Category: Hummingbird Feeders

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Hummingbird Feeders Hummingbird Food

Hummingbirds in Freezing Temperatures

Depending on where live, you may see some hummingbirds well after freezing temperatures have chased most hummingbirds south! It never ceases to amaze me that these little dynamos survive for days in freezing temperatures but they do. If you still have hummingbirds in your area, don’t take your feeder down. The hummingbird needs a reliable and depenable food source on which to help it fatten up for several days before leaving. Eventually, hummingbirds do get sick and too old to make the journey. I don’t know how you would tell the difference between a late migrant and a hummingbird that isn’t going to finish the journey so leave those feeders up just in case.

Hummingbirds can go into a state known as torpor during cold temperatures. This is astate very similar to hibornation.  In this state, they might appear to be dead. Entering this state allows the hummingbird to conserve energy. As soon as the bird warms up, it will revive and all of its functions will return to normal. If you find a hummingbird hanging upside down on your feeder in the morning, do not assume that it is dead. 

Hummingbirds are tough and hardy creatures and can servive some amazingly tough conditions, including freezing temperatues.  Hummingbirds that are able to do so will migrate when it is time for them to do so, but not all hummingbirds migrate.  Thus, leaving your feedrs up can provide a vital food source for any hummingbird in need of a meal.

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Hummingbird Feeders

Bats Like Nectar Too

In the southwest, especially near the Mexican border, bats can be a problem at your hummingbird feeders. Why is this? Well, it seems that the bats love the nectar solution just like the hummingbirds do. If you should encounter this problem there are things you can do to solve this unusual issue. Try the things listed below and the problem should be solved.
 
  • If you don’t mind having to do so you can just keep refilling the feeder, because the bats will empty it overnight each and every night.
  • In order to prevent having to refill it as frequently, you can use a hummingbird feeder with bee guards. This makes it harder for the bats to get to the nectar solution.
  • Take the feeder in each night and then put back out the next morning. It is important to realize that hummingbirds begin feeding very early in the morning, about 45 minutes before sunrise, and the hummingbirds rely on the nectar solution as an energy source after the long, cool night.
 
Bees and wasp are a common problem at many hummingbird feeders, but apparently they are not alone. Bats can be a source of trouble too. It is my hope that this post has given you some insight as to how to solve this unique challenge.
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Hummingbird Feeders Hummingbird Food

Use Red to Entice Hummingbirds

Entice the hummingbirds to your garden by planting something red, because this will entice them to stay and check out all your flowers, regardless of their color, in order to determine those that are good nectar sources. 
 
You can also put red or orange surveyors tape or ribbons on your hummingbird feeders as another way to attract hummingbirds to your yard in the spring.
 
The idea is to entire the hummingbirds to visit your yard frequently and to make them want to stay for a while. The color red with help you do this but it is not the most important thing to keep in mind. Whenever choosing a flower, the hummingbird will select the flower with the highest nectar output and the richest concentration of sugars, regardless of the shape or color of the flower. Also more important than the color of the flower is how the nectar taste.
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Hummingbird Feeders

The First Hummingbird Feeder

The first commercially-available hummingbird feeder was designed by Laurence J. Webster for his wife. The idea came about after he had read a 1928 National Geographic story about feeding hummingbirds  from small glass bottles. It was between 1929 and 1935 that Webster had his design produced by an MIT lab glassblower (possibly James Ryan). In 1947, National Geographic ran an article by Harold Edgerton about his newly-invented strobe flash, which included photos of hummingbirds at Webster’s feeder. Interest was aroused, but it was not until 1950 the Webster feeder was offered for sale by the Audubon Novelty Company of Medina, NY.
 
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Hummingbird Feeders

Provide Multiple Feeders

Those of us who enjoy attracting hummingbirds have probably witnessed what I’ll call "hummingbird wars.” There is always one hummingbird that thinks the feeder is theirs and tries their best to drive the other birds away. This is because hummingbirds are so extremely territorial and aggressive. The information below should help you with this problem.
 
The best way to prevent a single hummingbird from monopolizing your feeder is to have multiple feeders and place them out of view of each other around your backyard. Or you can group a bunch of feeders together so no one individual hummingbird can possibly defend them all.
 
You can also place your nectar feeders at varying heights. The different hummingbird species will favor and defend different hummingbird feeders that are at varying heights. Some hummingbird species like to feed at heights of 12 to 15 feet, while others typically feed on low growing flowers and will prefer feeders placed closer to the ground. Placing your feeders in at least 3 different heights will help to reduce aggression between hummingbirds.