How do I attract hummingbirds to my yard?

Providing nectar for hungry hummingbirds isn't difficult, but it's too easy to make a mistake or overlook an important detail. You might wish to review these tips to ensure that you are offering your birds the safest and most nutritious food possible.

Don't overdo the sugar content.
The classic recipe for hummingbird nectar is one part of white granulated table sugar to four parts of water. Overly weak nectar may not attract hummingbirds. Overly strong nectar may ferment quicker and clog feeders more easily. 

Boil or no boil?
If you make nectar using white table sugar, you must boil the water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then add the sugar. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before placing it in the feeder. The Bird House has packets of pure, powdered sucrose that do not require boiling. You may find them more convenient to use.

Make only as nectar as you'll need.

Safe and no boiling required

If you make lots of nectar all at once, you'll may find the last portion is going bad. Don't use more nectar than you'll need within one week. Refrigerate any leftover nectar so it doesn't spoil.

Change the nectar regularly.
At a minimum, nectar should be changed every three or four days. Change it more frequently during periods of hot, sunny weather. Direct sunlight ferments nectar quickly. If possible, locate your feeder in the shade or partial shade. Be consistent. An empty feeder will cause hummingbirds to search elsewhere for food and they may not return.

Use the right form of sugar.
White table sugar consists of sucrose, the main form of sugar that hummingbirds seek. No-boil sucrose products work equally well. But other sugars should not be used. NEVER use these products:

• Powered sugar, which contains anti-caking agents. 
• Brown or brownish sugar. It contains iron, which can build up over time to lethal levels in hummingbirds' bodies.
• High-fructose corn syrup or anything containing high-fructose corn syrup (that's sound medical advice for humans, too).
• Synthetic sugar substitutes or sweeteners. The chemicals are dangerous to hummingbirds.
• Honey. It's a natural food, but useful mostly to honeybees. Diluted honey will produce microbes that are harmful to hummingbirds.
• Molasses. Again, iron is a problem.
• Natural flavorings. Some manufactured hummingbird nectars have strawberry flavoring. The flavoring is useless in attracting the birds. Hummingbirds don't use smell in locating nectar. The strawberry taste and scent appeals mainly to humans. 
• Jell-O. It is mostly gelatin, which quickly becomes home to microbes that can kill hummingbirds.
• Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, Gatorade or sports drinks. They contain chemicals harmful to hummingbirds.
• Carbonated or alcoholic beverages of any kind.
• Fruit juices, beet juice or vegetable juice.
• Lemonade. It may seem sweet to humans but actually it is concentrated acid that will harm the hummingbirds.

To underscore: The sweets listed above should never be used in hummingbird feeders.

Never use red dye.
Hummingbirds are attracted to red flowers; the color of the nectar is immaterial. Adding red food coloring to nectar may harm hummingbirds. Research on rats shows the dye causes DNA damage in the colon. By body weight, hummingbirds consume more dye than rats. Also, anecdotal evidence suggests that red dyes cause higher mortality and greater deformity of beaks. The science isn't conclusive, but do you want to take the risk? 

This brush is great for cleaning tight spaces

Don't neglect your feeder.
A dirty feeder with contaminated nectar can be toxic to hummingbirds. Promptly discard cloudy or milky nectar or liquid that shows dark specks. These are signs of toxicity. To prevent a recurrence, clean and sterilize the feeder before refilling it. 

Clean your feeder regularly.
Attracting hummingbirds with feeders brings with it some responsibility on your hart. Even a feeder that draws hummingbirds needs regular cleaning. You can wash the feeder by hand with a solution of diluted vinegar. Rinse thoroughly. To make hand-cleaning easier, use a brush specifically sized for hummingbird feeders. (The brushes are available at The Bird House.) You may be able to sanitize hummingbird feeders by placing them in your dishwasher. Consult your instruction manual first. Never use harsh cleaning products that are meant for the household.

This "moat" blocks ants from reaching the feeder

Don't let ants take over the feeder.
Sugar water is attractive not only to hummingbirds but also to ants. Hummingbirds can feed around them, but a feeder that is crowded with ants becomes contaminated more quickly. You can keep ants away by adding an "ant moat." These are cups that you fill with water. The water blocks the ants from reaching the feeder. (Ant moats are available at The Bird House.)

Use a red ribbon as an attraction.
If you live in an area where hummingbirds have been seen, but they haven't visited your backyard yet, try adding a bright red ribbon to your feeder. Sometimes the color and the movement will get the birds' attention, especially if the feeder is a new one.

Use multiple feeders if necessary.
Hummingbirds sometimes are territorial. You may find that one hummingbird claims the feeder as his own and shooes away all others. You can provide nectar for everybody by adding two or three feeders. Place them far enough apart that the birds don't notice the others feeding.

Avoid using pesticides.
You may enjoy bug-free and weed-free lawns and gardens, but you're not helping nature at all. Hummingbirds are hyperactive creatures whose metabolisms are fueled by naturally concentrated sugar sources, primarily nectar from flowers and feeders. However, the nectar isn't the birds' real food. It merely serves as the fuel that enables hummingbirds to obtain their main nutritional goal: protein. The birds obtain protein by feeding on tiny insects, which the birds catch on the fly. If you spray your yard with pesticides, you'll kill the insects that the hummingbirds need for nutrition. The birds may move elsewhere even if you offer them several feeders.

Fuchsia is an ideal choice for hanging baskets

Consider adding flowers: the natural nectar.
Flowers are a great natural food source that complement feeders. If you have the opportunity, consider planting flowers that attract hummingbirds to your yard or garden. Even a few hanging baskets of plants will work. It's not uncommon to see hummingbirds zipping about fuchsia, lantana and red petunia that are hung from porches or decks. It's a great way to see the birds up close.   In the garden, most any red flower is a dinner bell for hummingbirds. Among their favorites: bee balm, red hot poker, cardinal flower and columbine. Long-blooming flowers include salvia, butterfly bushes, and purple or red coneflower. Check your garden center. These plants probably are still available for sale.