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Hummingbird Tips & Facts
- Hang hummingbird feeders near flowers that attract the birds to increase the likelihood that they will find your feeder.
- Never use honey or artificial sweeteners to feed hummingbirds. They can ferment causing a fungus that affects their tongues and can be fatal. Fill your feeder with a mixture of 1 part white cane sugar to 4 parts tap water. It’s not necessary to boil the mixture. Unused syrup will store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- To keep the birds coming, keep the feeder filled.
- Every time you fill the feeder, clean it with hot tap water and a bottle brush. If it appears to be growing mold, soak it in a bleach solution. Do not use soap – hummingbirds don’t like the taste. Discard and replace any uneaten syrup every 2-5 days (depending on the temperature outside). Direct sunlight will cause the syrup to go bad more rapidly.
- At least once a month, clean the feeder with a bleach solution, ¼ cup bleach to one gallon of water. Soak the feeder in the solution for an hour, and then scrub it with a bottle brush, rinse, and refill. The syrup will neutralize any traces of bleach.
- Red dye in the syrup is not necessary and may be harmful. Never add your own red dye to a naturally transparent mix. Commercial mixtures which are dyed may or may not be 100% safe for hummingbirds.
- Do not spray feeders with insecticide to keep bees and ants away. Use ant moats, and hang the feeder in the shade. Some feeders have bee guards, and basin feeders naturally deter bees. Also avoid yellow plastic pieces – they attract bees and wasps.
- Hummingbirds will use a perch if it is offered on a feeder.
- Hummingbirds prefer red flowers and feeders, but they do feed at flowers of other colors. Their primary food source is insects – nectar and sugars give hummingbirds the energy to chase down soft-bodied flying insects. They will also feed on tree sap.
Fun Facts
- Hummingbirds can be aggressive, even chasing blue jays from a food source.
- Hummingbirds fly by rotating their stiff wings up to 180 degrees horizontally at the shoulder; their wingtips moving in figure 8 patterns. Slight adjustments allow them to fly forward, reverse or even upside down at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour.
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