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Hummingbird Feeder Fresh Nectar Defender is an all-natural product that protects the freshness of hummingbird nectar and stops spoilage. It is bird-safe, and works using a micronutrient, copper, naturally consumed by hummingbirds in their diet of nectar and insects. Feeder Fresh ND will protect your nectar for weeks, and hummingbirds will enjoy fresh nectar every time they visit your feeder. Simply add a small amount to your current nectar. One bottle lasts an entire season. Contains no artificial preservatives or dyes. Once you try Feeder Fresh ND, you will never want to feed hummingbirds without it. Patent pending.
Price: $9.99
From the Manufacturer:
We love hummingbirds, and would never offer a product that was not tested and deeply researched to make sure it was completely safe and appealing for the birds you also love. So the answer is emphatically yes, it is safe.
Hummingbirds naturally consume micronutrient copper in their daily diet of insects and nectar. It is something they must have for their normal growth and development.
Nectar Defender is well within the natural range of copper found in wild hummingbird's diet. The arthropods that hummingbirds eat can be many times the copper level in Nectar Defender. And, the copper level of Nectar Defender combined with arthropods is substantially within a hummingbird’s natural nutrient range.
Micronutrient copper has been proven to be safe for hummingbirds in long-term studies of hummingbirds’ diet conducted by University of California Avian Scientists, and at zoo and wildlife rehabilitation organizations to successfully maintain the long-term health of their hummingbird colonies for years at a time.
To ensure Nectar Defender is safe, the amount of micronutrient used in Nectar Defender is below the level tested in these long-term studies and below the level recommended by the Association of Avian Veterinarians.
The safety of Nectar Defender has been approved by avian and animal scientists at major universities and other hummingbird experts.
In a real world situation, hummingbirds will have multiple sources of natural flower and feeder nectar and as a result, when using Nectar Defender, the actual level of copper in their nectar diet will likely be less than the drinking water standard.
Hummingbirds are protected from absorbing more copper than they need due to their bodies' natural biochemical regulation. Birds have a robust system to precisely maintain a healthy copper balance (copper homeostasis). In fact, copper will not even be absorbed from nectar in a bird’s digestive system, unless the it is in need of copper nutrient.
Micronutrient copper will not accumulate in the hummingbird’s system, because any excess is rapidly excreted from their system.
This micronutrient copper used in Nectar Defender is the same mineral supplement used for decades to provide essential trace minerals for birds and is approved for this use by the FDA and USDA. It is safety rated by the FDA as GRAS (“generally recognized as safe”), the safest rating given.
Based on real world preference testing, hummingbirds prefer nectar with Nectar Defender just as much as nectar without.
Nectar Defender protects the birds and prevents nectar spoilage naturally up to 2 weeks, even in hot weather. They will enjoy fresh nectar every time they visit the feeder between cleanings.
Directions:
1. Add 1 tablespoon per quart of nectar, or 1 teaspoon per 1-1/3 cup of nectar.
2. Stir and pour into clean feeder.
NOTE: To maintain a healthy feeder, we recommend cleaning it at least once every 2 weeks.
Made in the USA
Ingredients: water and micronutrient
Price: $9.99
By Bruce W. on August 1, 2020:
This is a great product and a real nectar saver! Now that the babies are out and about, the nectar doesn't last long, but this still gives us the assurance that nectar beyond day 3 is still 'healthy' for the hummers! Two week 'shelf life' was great during the slow feeding time while our pair was incubating and caring for their baby. Visits to the feeder (yes, we went down to only one feeder during this slow time) were infrequent with very little consumption. Now that all are out and active again, we added a 2nd and today we are adding a 3rd feeder spaced around our house. The "feeder wars" have begun! It is so much fun to watch them jostle for a quick sip, dive-bombing and chasing each other around! In any event, the Feeder Fresh Nectar Defender allows us the confidence of fresh nectar and the freedom from regular nectar changes. A GREAT product, highly recommend!
By Rita G. on June 16, 2021:
Very good product, hummingbirds love their feed with this in it.
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