All About Nectar and Hummingbird Feeders

If you have never had the enjoyment of seeing a fluttering hummingbird drinking nectar from a flower or feeder on a warm, sunny day you are surely missing one of nature's most awe inspiring pleasures. And, simple, plastic hummingbird feeders are the perfect way to attract these little but fascinating birds to your front or backyard all springtime and summer long.

Hummingbirds actually possess a lengthy, forked tongue that's used to lick nectar as many as thirteen times every second either from a blossom or a feeder and acts as a trough pulling the nectar in. Even though hummingbirds do eat some bugs and pollen, sugary nectar includes ninety percent of their overall diet.

Basic sugar water using four parts hot water and one part normal, white sugar boiled for about two minutes are all that's required to attract groups of hummingbirds to your feeders.

Once the neighborhood hummingbirds find out where your feeders are located they will come back time and time again. The birds can quickly become dependent upon the nectar you've been providing, especially as the cooler, autumn months approach when they must double their size to get ready for the long journey south for the winter.

Make sure you keep your hummingbird feeders full and cleaned out on a weekly basis, or even more frequently if you notice a black mold begin to develop. The mold that forms in feeders with nectar is harmful to the birds and has to be removed immediately.

Use some vinegar and hot water (one part white vinegar, four parts water) plus a bottle brush to access the crevices. Clean and rinse out the feeders thoroughly several times to totally remove all of the vinegar. In the event that you don't have a bottle brush handy, use some dry rice or a handful of clean pebbles and shake the feeders intensely to mix the solution.

Never use honey or any kind of artificial sweeteners in your hummingbird feeders since this encourages the growth of possibly damaging bacteria. Reddish food coloring, which has long been utilized in feeders to attract hummingbirds along with other birds, is also not recommended. Instead, use a red feeder or suspend a red-colored ribbon or a few beads close by to attract these small avian wonders.