Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Attracting hummingbirds to the garden
• Part 2 of 3: Hanging hummingbird feeding systems
• Part 3 of 3: Attracting hummingbirds to your yard
• Warnings

Hummingbirds live throughout the Western Hemisphere and will nest where they have access to a good food and water source and good shelter. Their small size and acrobatic flying skills make them fun and entertaining to watch. Create an environment with bright colors, feeding systems, and a garden that attracts hummingbirds and encourages them to stay.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Attracting hummingbirds to the garden

1. Plant a garden for hummingbirds. To naturally attract hummingbirds, plant the garden with whatever attracts them. That means a garden filled with azaleas, bergamot, butterfly bushes, columbine, foxglove, heart lilies and ipomoea (all of which contain delicious nectar and are bright and colorful). Choose varieties that have very little odor, but are highly visible and produce a lot of nectar.
   • You can use trees, creeper, shrubs, and flowers, both perennial and annual. These suggestions are just the beginning of a long list. Other ideas include honeysuckle, bindweed, purple bells, and spring seed.
   • Tubular flowers contain the most nectar, so these types of flowers are most attractive to the small, buzzing birds.
2. Plant on a continuous flowering schedule. Different plants and flowers bloom at different times during the spring and summer. To make sure there's always something blooming in your hummingbird garden, plant some flowers that bloom early, some that bloom in mid-season, and some that bloom late.
   • Cup your flowers to make them bloom longer. This means cutting the seed heads off the blossoms after they finish blooming, making them think they have yet to bloom. They will then bloom again vigorously and well.
3. Do not use pesticides on the hummingbird plants. The birds can ingest the pesticides, which can cause them to harm or kill themselves. Furthermore, the birds eat the insects that kill pesticides, which would kill their protein source. So skip the pesticides. The hummingbirds can keep the insects in check for you.
   • To be on the safe side, you better go all natural, that means no pesticides and no artificial sugars in the nectar. Hummingbirds are delicate and should only eat what is natural and safe.
4. Provides seating areas for the hummingbirds, such as trees and hanging plants. Hummingbirds also need a break from time to time! When you're not flying around at super speeds, they need a place to sit. Have branches and hanging plants available for them to rest on.
   • The male hummingbird is territorial and will defend its territory as well as its food source. He will usually choose a resting place from which to view the food source and monitor the competition.

Part 2 of 3: Hanging hummingbird feeding systems

1. Make your own nectar. Many people believe that hummingbirds respond more quickly and consistently to homemade nectar. Make enough to fill any hilt feeding system (otherwise the nectar will get old and mold too quickly). Here's how:
   • Combine 1 part sugar with 4 parts water
   • Cook for 1-2 minutes
   • Let cool and store the liquid in a resealable container in the refrigerator
     • Use no food coloring, honey or sweeteners. These remedies are bad for hummingbirds.
2. Hang several red feeding systems for hummingbirds when it gets hot. To draw the hummingbirds' eye and keep competition to a minimum, you can use multiple feeding systems. They should all contain red (the favorite color). Not red enough? Then tie a ribbon to it to make them easier to see.
   • Regarding “when it gets hot”, it depends entirely on your location. In some places it gets warm in January and in other places in May. Whenever it is, make sure to hang the systems at the start of the season (5-10 days before you expect the birds) so your hummingbirds stay awhile!
   • Do not remove the feeding systems at the end of the season! Even if the hummingbirds leave for winter, you can attract new hummingbirds on the way and use the feeding systems as a handy pit stop.
3. Choose different spots to keep the birds from fighting. Your systems should be widely spaced and separated so that one male cannot defend them all, as male hummingbirds are very territorial. Doing this will attract more hummingbirds because other males, females and young will all have the opportunity to eat without being chased away by a dominant male.
   • Place 1 or 2 in your yard, hang 1 in a tree, and also consider putting 1 or 2 in your front yard to make sure they can't see what's going on in the backyard.
   • Try to choose spots that are shaded, at least for most of the day. This will ward off the growth of fungi, which hummingbirds don't like.
   • Some people choose to hang all feeding systems together. For example, not one bird can be dominant, because it cannot possibly chase away all other birds.
4. If necessary, buy an ant defense system. Most feeding systems have these already built in, but if yours doesn't provide one, you can buy one separately. You can also smear some paraffin jelly on the edges to keep them away from the nectar, but you will need to clean it every few days.
   • Bees are more difficult to repel. A bee-resistant feeding system is the best bet, but even those don't always work. If you see nectar on the edges of the system (spilled by the birds), wipe that away to lessen the temptation for the bees.
5. Refresh the nectar every 3-4 days. Even if not all the nectar has been used up, you should refresh it. If you don't, mold will likely form. This happens more quickly in warmer climates and is the reason you should only fill the systems half way.
   • With every change of the nectar, you should rinse the system with hot water. Do not use soap. If there is mold (you see black spots), scrub it away or use sand and shake the system until the mold comes off.
   • Hummingbirds prefer clean feeding systems and will leave a system that is not groomed. To keep your hummingbirds happy, you need to keep the systems clean.

Part 3 of 3: Attracting hummingbirds to your yard

1. Decorate your garden red. That means red viewing balls, flags and red garden furniture, and of course the natural parts, such as flowers. In their constant search for nectar-producing flowers, hummingbirds are drawn to the color red more than any other color. You can also turn your yard into a hummingbird magnet by hanging red bows, ribbons and decorations.
   • If the color fades, becomes dull or if paint is peeling, repaint it! When only a small area needs to be touched up, red nail polish is a cheap and effective solution.
2. Use orange or red reflective tape. The tape is useful not only because it is brightly colored, but also because hummingbirds are thought to be sensitive to UV rays, which this fluorescent tape reflects in abundance. You can find reflective tape at most DIY stores and it is not expensive.
3. Install a shallow fountain that sprays a fine mist. Because they are so small, hummingbirds usually get enough water by drinking the dew off leaves. However, they have a strong urge to bathe from the sticky nectar they eat. They like a fine mist or spray to stay cool and clean.
   • Place it within sight of the feeding systems. Since the hummingbird's strongest sense is its sight, the easier it is to see, the easier it will be for them to find it.
   • Let the water flow! When the fountain is in the sun, the water can evaporate faster than you think. Check it every other day to make sure there is enough water in it and that other animals have not soiled the water.

Warnings

• Never use honey or artificial sweeteners in your hummingbird feeding system. The hummingbird will eat it, but it cannot digest it.
• Avoid using pesticides in your garden. In addition to nectar, hummingbirds eat small insects for protein to survive. In addition to killing the tiny insects that hummingbirds eat, pesticides can also get into the nectar and make the hummingbirds sick.