feeder holes.
Do You Have To Burp A Hummingbird Feeder?
Although hot weather makes it so water vapour will occasionally air lock feeders, it won’t be necessary to burp the device at all, no matter the weather conditions.
This is because the feeder fills to the bottom so needing to burp it all the time won’t be necessary. The only time you may need to burp the feeder is when you first hang the feeder up on your porch.
How To Keep Air Out Of Hummingbird Feeders?
The truth is it isn’t possible to keep air completely out of a hummingbird feeder as small bubbles will form in the feeder when hummingbirds start feeding from the device.
Of course air locking in and of itself is quite a rare occurrence among these water based feeders so, the chances of them getting fully air locked isn’t high.
However, at the same time it’s not completely possible to permanently remove air from feeders as every time hummingbirds consume sugar water, little air pockets will form.
The remaining water will fill up the formed air pockets fairly quickly but, this also shows the impossibility of stopping air from flowing in. After all you can’t keep a permanent eye on your feeders, especially when they’re in use and surrounded by a flock of birds in wait to consume the liquid within.
Summary
Hummingbird feeders get air locked which can be pinpointed down to two main reasons. The first reason would be as a result of water vapor making its way up towards the holes through which the birds drink from. This is most common in the hotter summer months.
The other reason would be down to not allowing the feeder to settle, as in allowing the air bubbles to fill up, but this is even rarer than the first point.
In the end of the day, the chances of your feeder getting air locked is not very high at all, especially if you keep the feeder clean throughout the days it’s in use.
Amhil Khan, a dedicated nature enthusiast and the founder of BirdsOfTheWild.com, is a passionate advocate for the captivating world of avian wonders. With a deep-seated curiosity about the intricate lives of birds, Amhil’s journey began as a fascination and has evolved into a mission to inspire others to appreciate and protect these magnificent creatures.
Amhil’s love for birds led to the creation of Birds of the Wild, a platform where his expertise in ornithology, coupled with his captivating storytelling, provides readers with an immersive and educational experience. Through his lens and words, he captures the essence of birds in their natural habitats, offering a glimpse into their behaviors, migrations, and the ecosystems they inhabit.