Category: Hummingbird Food

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Hummingbird Food

What is Natural Pest Control?

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Natural pest control is nature’s version of insect repellant without the use of harmful chemicals. Traditional pesticides are harmful to hummingbirds and should never be used because the hummingbird can ingest the pesticide while feeding on insects and spiders.  Plants such as marigold and mint will act as natural insect repellents.
 
Attracting lady bugs to your garden is another method of natural pest control. The following plants are known to attract lady bugs:  Angelica, Caraway, Cilantro, Coreopsis, Cosmos (particularly white), Dandelions, Dill, Fennel, Geraniums, Tansy and Yarrow. It is also possible to purchase ladybugs from some garden supply stores. You would need to ask the ones in your area to see if they sell them.
 
Why not give natural pest control a try in your hummingbird garden? It is simple change to make and it will help insure that the plants in your garden are a safe food source for the hummingbirds that visit your garden.
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Hummingbird Feeders Hummingbird Food

Hummingbirds in Freezing Temperatures

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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 Food

Never Microwave Nectar Solution

Because it is alright to boil hummingbird nectar solution, have you ever considered putting it in the microwave oven to bring it to a boil? If so, I’m sure you are not alone. This is a huge mistake and should never be done! Here is what I discovered on this subject.
 
You should never use the microwave to heat your homemade nectar solution. The microwave will heat the nectar solution hotter than boiling water and this causes a breakdown of the water molecules which makes the nectar solution to no longer suitable as hummingbird food.
 
I’m quite sure that no one who enjoys hummingbirds would ever intentionally harm these magnificent birds. So, if you have mistakenly ever heated you nectar solution in the microwave try not to feel too guilty. After all, we all make mistakes and must learn from them. Take the knowledge you have discovered here and share it with others to help prevent them from making the same mistake. You will feel good about helping someone else gain new knowledge and also about helping to insure the health of the hummingbirds.
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Hummingbird Food

How Quickly Do Hummingbirds Digest Nectar?

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The hummingbird can digest nectar very rapidly and efficiently. The nectar will pass entirely through the hummingbird’s digestive system in less than 20 minutes! Due to the large amount of fluid a hummingbird will intake each day, a hummingbird’s daily urine output may exceed 80 percent of its body weight, whenever nectar is found to be plentiful.
 
So, just what determines the amount of nectar a hummingbird must consume each day? The answer may surprise you. The amount of nectar that a hummingbird must intake each day is dependent on a number of factors including activity level, air temperature, quality of available resources, and time of year. The hummingbird will require one and a half times its body weight in nectar to meet its daily energy needs. 
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Hummingbird Food

High Sugar Concentration

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The sugar content of most hummingbird flowers is about 25%. If you want to make your sugar solution closer to this then use 3 parts water to one part sugar. This sugar concentration, approximately 23% by weight, is closer to the nectar content of most hummingbird flowers. This mixture will also freeze more slowly in the winter.