Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Installing the Feeder
• Part 2 of 3: How to Feed Your Birds Properly
• Part 3 of 3: How to Attract Even More Hummingbirds
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

Hummingbird feeders will attract these lovely creatures so you can enjoy watching them while providing them with a reliable source of food. A properly designed standard feeder plus a homemade solution of sugar and water can supplement or even completely replace the sugar-rich flower nectar that hummingbirds need to live at a fast pace.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Installing the Feeder

1. 1 Choose a bottle or saucer feeder. You need to find a feeder that can be easily removed and cleaned. It should hold nectar for 2-3 days - this is about 170-340 g. The saucer-shaped feeder attracts fewer insects, less drips and less debris.
   • You can also make your own feeder.
   • Whichever type of feeder you choose, it should be red (most often). The color red naturally attracts hummingbirds.
2. 2 Make your own hummingbird nectar. Although you can buy nectar at the store, making it yourself is very simple and inexpensive - it's just sugar water. And if a lot of small hummingbirds suddenly arrive, then you can cook it in sufficient quantities - it is stored for about a week.
   • Most experts advise this ratio: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Simply bring the water to a boil and dissolve the sugar in it (see the Tips section for more on this).However, some sources advise adding a little more sugar during the colder months to give the birds more energy. But not too much, otherwise it will turn out thick and quickly deteriorate.
   • Do not add anything other than regular sugar and do not use red food coloring (may be toxic to birds).
3. 3 If you are feeding for the first time, fill the feeder halfway. If this is the first time hummingbirds are in your yard, fill the feeder halfway. Why? Sugar water can go bad and will need to be changed within a few days anyway. Even if it is only half full, there will still be waste (you could store the feed instead of pouring it down the drain).
   • As the birds begin to fly in more often, you will have a clear idea of ​​how much food they eat and how much they need to fill the feeder in order for them to have enough.
   • If you live in a hot area, it may be worthwhile to fill the pan only half full at all times. In hot weather, everything deteriorates much faster.
4. 4 Hang it in a shady corner next to the window. Sugar water deteriorates quickly in sunlight, so it's best to hang the feeder in the shade of a tree. Plus, it's a place where birds can take a break - arrange a feeder for them in a cool, cozy place and they will definitely come back again.
   • Hummingbirds usually begin to migrate in late spring, which is when you will see them in your area. However, some experts advise installing the feeder a couple of weeks before the first birds arrive. Try to set up a feeder around the end of March.

Part 2 of 3: How to Feed Your Birds Properly

1. 1 Change the nectar every two days depending on the weather. After filling the feeder, watch her. When the feeder is empty, you need to add nectar to it. If the nectar darkens, black spots or white streaks appear, then it should be replaced completely - these are signs that it has deteriorated. Birds will not fly back to the feeder, where nectar is not tasty or dangerous for them. When does it go bad? It all depends on the weather:
   • Temperature: 21.5-24 ° C - change every 6 days;
   • Temperature: 24-26.5 ° C - change every 5 days;
   • Temperature: 26.5-29 ° C - change every 4 days;
   • Temperature: 29-31 ° C - change every 3 days;
   • Temperature: 31-33 ° C - change every 2 days;
   • Temperature: + 33 ° C - change daily.
2. 2 Use ant repellent. Hummingbirds will not approach a feeder that is infested with ants or if dead ants are swimming in the nectar. So that all your efforts are not in vain, use an ant repellent - a small container filled with water (actually, a groove) that needs to be placed on top of your feeder. The ants will drown if they try to overcome it.
   • Some feeders are already sold with this container, and some are not. You can purchase this container separately at specialty hardware and garden stores (or online).
   • Some people advise lubricating the top of the feeder with petroleum jelly to create a sticky layer that the ants cannot crawl through. This may work, but in hot weather there is a risk that the jelly will melt and end up in the bird food.
3. 3 Keep the bees away. Bees are other unwanted insects that should not be allowed near the feeder - they share territory with the birds. They are harder to get rid of than ants. In general, there are three tips to follow:
   • Keep the trough clean at all times. Splashes and drops will attract bees.
   • Place a saucer with sweeter water (1: 1 water to sugar ratio) on another side of the yard.
   • Buy a tube feeder. Only hummingbirds will be able to get sugar water through the tubes, and bees will not be able to feast on.
4. 4 Clean the feeder regularly. In general, you need to clean the feeder every time you fill it with new nectar (this is why a feeder of this design is convenient, which is easy to clean).Take time to clean everything with a brush and soapy water. And don't forget to rinse off the soap well if you don't want it to ruin all your bird food.
   • It is imperative to clean the feeder if the sugar water has deteriorated - again, if there are white streaks, black spots, or it darkens. If you do not clean it well enough, then the next portion will deteriorate faster.

Part 3 of 3: How to Attract Even More Hummingbirds

1. 1 Add more red to the feeder. Hummingbirds like red very much. We can say that he even hypnotizes them a little. If birds haven't come to you before, then just place something red in your garden. Tie a ribbon around the feeder or tie it nearby. It doesn't have to be perfect, just red.
   • You can also paint some of your gardeners with red paint or even red nail polish.
2. 2 Plant red, orange, and yellow flowers in your garden. Another way to attract hummingbirds is to plant lots of bright flowers in your garden. The more colorful your garden, the better. You can plant such flowers
   • Geranium
   • Fuchsia
   • Rooting campsis
   • Columbine
   • Petunias
3. 3 Hang multiple feeders in different locations. Hummingbirds are generally very territorial birds. If you only have one feeder, you may find that one alpha hummingbird drives away smaller birds from the nectar. To solve this problem, buy several feeders and hang them in your yard in different places.
   • It will be even better if you place them further away from each other. Hang one in your garden and the other in your backyard or at least in distant trees.
4. 4 Attach a perch to the feeder. If you want to see an unforgettable sight, then buy (or make yourself) a perch for the feeder. Then you will be able to watch how small fast birds stop to rest - this is an amazing sight.
   • If you can't find a feeder with a perch, try making one yourself. Get your camera ready!

Tips

• To dissolve the sugar, the mixture can be heated in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. It will also help if the mixture starts to deteriorate within three days.
• The saucer feeder is usually the easiest to clean, but the bottle feeder is more convenient when a lot of hummingbirds are flying in.
• The rest of the mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.
• Even one pot of a suitable variety of flowers (such as red sage) can be enough for hummingbirds to find a feeder and fly back to your yard.
• If you live along a large hummingbird migration route, you can buy a few small feeders or a couple larger ones to use during your spring and / or fall migration.
• Leaving hummingbird feeders in the fall will not affect their migration in any way.
• Wild bird pet stores can purchase special brushes for cleaning hummingbird feeders.
• Powdered sugar or the finest white baking sugar dissolves faster in cold water. In order for migrating and wintering birds to receive a greater boost of vivacity, from autumn to spring, you can slightly increase the amount of sugar in the water (no more than 3: 1).

Warnings

• Do not mix sugar with mineral water purified by distillation, reverse osmosis, or tap water, which causes rust stains in sinks and toilets.
• Do not replace powdered sugar with brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, or artificial white sugar sweeteners.
• Feeders that cannot be completely disassembled need to be cleaned and washed more thoroughly, especially if you are using dishwashing liquid. The design of the improved models makes this process much easier.
• Hot tap water can contain hazardous lead particles, so use cold water and water heated on a stove or microwave when making feed mix.

What do you need

• Hummingbird feeder
• Volumetric flask
• Nectar (do it yourself)
• Plastic or metal spoon
• Brush
• Glass or plastic container for freezing the rest of the mixture