Select feeders that have red on them somewhere to attract hummers.
Feeders with several feeding ports seem to work best. Choose feeders
that come apart easily so they can be cleaned thoroughly. Molds
and bacteria will spoil your sugar solution after several days of
hanging in warm weather.
Don’t forget to clean and change the solution in your feeders
about every 4 to 5 days. Clean feeders thoroughly with a bottle
brush, hot water and a little vinegar to discourage mold (do not
use any soap or detergent). Don't hang out more feeders than you
have time to clean and maintain. Poorly cleaned feeders are a
hazard to the birds' health.
Some commercially-produced solutions offer a formula complete
with vitamins and minerals. Any solutions with dye, food coloring
or flavoring in them are considered unsafe and aren’t needed.
Red coloring isn’t necessary because most feeders already
have something red on them to attract hummingbirds.
can get fatal hardening of the liver from eating a heavy sugar
syrup. For that reason a solution that is no more than 1 part
sugar to 4 parts water is recommended. Boil the water, stir in
the sugar, and remove the solution from heat. This will retard
mold growth. Let the solution cool before filling your feeder.
Don’t use honey or artificial sweeteners in your feeder.
Honey helps fungus grow and contains botulism toxins that can
kill hummingbirds. Birds may quickly starve to death eating artificial
sweeteners because they contain no calories.
Place your hummingbird feeder where you can watch it and where
it can be easily reached for cleaning and refilling. Shady spots
are best for keeping the sugar solution cool, which keeps mold
tend to fight over feeders hung close together, placing them far
apart or out of sight of each other will attract more birds.
Plant or place
nectar-producing blossoms near feeders so hummingbirds will also
have insects and natural nectar for a more balanced diet.
If your sugar solution attracts ants, bees or wasps, apply petroleum
jelly around the openings of the feeders and on the wire from
which it hangs. Or try moving the feeder to another spot. Don’t
use insect sprays or repellents to control insects on or around
the feeder. If stinging insects are a problem, try spraying a
fine mist of water from a hose onto the feeder. The water will
at least chase away the insects for a while, and the hummers may
enjoy the shower.