Many of you would agree that attracting hummingbirds is one of the most fun and entertaining birds to bring into your yard, but they can be just a little more work to keep in your yard.  It’s not as simple as putting out some seed and making sure they have water to drink.  Hummingbirds need fresh nectar weekly or they will leave your garden to one that provides fresh food for them on a regular basis.  You can make your own nectar at home simply by adding one part sugar to 4 parts water. First, bring the water to a boil, and then slowly add the sugar. Let it boil for about four minutes, then remove from the burner and let it cool. You can store any excess in the refrigerator for about two weeks.  It is very important that you do not use honey as a substitute for sugar because it will ferment and artificial sweeteners have no nutritional content and may be bad for the birds.  Just remember to keep it simple, food coloring is not good for the birds and they need fresh nectar every week. 

           
You can also attract hummingbirds to your yard by adding to your garden a wide variety of flowers.  Hummingbirds are very attracted to red tubular flowers, but also love brightly colored flowers like yellow, orange, and pink.  At our store here in the spring they really seem to love pink petunias.  Some of the flowers they really like are: penstemon, red salvia, lobelia, honeysuckle, hibiscus, trumpet vine, sage, butterfly bush, phlox, columbine, delphinium, and agave.  All of which are very common and very hardy and are perennials meaning plant them once and keep the hummingbirds coming back year after year. 

           
Humming birds start arriving early in the spring so you will need to have your supplies ready no later than Father’s day.  Have your feeder ready and hang it next to your brightly colored flowers and they will find it much quicker.  Once they do find it they will tell their friends, so keep filling and cleaning your feeder weekly.  You should also leave it up long into the winter for the birds that can’t make the migratory trip, and only take it down once you have not seen a bird feed from it for a about a week. 

           
Hummingbird feeders should be hung in the shade especially in the hot summer months because hot temperatures and sugar water make a great combination for bacteria and mold to take over your feeder.  Knowing that in temperatures exceeding 85 degrees it is a good idea to clean your feeder every 2-3 days instead of once a week that was previously mentioned.  When you do clean out your feeder use a mild soapy solution and a bottlebrush and rinse very well in clean water to remove all traces of soap residue. 

           
If you are having problems feeding ants and bees and not your hummingbirds you can use an old coat hanger to hang the feeder from and put Vaseline over the hanger and the ants won’t get to the feeder.  For the bees its best to purchase a feeder that has a bee guard already on it.

           
Hummingbirds are really fun to attract and can become a very fulfilling hobby for everyone to enjoy, but it is very important to remember that they need clean fresh food so not to make them sick.  Remember that the combination of flowers with the feeders will attract more birds and sustain them if you forget to fill your feeder for a day or two.