Category: Hummingbird Feeders

• You will either want to position your feeders extremely close to the window or at least five feet away from the window.  Placing the feeder so close to the window makes it much easier for you to view the hummingbirds as they feed.  Placing the feeder at least five feet away from the window will decease the likelihood that the hummingbird will fly into the window while feeding.
• The feeder should be placed in an area that is out of the wind and direct sunlight, because this will decrease the amount of nectar that will be spilled from the feeder and it help keep the nectar from fermenting as rapidly.
• In an effort to help the hummingbirds find your feeders, place the feeders near flowers that are known to attract hummingbirds.  You are then offering the hummingbirds two sources of nectar from which to choose, thus enhancing the likelihood that the hummingbirds will remain frequent visitors to your yard. 

A friend who is a new hummingbird enthusiast recently asked me what I would recommend as the most effective way to solve the problem of ants at your hummingbird feeder.  My response was the use of an ant moat.  She looked at me with a puzzled look on her face and then asked me to explain exactly what an ant moat is and how it works.  That recent experience got me to thinking that there may be others out there who are wondering the same thing, so this is what has inspired me to write about it in this post.

The best description that I can offer of an ant moat is that it is a small cup-like device that hangs between your feeder and your hook.  You then fill the device with water and this then creates a barrier the ants.  Some ant moats are sold separately or some models of hummingbird feeders come with a built in ant moat.  Either one will work and the choice is entirely up to you.

Ants can be a nagging  problem if you have hummingbird feeders, but the ant moat is a great solution to this very common problem.  So look into this as a way to solve this persistent problem.  You will be glad you solved this problem and so will the hummingbirds.

Hummingbird feeders come in all sizes. Many people who are new hummingbird enthusiast will choose the biggest hummingbird feeder they can find.   While I can understand your desire to provide plenty of nectar for the hummingbirds find in your area, here is why choosing the largest hummingbird feeder that is available when you are first starting out is a common mistake.

When you are a new hummingbird enthusiast, I would suggest that you start out by selecting a hummingbird feeder with a smaller nectar reservoir, perhaps 8 ounces or so.  This will help ensure that the nectar in the feeder will be far less likely to spoil before the hummingbirds are able to discover the location of your feeder.

Also having only the one small feeder will allow you to determine if there are a lot of hummingbirds in your area.  You can always add additional feeders later if the hummingbird population in your area is large and you see that one dominate hummingbird is trying to monopolize the one feeder.  You can place multiple feeders around your yard that are out of view of one another.

If you are a new hummingbird enthusiast and therefore just trying to start drawing hummingbirds to your yard, I would suggest that you start with a smaller size hummingbird feeder.  As the number of birds that visits your yard increases along with your knowledge and love of hummingbirds, you can eventually increase the size of your hummingbird feeder and even the number of them that you place throughout your yard.

There are two basic types of hummingbird feeders: the inverted or bottle feeder and the saucer feeder.  The choice of which type of hummingbird feeder you should select is entirely up to you, as they will both successfully attract hummingbirds.  Each type of hummingbird feeder has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, so it is my hope that by knowing what they are you can make a much more informed decision about which type of hummingbird feeder best meets your personal needs.

Inverted or bottle feeders:

• It is easier to check the nectar level of this type feeder.
• This type of hummingbird feeder usually has a larger capacity which means less frequently having to fill it.
• This type of feeder is more likely to leak and therefore far more likely to attract insects.
• This type of feeder may be more difficult to clean and fill.

Saucer feeders:

• This type of feeder is easier to assemble, fill and clean.  This means you will more likely maintain it.
• If you wish, this type of feeder can be mounted to a pole or railing.  This can make it easier to view the birds that will be visiting it.
• This style of feeder has a smaller capacity and must therefore be filled more frequently.
• This feeder is harder to be spotted by the hummingbirds in your area.

Having a hummingbird feeder up is one of the simplest ways to attract hummingbirds to your yard.  Now that you have the information listed above, go out and select the type of feeder that best meets your needs.  You will be glad you did so and so will the hummingbirds.  Happy hummingbird watching everyone!