It’s become very easy to attract the hummingbirds when you start thinking like them. But you may not be sure about how to get started to attract the hummingbirds to your feeder? We have studied their behavior enough and talk with some bird experts to provide you some little insights into these tiny feathered gems. We thought we need to get inside of their heads; of course, we need to think like hummingbirds. This article has come up with the most important 15 tips for attracting the hummingbirds to your feeders.
1. Place your hummingbird feeder wisely
Hummingbird feeder placement is one of the most important things to keep in mind while trying to attract hummingbirds. You need to look around in your yard for the best places for the feeder. The best places in your yard include the following.
- Areas near the flowers are the best choices, where the hummingbirds are already visiting.
- Don’t put your hummingbird feeder in the middle of the barren yard. The areas near the shelters and perches are perfect such as trees and shrubs.
- Keep the shelter out of the direct sun to slow down the fermentation process.
- Make sure the feeder is easily accessible to you, as you need to regularly clean and refill it with fresh nectar.
2. Choose the red color feeder
Most hummingbird species prefer to visit the red color feeder. They can easily locate the bright red color feeder from long distances; that’s why most hummingbird feeders are red. You can also put your feeder near any red color spotting areas.
3. Make your own nectar
Make the nectar at home as it’s healthy for the hummingbirds. Don’t worry, as the hummingbird nectar recipe is very simple. You need water and refined sugar to make the healthiest nectar for hummingbirds. Take one part sugar and 4 parts warm water and perfectly mix them such that no sugar crystals are left behind. Warm water is ideal for getting rid of harmful bacteria. It’s almost like the natural flower nectar that the hummingbirds find in the flowers.
4. Don’t use the red dye
Although hummingbirds are attracted to red nectar feeders, but they have some potential health consequences for the hummers. It’s not necessary to put the red dye in nectar to attract the hummingbirds. You can purchase a feeder, which has a red top and red bottom.
5. Replace the nectar before spoiling
Hummingbirds are also don’t like the old, moldy, and stale food like the humans. So, make sure to take the responsibility of replacing the nectar before it goes bad. The nectar replacement mostly depends upon the weather conditions. You may need to change the nectar every few days during the hot weather conditions, while the nectar can last up to a week or longer during the cooler. But if you see your nectar is cloudy, quickly change it.
6. Don’t let your feeder empty
Hummingbirds are frequent eater and need to feed the nectar after every few minutes. So, once the hummingbirds found a feeder, they prefer to visit the same feeder repeatedly until it’s empty. So, it’s important to don’t let your feeder run dry.
7. Clean your feeder regularly
You need to keep your feeder clean with a solution of 1 part white vinegar and 4 parts of water. It ensures the killing of all the harmful bacteria and prevents mold and other dirty things. You can also use the water and soap solution to clean the feeder, but don’t use the bleach solution as it can be harmful to the hummingbirds. Make sure all the residue is completely removed before hanging the feeder for hummingbirds.
8. Prevent the ants
It’s important to prevent the ants, bees, and other insects from attracting the hummingbird, as they don’t like to revisit the feeder where they once found the insects. Many feeders have built-in ant moat and bee guards, but you can also purchase a separate ant-moat.
9. Hang multiple nectar feeders
Hanging multiple feeders not only attracts more birds in your garden; it also prevents the bully hummingbirds from scaring the other hummingbird. Make sure to put these feeders at certain distances in your backyard.
10. Create a hummingbird friendly garden
Creating a hummingbird-friendly garden also plays a role in attracting the hummingbirds to your feeder. You don’t need to worry if your nectar is spoiled if you have established a garden that produces fresh nectar all summer long. To establish a perfect hummingbird-friendly garden, you can plant the native plants, pay attention to bloom times, select the different colored flowers, and look for long tubular flowers.
11. Encourage the neighbors to attract the hummingbirds
The surrounding area of your feeder also plays a role in attracting the hummingbirds. So, encourage your neighbors to establish the hummingbird’s friendly backyard. You can recommend some flowers to your neighbors to get started.
12. Be patient
This tip is mostly related to you to attract the hummingbirds. Please don’t be panic whenever you are trying to attract hummingbirds. Hummingbirds can take some time to notice our feeder. Putting the hummingbird feeder in the backyard is the very first step to attract the hummingbirds; the next important step is waiting. Don’t be discouraged, as once the hummingbirds recognized your feeder; they remember it year to year.
13. Provide the Perching and resting areas
Try to plant some trees and bushes in your garden if you don’t have any natural perching places. Even the hummingbirds need to eat nectar every 15 minutes; they love resting and perching.
14. Don’t use pesticides in your yard
Many people use pesticides in their gardens to discourage insects. They need to know that the pesticide smell can also discourage the hummingbirds from visiting their garden. Pesticides also eliminate the significant amount of protein food for the hummingbirds.
15. Choose the garden plants wisely
Garden flowers are also responsible for attracting bees and other insects. You need to plant the scentless flowers to minimize the insects flying around your hummingbird feeder. All the insects are usually attracted to the flowers due to their scent, while the hummingbirds find the flowers due to their bright colors.
