Hummingbirds are astonishingly fascinating little birds that require a lot of nourishment to support their fairly high metabolic rate. Hummers feed from blossoms accumulating their nectar and drink sugar water from hummingbird feeders the considerate have placed in their backyards to attract these little but vibrant birds.
Hummingbirds additionally consume insects with soft bodies for protein, but most of their diet comes from sources of sugar, which provides the energy required to search for the bugs.
Today you’ll find numerous types of hummingbird feeders to pick from sold in places like home and garden stores, discount stores, as well as on the web, but the majority are manufactured from either plastic or glass and all serve the same purpose. Just about all hummingbird feeders can attract hummers so you may want to consider factors like how easy the feeder will be to take apart and maintain before buying one particular kind instead of another.
When filling up your feeder, regular sugar water is going to be greatly appreciated by hummingbirds. And because scientists aren’t yet certain if there can be any ill-effects to using red food coloring in the water, it’s recommended to select red feeders or a similarly colored decoration close by for appealing to the birds instead.
Bees, hornets and wasps are drawn to the color yellow, therefore if your feeder has any yellow components you really should get rid of them or paint them red prior to using to avoid an infestation of such pests.
Where to Hang Your Hummingbird Feeders
Should you be adding a brand new feeder in your yard, put it someplace near flowers or plants that may entice the birds such as bee balm, trumpet honeysuckle, and hummingbird sage. Blossoms in red, pink, orange, and purple should draw quite possibly the most hummingbirds to your feeder.
If you want to suspend your hummingbird feeders next to a window so you’ve got a better view of the show, make sure you keep a drape or blind drawn most of the way to ensure the birds don’t mistake the glass for an escape route should a predator get too close. Some want to add decals to the windows as well as hang decorative flags outside to help keep hummers from accidentally smacking your window pane.