Hummingbirds get their energy from flower nectar and sugar syrup provided by feeders. But, did you know that they also eat soft-bodied bugs, bug eggs, spiders, and spider eggs for protein? I did not realize that! I thought these little birds were solely powered by sugar. After a little research on the tiny birds, I have found some other interesting details.
These tiny creatures go into a state of torpor, a state of decreased physiological activity at times, like a form of hibernation. Their metabolism slows and there is a reduction in body temperature. They use this at times to keep from starving. The sugar water they consume is used immediately to feed their bodies because their metabolic rate is so rapid.
It should go without saying that you don’t want to be using chemicals and bug sprays on your yard and gardens.
Water Sources
Having a water source is also a must if you are hoping to encourage these little birds to nest in your yard. They like misters and bubblers.
I haven’t noticed them by the garden pond we have but that’s not to say they don’t use it. The water falls from the top pond to the lower pond and sometimes splashes on the leaves of the plants there. Hummingbirds will go to the leaves and take a quick bath using the water on the leaves.
There is a free-standing low-tech generic birdbath on the opposite side of the yard. The fountain birdbath in the front is another source of water for the birds. We also have a creek at the back of our property and a lake across the road. If you’re wanting to attract birds, a water source is a must.
Hummingbird Feeders
The hummingbirds migrate north and begin to reach Northern Kentucky about the second week in March. After reading up on this, hummingbird experts say to hang your feeders a couple of weeks before their expected arrival. Sometimes they arrive earlier, flowers aren’t blooming yet, and they may move on to another food source if yours is not available. My plan is to have the feeders out and ready for them at that time.
Word has it that scouts fly ahead and check out the food that is available a couple of weeks before the rest of the hummingbirds arrive. The scouts report to the others letting them know where food and water are available.
It seems the little hummingbirds will feed on any feeder with fresh syrup. Some feeders are easier to keep clean than others. This year, I have invested in a basin feeder, which I found at the local Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop. The Hummzinger is this type of hummingbird feeder. I’ve read that they are easier to clean and keeping your feeder clean is imperative if you want these little birds to frequent your feeder. Otherwise, they will head to a more hospitable feeder! (We are an Amazon affiliate and may receive a small percentage of any sales through this link at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting the website.)
You can see that the top easily comes off the clear lower bowl of the feeder. There aren’t a lot of raised details where black mold can be difficult to remove like in some of the upright hummingbird feeders. And this feeder is top-shelf dishwasher safe!
Another advantage to this type of bird feeder is that the use of the color yellow is absent. The yellow color draws bees and wasps. The hummingbirds don’t care to share the feeder with bees and wasps.
Note that this feeder also has a perch all the way around the feeder! Having a perch on the feeder will give the little birds a place to rest. It seems that hovering expends more energy than flying, so they will welcome the perch. Did you know that many hummingbirds spend 80 – 90% of their time perched on twigs and stems anyway?
What To Put In Your Feeders
In the past few years, it has come to my attention that more and more hummingbird experts say not to use red dyes in syrup. It is not necessary to make the syrup red to attract the birds to your feeder. Using plain old white sugar and water to make a syrup seems to be the best solution.
Don’t use honey! It can ferment quickly when mixed with water and may end up killing the birds. Don’t use brown sugar or ‘raw sugar’. The molasses left in those contains about five times more iron than regular white sugar. The hummingbird’s regular diet does not contain a lot of iron and their little bodies hoard it, extra iron is not good for them and could poison them.
To make the syrup, use 1 part white cane sugar and four parts of water. I read that it wasn’t necessary to boil the water and sugar but, frankly, that doesn’t make sense to me. Then, it wouldn’t be syrup, right? So, I will continue to boil it for a couple of minutes until the sugar dissolves just the same, allow it to cool, and then fill the feeder. It certainly won’t hurt.
You can keep the extra sugar syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Obviously, you don’t want to make a huge amount at one time unless you have hundreds of hummingbirds!
