Author: Hummingbird

No Vaseline or Other Oils on the Feeder

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Ants are a common problem many people experience with regard to their hummingbird feeders. As a result, people are always seeking ways to solve this pesky and challenging issue. The best solution to this problem is to block their passage to the feeder. This blog has many various post on how to accomplish this successfully, but this particular post will examine why things like Vaseline, tanglefoot or other oils should not be used on the hummingbird feeder.

For anyone who may have been following this blog for quite a while now, this is a change from what I have said on this subject in the past. In my own defense though, I did not know that those things could do harm to the hummingbirds. After all, no hummingbird enthusiast can possibly know everything there is to know on an particular subject because new information is constantly being discovered. I regret the error and wanted to make this new information available to you as soon as possible.

I have just recently discovered that things like Vaseline or tanglefoot, which is a sticky substance commonly found in garden stores, or other oils should never be use on hummingbird feeders. If you, like my mom, have tried this before don’t feel too guilty; you are not alone in having done this. I just want to point out why this should no longer be done.

The reason that things like Vaseline, tanglefoot or other oils should not be used is because these substances can get on the hummingbird’s feathers and cause the bird’s feathers to stick together and thus make it difficult for the hummingbird to properly clean itself or it may even prevent the bird from being able to fly. because its feathers have stuck together.

This never occurred to me before. What about you? I just know that I don’t want to intentionally cause harm to the hummingbirds and I’m sure you don’t either.

Dear Mom

Of Mom and Hummingbirds

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Today marks the third anniversary of your death mom. That truly doesn’t seem possible. Where has the time gone? It has passsed far too quickly for me and I am constantly struck by how right you were when you told me many years ago that time seems to pass more quickly as we each get older. I miss you each and every day. There is so much that I miss about having you here with us. This post is about many of these things.

I miss the simple things like getting to hear your voice and talk with you, your wonderful sense of humor, your strong love of family, your enjoyment of flowers, plants and even hummingbirds. Whenever I see a hummingbird or discover some new and interesting information about them I wish that you were still living so that I could share it with you. It is my desire to do this that as inspired this blog and I truly enjoy getting to share my love and knowledge of hummingbirds with others, because it is just one of the many ways I strive to honor your memory.

While time has somewhat eased the pain of losing you, even after all this time, there are times when the pain of your loss truly strikes me once again. It just serves to remind me that we all only have one mom and that no one will ever take that special place or fill that void. You will forever be in my heart and I will always love you. You were truly a remarkable women and mom and I am remembering you with love today with great love.

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Why Hummingbirds Aren’t Visiting Your Feeder

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If you know that there are hummingbirds in your area, but the birds don’t seem to be visiting your feeder, you may be wondering the reason for this and how to solve the issue. This post will offer you some possible explanations and ways to help you solve the problem.

If this occurs during nesting time, the hummingbirds will be far less likely to come to your feeders because they are focused on feeding their young insects. Following the departure of the young from the nest and also during the fall migration you should see an increase in the number of hummingbirds that are visiting your feeder.

Also, you may actually live in an area that is a poor hummingbird habitat. In other words, you live in an area that has few flowers, trees, or shrubs that hummingbirds like and therefore fewer numbers of hummingbirds visit the area.

This next explanation may surprise or even shock you. Yes, it is actually possible that you may live in too good a habitat. If there are too many plants, flowers, or shrubs in your area which attract hummingbirds, then the birds may have no need to visit the feeders in the area. Therefore, the natural food supply is so abundantly available and this makes alternate food sources (feeders) unnecessary.

The hummingbirds in the area may not be interested in your feeder, due to the fact that it is possible for individual hummingbirds to develop their own particular feeding patterns and be influenced by their prior experiences.

Another simple explanation why there are no hummingbirds at your feeder is because it is breeding season. The birds may have gone elsewhere to do their breeding.

The feeding solution in your feeder may have fermented or gone sour. Generally speaking, the feeder should be cleaned every two to three days. Don’t leave your feeders empty for too long and be sure to change the nectar solution if it has gone bad. These things will definitely cause the hummingbirds to stay away from your feeder and winning back the trust of these birds is a difficult thing to do.

Lastly, you just might not be noticing when the hummingbirds arrive in your area of the country. If there are only a few hummingbird species found in your area of the country, then it would actually be quite easy for you to miss seeing them because hummingbirds spend very little of their time feeding.

Dear Mom

The Temperature of a Nesting site is Important

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Not many people have had the privilege of spotting a hummingbird’s nest, so count yourself lucky if you have had the privilege to do so. Why don’t many people spot a hummingbird’s nest? One reason for this maybe that the choice of a hummingbird’s nesting site is dependent on the temperature of the location. Do you know why this is so important? Well, if not you will discover the answer after reading this post.

Whenever selecting a nesting site the female must choose a location where the temperatures will remain below 96 degrees F. Why? The reason for this to help ensure that the eggs don’t literally fry in the extreme heat thus killing the embryos. As a result, you will find more hummingbirds nest located at higher altitudes. Hummingbirds will also commonly build their nest near the water, because the temperatures are known to be cooler there.

This post makes me think of my mom because I know that see would have enjoyed getting to witness the construction of a hummingbird nest, which I don’t believe she ever had the good fortune to do. I would have also loved the opportunity to explain to her why the temperature of the nesting site is so very important. Since that isn’t possible, I hope you have enjoyed the opportunity to discover this for yourself.

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What is an Ant Guard?

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If you have been into attracting and feeding hummingbirds for some time or if you have just recently gotten into doing so, then you are probably all too aware that ants can be a pesky problem. While there are many ways to solve this common problem, the best way that I would recommend to solve this problem is through the use of what is known as an ant guard.

Just what is an ant guard? Quite simply put, the ant guard acts a barrier between the ants and the nectar solution, which therefore prevents the ants from feeding on the nectar. This will make the hummingbirds happy because they will now only be fighting other hummingbirds to get to their food source rather then the ants as well.

Most feeders on the market today come with built in ant guards, but if the feeder you have did not come with them then you may be able to purchase them as an accessory for your existing feeder. The best way to find out about this is to check with the manufacturer of the feeder that you own.

I myself would not purchase a feeder that did not have ant guards. If you did so previously, I hope that this tip will help you solve the problem of ants at your hummingbird feeder. Maybe now you will be able to more fully enjoy the hummingbirds that visit your feeders.