*adding BTW a 7 watt bulb suggested in @Josh 's post worked fine in the DIY feeder heaters up under the eves through the coldest temps we had last winter in South Puget Sound area @400'. I did simply turn the lamps off when temps were above freezing.BTW, when it comes to winterization, don't forget our backyard feathered friends. Our hummer feeders were frozen this morning so I brought them in to thaw and refresh the sugar water (1:4). I also brought out my DIY feeder heaters and got mobbed by hungry hummers as I was clipping the heaters on the feeders and routing-securing the cables.
NFR - Hummer Hearth - (hummingbird feeder heater)
Just thought this might be of interest to some of you after seeing @Brian Miller post a photo of his hummingbird feeder with lights keeping it warm on the weather thread. For the past couple of years we've used a clever WA made product called a Hummer Hearth that clips onto the bottom of the...pnwflyfishing.comNFR - Hummer Hearth - (hummingbird feeder heater)
This did not work for us at 25oF or less...we use a cheapo aluminum shop light with a 60W bulb attached with twine, we've had hummingbirds below zero...pretty amazing they stay around...pnwflyfishing.com
What wattage bulb did you have in the Hummer Hearth? The 7w bulb does kinda crap out in the lower 20's. The FAQ on their site claims (optimistically I think):
- A 7-watt bulb will work down to about 20F (-7C)
- A 15-watt bulb will work down to about 10F (-12C)
- A 25-watt bulb will work down to about 0F (-18C)