HOW TO ATTRACT & FEED HUMMINGBIRDS
We've been feeding hummingbirds for years and have learned by
observation and trial and error the best way to attract and support
these natural wonders. We sit on our deck with cocktails and watch
dozens of hummers feed six feet from us every evening.
Food
Couldn't be easier: One part sugar in four parts water. No packaged food or red dye
necessary. Make sure your feeders are full at dusk and dawn, their two heavy
feeding times.
Feeders
I've tried all kinds and the best yet is from First Nature. I bought mine at Walmart
for just $5.88. They're easy to fill and clean and have plenty of stations with
perches (don't make them hover and use energy to get energy).
Cleaning Feeders
Just brush and rinse the feeders every few days. If mold gets too pronounced, the
hummers will stop feeding. Soak the feeders in water with a small amount of bleach
for thirty minutes and rinse thoroughly.
Ants
The hummers will share a feeder with ants but they prefer not to. A weekly coating
of oil on the iron hangers we use to suspend our feeders stops them cold.
Placement
Hummer poop is tiny but many hummers will make a mess you don't want on your
deck or windows. We hang our feeders just off our deck railing so we can see them
up close but the droppings don't hit the deck.
More Than One Feeder
The boys are very territorial and will defend a food source. Put up at least two
feeders ten feet apart. Eventually the sheer number of hummers will win out over
the sentries.
Commitment
Don't start feeding unless your committed to continue. The hummers use the sugar
water as fuel for hunting gnats and other bugs in the air. During the Summer when
the numbers are highest, we can go through a gallon of nectar a day.
observation and trial and error the best way to attract and support
these natural wonders. We sit on our deck with cocktails and watch
dozens of hummers feed six feet from us every evening.
Food
Couldn't be easier: One part sugar in four parts water. No packaged food or red dye
necessary. Make sure your feeders are full at dusk and dawn, their two heavy
feeding times.
Feeders
I've tried all kinds and the best yet is from First Nature. I bought mine at Walmart
for just $5.88. They're easy to fill and clean and have plenty of stations with
perches (don't make them hover and use energy to get energy).
Cleaning Feeders
Just brush and rinse the feeders every few days. If mold gets too pronounced, the
hummers will stop feeding. Soak the feeders in water with a small amount of bleach
for thirty minutes and rinse thoroughly.
Ants
The hummers will share a feeder with ants but they prefer not to. A weekly coating
of oil on the iron hangers we use to suspend our feeders stops them cold.
Placement
Hummer poop is tiny but many hummers will make a mess you don't want on your
deck or windows. We hang our feeders just off our deck railing so we can see them
up close but the droppings don't hit the deck.
More Than One Feeder
The boys are very territorial and will defend a food source. Put up at least two
feeders ten feet apart. Eventually the sheer number of hummers will win out over
the sentries.
Commitment
Don't start feeding unless your committed to continue. The hummers use the sugar
water as fuel for hunting gnats and other bugs in the air. During the Summer when
the numbers are highest, we can go through a gallon of nectar a day.
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