We've been feeding these spoiled little birds for over 13 years.
1 c. sugar to 4 c. tap water. For many years we boiled ours. Last year we found out you don't have to boil it, just make sure it's mixed well & sugar is disolved. It's better to make only what you need.
You can fridge excess, but it will be cold, plus putting the cold mixture out in hot/humid weather it will spoil faster.
Make sure you change out your feeders every couple days.
Also use bleach to wash your feeders with. It kills the mold/bacteria that will kill hummers. Rinse in hot tap water well. Let feeder dry out.
We go thru 8 cups of sugar water a day. Yes a day. They drink those feeders dry in the summer. Ours get so use to us out on the deck, they fly right up to us. I've taken a lot of great photos. Several are on this site.
We try to count them, but that's almost impossible to do. We average 50 hummers in the evening right before dark, that's when they feed the most. Guess they want a full belly before they go to sleep.
Then it's the same thing all over again the next day. Can't wait for them to get here. That's usually towards the end of April to mid May around here.
Oh... and once you start feeding them...you can't stop, cause those little birds will tell you about it. They squak at us if they've emptied their feeders & we don't notice that exact second.
It's also good to plant several flowers that draw the hummers. Whether it be in the ground or in pots. They love hibiscus, impatients, any type of tublar blossom.
Have fun...you'll get addicted to them.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
