Hummingbird feeding tips

It's about time for the birds to be coming back to my feeders here in Tennessee. Last year I was going through about a gallon of bird juice every 3 or 4 days. I said I wasn't going to fool with them this year, but I can't do that to my faithful friends. I just mixed up a gallon of juice tonight and will put out a couple of feeders tomorrow. I haven't seen any birds yet but expect them here at any time.

Here are some tips I have picked up that may help some of you who haven't fed them before but want to start.

Use only feeders that are designed so the bottom comes apart for easy cleaning. Walmart has some good ones for $5 - 6.00.

Mix 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. I put about a quart of water in a pot and bring it to a fast boil. Then add 4 cups of sugar and stir until it is dissolved and the water turns clear. Then I add about 3 quarts of cold water to make a gallon of bird juice.

Start off by filling a couple of feeders half full until you start having bird activity. Dump any leftover juice after about 4 or 5 days and clean the feeder thoroughly and replace the juice. I use warm water and a bottle brush to clean mine. About once a month, I will use bleach water to clean them. Make sure no black mold is allowed to grow inside the feeders.

When the birds start emptying the feeders every 3 or 4 days, add another feeder.

Don't remove the feeders in the fall until a week has gone by with no bird activity.

Thanks Grumpy that is good info for sure, im sure they will be there first so that will give me a little time to get a couple feeders. I have a couple old ones but it's time to get new and toss the old away, i like to put food coloring in mine just for looks i say but people have told me that it helps to attract them if you don't have many. thanks buddy for bringing this up i almost forgot to put this on my to do list.

Thanks!

I like to feed the goldfinches too. They like thistle seed, but that stuff is expensive. I bought a $15.00 bag of it last year and it only lasted a few days and I told them they were on their own after that.

Thanks for the info, grumpy!~! It is some very useful information, that's for sure. I was wondering about the food coloring in the water hurting the birds. Does anyone know if the food coloring will hurt the birds?

I've heard you are not supposed to put it in there, but don't know if it really matters.

Peg we were just talking about this on a critter window on ustream and there was mixed thoughts about this, here is a link that one of the mods put up there and i would believe this before and one person.

http://www.snopes.com/critters/wild/reddye.asp

Thank you very much for the information, Mike. I think I will refrain from putting the red dye in the water. I will have flowers that attract them also. Very useful information!

I saw something on TV a while back. An old man was feeding 7 gallons a day. He had birds and feeders everywhere. He said he put just enough red dye in the juice so he could see how full the feeders were without having to walk right up to them.

Holy cow that alot of bird juice, well i had no idea that it could harm the birds so i just won't do that anymore.

He said he put about 4-5 drops per gallon. Just enough to tint it where he could see it. The stuff you buy in stores is red, so I don't think it will hurt the birds. I may put a little in mine so I can see when they are empty without having to go outside.