Overly weak nectar may not attract hummingbirds, and overly strong nectar can ferment more quickly and clog feeders more easily. Using sweeteners other than plain sugar or opting for sugar substitutes can also make the nectar worthless or even dangerous to hummingbirds. Learn the best months to feed hummingbirds and get those feeders out early so the first migrants can take advantage of them before spring flowers are blooming. Keeping the feeders available late in the fall is also useful so all migrants can refuel as they head south. Adding more hummingbird feeders or putting more space between feeders can help minimize aggression and accommodate more hummers. It’s also easy to make a hummingbird feeder from a jar to offer an extra feeding station. Using several techniques to control insects, such as moats, feeder placement, and feeder color, will help minimize bothersome bugs. Opt for flowers that attract hummingbirds with the best colors and shapes, and more birds will sate their appetites in your yard. Frozen nectar is no help to hungry hummers, and other natural food sources may already be depleted, so it is essential to ensure the birds can actually drink the food that is offered by keeping it from freezing. Other food sources such as insects, spiders, and pollen are essential for hummingbird diets, and providing those foods in your yard will ensure healthy hummers that get the proper nutrition for healthy growth and energetic lives. With such small bodies, nectar-rich diets, and extraordinarily high metabolism, it is possible, though not yet scientifically verified, that dyes could be detrimental to hummingbirds, so why take the chance? Providing water to hummingbirds is easy with a shallow dish, mister, or dripper, and choosing the best trees for birds will give hummers safe shelter and places to nest. Adding perches for hummingbirds and taking steps to attract nesting hummingbirds will also make your yard more hummer-friendly.
