Hummingbird Feeders

 

	It may take a couple of weeks for a hummingbird to start using a new feeder, especially if they have been feeding from other feeders in the area. If they continue to feed from only one type, try changing the location of your feeder or taking one down for a while. Hummingbirds are creatures of habit.
	If you have older feeders that the birds are used to in the yard, take them down for 2 days so that the birds can get used to the new feeder. It can sometimes help to make the new feeder a little bit sweeter than the other ones to encourage them to use a new feeder.
	Hummingbirds need flowers and insects, in addition to nectar supplied by a hummingbird feeder. To increase your chances of seeing hummingbirds, plant perennial and annual flowers birds are attracted to plant perennial and annual flowers birds are attracted to such as honeysuckles, salvia, larkspur, trumpet vine, petunias, nasturtiums, penstemons, fuchsias, and lilacs.  Other favorites include bee balm, columbine, Indian paintbrush, and monkey flower. It is well known that hummingbirds are attracted to red flowers, but they also visit all other colors. Geraniums are wonderful hosts for spider webs, the building material of  hummingbird nests.
	A hummingbird's tongue is very long: an average of twice the length of the beak. Therefore they can reach nectar up inside of our tube feeders or all the way down to the bottom of our top feeding vessels. Our flower feeding tubes guide their tongues to the nectar in the vessels.
	Keep your feeder very clean. A dirty feeder can cause bacteria to grow rapidly which can cause the nectar to go bad. Hummingbirds will reject a feeder with fermented nectar. They need to be cleaned more often in warm weather. We recommend frequently cleaning the glass and feeding tubs using a mixture of: 1:5 white vinegar rinse. Always rinse your feeding tubes very well before refilling. Do not allow solution to freeze in feeder. Store inside during winter.
	To minimize dripping in tube type feeders where the feeder is upside down: fill feeder completely with cool nectar to create a vacuum. Only hang feeder in shade or partial shade. The cooler the feeder, the less it will drip. Make sure that the feeder is cleaned regularly with hot water and a bottle brush. Do not use soap as its residue may cause your feeder to drip. Try periodically to wash using a vinegar rinse to thoroughly clean your feeder and then rinse well with hot water. If you still have too much dripping, place stopper assembly in very hot water to soften the tube. You can bend it slightly to increase the angle. This will stop dripping, but might make it more difficult for nectar to come down the tube. Or, just use a top feeding feeder.