Home Again!

The Hummingbirds are back!  I was out doing a bit of trimming with the weedwhacker when I spied not one but two Ruby Throated Hummingbirds flitting about the Day Lilies.  I kept watch as I trimmed and noticed that they would not stay long at each flower as if there was just not enough nectar to keep them happy.  I decided right then and there that as soon as I finished trimming, I would clean and fill the feeders.  I had put the feeders in the storage cabinet for the winter and had just not even thought of hanging them as of yet.  Those hummers changed that in a hurry!  Mark and I had seen one nigh on a month ago at the Buckeye Tree but it just never occurred to me that the feeders were not out yet.  That had to be remedied....and quick!

After finishing my chores, I gathered together a number of the feeders and proceeded to clean each thoroughly.  The feeders were still relatively clean, they just needed a good rinsing to rid them of any accumulated dust.  Then I mixed up a nice batch of nectar and tried to fill the bottles.  Each of the glass bottles had no problems but the plastic feeder bottles had obviously dry-rotted in the cabinet!  The seams began to leak almost instantly!  This would never do!  I filled the two glass bottle feeders that my daughter, Elizabeth had given to me several years ago!  Those worked great!  Next came the plate feeder.  This was one that Mark bought and is great except for one problem.  It is shallow and holds less than a cup of nectar.  The hummers love it but that makes for a heap of filling for me.

As I filled the feeders, I pondered if one was better than the other.  I have seen birds at both kinds and never thought there was a difference other than personal preference but I did a bit of research.  What I found did not surprise me at all..the style of feeder does not matter, the difference is in the nectar itself.  Most hummingbird "specialists" recommend that you make your own "artificial nectar" instead of using the bought kind.  So...once this box of goo is used up, I will start making my own.  It sounds simple enough and will definitely be a lot more cost efficient!  (I am all about saving money!)  Another point these specialists stress..keep the feeders clean and free from ants.  Now I admit that I do have a bit of a problem with ants and wasps.  A "moat" is the deterrent of choice as it will not have adverse effects on the birds.  A simple moat can be made by drilling a hole in a plastic cap from something such as a detergent bottle.  The hanging wire should be slipped through the hole and the hole sealed with silicon sealer or hot glue.  This moat will be hung cup side up and filled with water.  The ants cannot get passed the water to the feeder ports!

For any who wish to make their own nectar for hummingbird feeders, it is as simple as this.  Mix one part ordinary white cane sugar to four parts tap water.  Just stir well to dissolve and then fill the clean feeders.  Any leftover mixture can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.  It is not really necessary to boil the water as this will not keep it from fermenting any longer than not boiling.  Do not use honey, red food dye, fruit juice, brown sugar nor Jello mix.  These will all cause major problems and we do not want problems..we want hummingbirds!