"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.  I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him."  Abraham Lincoln

What a great quote and perfect segway for today's blog.  Spring has sprung.  The hummingbirds are back and enjoying the wonderful plants and feeders that we have out.   Many people ask us how we manage to have so many every year.  The answer is simple.  We don't use food dye; we use nothing but water and sugar.  The feeders are kept clean and refilled - once the season kicks in - daily.   I thought I would offer some tips on the "hows and whys" of hummingbird feeding.

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Commercial hummingbird feeders can be purchased anywhere during season - Lowes, Home Depot, Wild Birds Unlimited, Walmart, and Tractor Supply Stores to name a few places.  These stores offer both bottle and saucer types which are designed with red parts to attract the notice of hummingbirds. Never add red food color to sugar water, and never use commercial mixes that have red dyes. Nectar from flowers is clear and most people do not realize that red food coloring is harmful to hummingbirds.

Stick with simple - water and sugar.   Things like adding honey actually makes this worse.   Bacteria and fungus thrive on it and this can be extremely bad for hummingbirds.  

Use a mixture of the following:

¼ cup of sugar per cup of water - during hot days.
1/3 cup of sugar per cup of water - during colder rainy, or foggy conditions when fresh water is plentiful but birds need more energy. This concentration is usually used more near the end of the season when the weather is turning colder and right before the birds migrate. Keep in mind, concentrations of sugars in natural nectars vary within about that range so can your mix. I find that my birds like a little more sugar.

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I have a hummingbird pitcher, brush to clean feeders with, and sugar container set aside only for hummingbird usage. I mix my quantities of sugar water daily so I don't boil anything.

If you mix up small quantities of sugar water every day or two, there’s no need to boil the water. But if you mix up larger batches and refrigerate part for later use,   then it’s wise to make the mixture with boiling water.

I hope this helps!  Welcome to Spring, warmer weather, lots of green, and the enjoyment of having your local hummingbirds visit!

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