Rinse everything completely, and let all parts dry before reassembling your feeder, filling it with nectar, and hanging it back in your yard. Then, use an old toothbrush or pipe cleaner to scrub the ports and any other hard-to-reach spots. If not, soak the disassembled feeder in soapy water, rinse thoroughly, and scrub away any mold or grunge with a bottle brush for the body of the feeder. Many hummingbird feeders are dishwasher-safe if that’s the case with yours, wash them in the dishwasher regularly. Therefore, it’s crucial to give your hummingbird feeders a thorough scrubbing at least once per week-more often when it’s hot-to help keep your feathered friends healthy. Mold and bacteria grow quickly in the sugary nectar that hummingbirds love, and both can sicken birds who sip spoiled fluid. RELATED: How to Keep Bees Away From Hummingbird Feeders Without Harming Them 4. Saucer feeders are far less prone to dripping than traditionally shaped vessels. Saucer feeders, like this version from Juegoal, are easy for hummingbirds to use but difficult for insects, so you can enjoy watching your feathered visitors without fear of a sting from an uninvited bee or wasp. If bees and wasps are a problem, you can discourage them by hanging saucer-shaped hummingbird feeders instead of those in the traditional bottle shape. Once filled with water, ants cannot cross the moat to reach the nectar. You can also attach an ant moat, like the Hummers Galore hummingbird feeder insect guard, directly above the feeder. One trick for keeping ants away is to hang your feeders with sturdy fishing line, which is difficult for ants to climb. If these pests raid your feeders, you’ll need to take steps to ward them off. ![]() Ward off ants and bees.Īnts, bees, and wasps unfortunately all enjoy sugar water just as much as hummingbirds. RELATED: Buyer’s Guide: The Best Bird Baths We Tested This Year (For other top-quality options, see our researched guide to the best solar birdbath fountains.) Position the fountain where it’s fairly close to the feeder and also to a shrub or tree where the hummers can safely perch while their feathers dry. ![]() To attract more hummers to your yard with a misting water feature, install a very shallow fountain with a solar-powered bubbler, like the AISITIN Solar Bird Bath Fountain, set to the finest spray. But unlike many other backyard birds, hummingbirds rarely visit traditional birdbaths. Bathing also helps remove pests and dust. The splishing and splashing helps keep their feathers in good condition by washing away any sticky nectar residue that might have dripped while drinking. Provide a water source nearby.Īlthough they don’t drink much water, as the nectar they sip provides enough to keep them hydrated, hummingbirds do need water for bathing, just like other birds. RELATED: Buyer’s Guide: The Best Hummingbird Feeders We Tested This Year This way, the dominant bird can still defend his turf, but you’ll be able to enjoy other visiting hummingbirds as well. The solution is simple: Hang at least two feeders (preferably more), spacing them at least 10 feet apart from each other. While it’s entertaining to watch their aerial hijinks, as they swoop and swirl while chattering madly, chances are you’d like to have as many hummers as possible visit your feeder. It’s not at all uncommon for one hummingbird, usually a male, to claim a feeder as his own and aggressively chase away all other would-be visitors. ![]() Hang more than one feeder.ĭon’t let their tiny size fool you-what hummingbirds lack in stature, they more than make up for in spunk and spirit. RELATED: 6 Surefire Ways to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard 1. Here’s what you need to know about hanging and maintaining your feeders to attract the biggest crowd of hummingbirds. But, for a real show, it’s hard to beat the appeal of a hummingbird feeder hung where you can easily observe it from a nearby window or garden bench. You can attract hummingbirds to your garden by planting their favorite flowers, which include lantana, zinnia, salvia, flowering tobacco, petunia, and foxglove, to name a few. While hummingbirds do eat tiny insects, sap, and pollen, the majority of their diet is the sugary nectar secreted by flowers that depend on them and other pollinators, like butterflies and bees, for seed propagation.
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