How to Feed Hummingbirds

This spring is a perfect time to hang a hummingbird feeder or plant a hummingbird/butterfly garden. The garden takes room not available to a lot of us, not to mention its very time consuming. For those of you who have limited space then feeders are an option.

There are many designs on the market that are extremely affordable. A hummingbird feeder that you can completely disassemble for cleaning is very important. The feeder needs to be cleaned thoroughly at least once a week. I like the kind that the base breaks in half for cleaning. This is where the feeder can get nasty if you cannot get in there to clean.

It does not matter if it has a perch or not as hummingbirds do not need a perch. I have ones with perches and ones without. Other birds will come and feed from the ones with perches quite often. And many times will attempt to hover like hummingbirds to feed at the one without perches.

Feeders that are red with yellow around the feeding hole are what you will find most places you shop. I bought a very pretty blue glass feeder one year. It was a good thing I liked it so much because the hummingbirds wanted nothing to do with it. Best stick with the red. Most of the flowers they feed on are red or orange with yellow centers.

Now you have your feeder and you have washed it thoroughly it is time to decide where to hang it. Take some time with this as cats and other predators will be watching the hummingbirds as well. Hang it well off the ground, at least 4 or 5 feet.

You can buy nectar or make your own. It is quite simple if you want to make it yourself. Use one part sugar and four parts water. Do not use distilled water, boil the water first, and then add sugar. Use regular sugar, no honey or sugar substitutes. Allow the mixture to cool before you fill and hang your feeder. It is not necessary to add red food coloring to the nectar. I do in one of mine because it is difficult to see the level of the nectar without it.

Make sure the feeder has fresh nectar as it can go bad. It will ferment and mold will began to grow. Check it every few days, look to make sure it has not gotten cloudy or grown mold. If it has gotten cloudy, empty it and clean it very well with warm soapy water. Then rinse it thoroughly to remove all of the soap. The nectar should last for 3 to 4 days in temperatures ranging around 80 degrees. You will easily be able to adjust the frequency of the refills to your area's average temperatures.

Now, sit back and wait, the hummingbirds will come!