Reports are that you should be changing the syrup in your feeders every 3 – 5 days. But wait! Check this out! Feeder Fresh
Nectar Defender is a product that helps keep your sugar syrup fresh longer. The back label says the Feeder Fresh Nectar Defender
doesn’t have preservatives in it but it can keep the syrup fresh for up to two weeks! They recommend cleaning the feeder at least every two weeks. (We are an Amazon affiliate and may receive a small percentage of any sales through this link. Thanks for supporting this website.)
How To Clean Your Feeder
I’ve heard in the past that if you don’t keep the feeder clean, you could poison the hummingbirds that feed on it. However, in the post I read on Hummingbirds.net, experts say that a hummingbird will starve to death before feeding on spoiled syrup. That implies that they won’t eat spoiled syrup. If the syrup looks murky, toss it and replace it with fresh syrup.
However, if the sugar solution has fermented, they will still eat it and may feel its effect. A tiny flying drunken bird could be a disaster for itself.
It is recommended that the feeders be cleaned each month with 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of hot water. The birds apparently do not like the taste of soap and it leaves an aftertaste. Using bleach or straight white vinegar to clean the feeder will keep your birds coming back. As I stated earlier, the Feeder Fresh Nectar Defender says to clean the feeders at least every two weeks. If you see black mold in the feeder, it needs to be cleaned! You might have to soak it in a bleach solution to remove the mold.
Nesting Materials
Recently, a pin on Pinterest caught my eye. It was a picture of a suet feeder with raw cotton balls in it, at least that’s what it looked like. After reading the post, it was evident that we needed to make one of these. It seems the hummingbirds will use the cotton for nests. Actually, other birds will use this for nests, too. Whoever thought this up is brilliant!
The hummingbirds will also use cattails and milkweed seeds for their nests. My plan is to use some cattails and maybe throw in some cotton fabric. (Dave retrieved some cattails for me.) I had to cut them down a little to fit in the suet feeder.
The lady at the Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop informed me that the birds really like to use coconut fibers! She suggested natural cotton fabric with the threads loosened to be easily pulled loose, too.
They also use strands of spider web to create their nests. Spiders in the garden are a good thing and now you know that it is a good idea not to spray for spiders!
Garden Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds
We have a lot of different varieties of flowers in our gardens but the one flower that seems to attract the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds the most is Monarda, a genus of flowering plants in the mint family. You may know it by the common name, bee balm. In fact, the leaves can be used to make herbal tea. When the plant is crushed, the leaves will release a spicy scent.
Monarda is a native American plant and will grow well. In fact, it might grow too well in the south and become somewhat invasive. The good thing about this plant is that the roots are relatively shallow and are easy to remove if necessary.
I love to watch the progression of the bee balm blossom. It reminds me of a Chinese lantern in the beginning. Then, it progresses into an explosion of fuchsia color. The bonus is that the hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees love it!
Hummingbirds also love day-lilies and we have a multitude of different varieties from early blooming to late blooming, from pale ivory white “Nanuq” to deep dark, almost black, red “Revolution“.
Hummingbirds are also attracted to butterfly bushes. We have a large lavender butterfly bush right off the patio.
The hummingbird moths and tons of butterflies love it, too.
Butterfly Bush
Believe it or not, hummingbirds are also attracted to hydrangeas. We have a wall of Annabelle hydrangea along the top of the retaining wall alongside the patio. That wall must be like a neon sign!
Click here ► for more pictures of Butterflies, Birds, and Wildlife in our garden.
Aren’t these little hummingbirds such a wonder? I love watching them frequent the feeder and the flowers in the garden. It’s almost time for the first scouts to be arriving and I’m ready! Are you?
Be Social!
Yes, come join 41 k + followers on our Pinterest Boards, where we pin our favorite creative ideas and share ours!
Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, and Facebook so you won’t miss anything! I would love for you to share this post with your friends! They need amazing ideas, too! Pin it! It only takes a second! #hummingbird #hummingbirdfood #hummingbirdmoth #monarda #beebalm
We have seen butterflies, hummingbirds. and tons of bees on our daylillies and hydrangeas here at the nursery! It makes us so happy to have plants that attract such beautiful creatures and help support the environment.
Visiting the local nurseries is one of my favorite things to do. This morning, we have 6-inches of snow! Right now, I’m envisioning all the beautiful spring flowers around the corner. In the meantime, we will be checking out your website and planning the summer garden!