Month: July 2010

You would not believe how many times I have been asked by people, “how many hummingbird feeders should I place in the yard”? My response is that there is no such thing as the perfect amount of feeders per yard. There are certain factors to keep in mind when deciding how many hummingbird feeders you wish to have in your yard. This post will discuss these considerations.

The first thing to consider is whether or not you have previously had hummingbird feeders in your yard. If not, I would recommend that you start out with just one feeder. The reason for this is that it will probably take the hummingbirds about a week to find the feeder once it has been hung, unless your neighbors have hummingbird feeders around their yard as well. While you are waiting for the birds to discover your feeder, you will be wasting less nectar solution. Also, placing more feeders out initially (before the hummingbirds have discovered them in your yard) is not likely to attract a greater number of birds.

As the number of hummingbirds visiting your yard increases, you will then want to have multiple feeders placed at various locations throughout your yard. This will decrease the likelihood that a dominate hummingbird will drive away all the other birds because a feeder belongs only to it. You can place your feeders all throughout your yard, thus making it impossible for a dominate hummingbird to defend all the feeders. Also, it will help if all your feeders have multiple feeding ports because this will allow for the possibility of multiple birds feeding at the same time, although this will likely be a rare occurrence.

The number of hummingbird feeders a person may wish to have is a so determined by a number of other factors as well. This includes the comment level of the individual responsible for the care and maintenance of the feeders. Also, it is important to consider the amount of space which you have available in which to hang the feeders. Lastly, you will want to monitor the number of birds visiting your yard.

There is no perfect amount of hummingbird feeders anyone should have in their yard, but there are factors that will help you determine the correct number for you personally. I hope that this post has given you the necessary information to make that decision.

It is impossible to tell you exactly how often a hummingbird feeder should be cleaned. That said, it is important to keep in mind that a properly maintained feeder is vital to your success when trying to attract hummingbirds. If the nectar has spoiled or if pest are the problem, then it is time to clean your feeder. Generally speaking, there are four factors that will determine how often your feeder should be cleaned. This post will discuss these factors.

The first factor is seasonal temperatures. When the temperature is moderate, the feeder can be clean once a week. When temperatures are hot, then the feeder will need to be cleaned much more frequently, about every two to three days, in order to prevent the nectar solution from fermenting or spoiling and then resulting in mold developing.

The second factor is how effectively pest control is managed. If ants, bees or wasp are a problem and thus driving the hummingbirds way from the feeder then I would suggest that the feeder be cleaned thoroughly. Whenever you are refilling a hummingbird feeder, it is important that you not drip nectar solution on the outside of the feeder, because it is the sugar that is in the nectar solution which draws the pest to the feeder in the first place.

The third factor to consider is how often the feeder is being emptied. If your yard is a hummingbird haven and therefore is completely emptied at the end of the day then it is not as vital that it be cleaned each and every day because the nectar does not have time to ferment or allow mold to develop. If it takes several days before being emptied, I would recommend cleaning the feeder and giving the birds’ fresh nectar.

The fourth factor to consider is how much shade the feeder receives. If the hummingbird feeder is in the sun most of the day, it will need to be cleaned regularly, every day or two at the most. It is important to remember that continual exposure to direct sunlight will cause nectar solution to spoil more rapidly and cause mold.

Hummingbird feeders are a simple way to attract hummingbirds, but maintaining them requires responsibility, so please be sure this is a commitment you are willing to make. People are frequently concerned about how often to clean their feeders, so it is my sincere hope that this post has helped you understand this issue much better.