We live in a wonderful hummingbird area. The tiny birds can be seen swooping near the tops of trees, their distinctive chirps and humming flight let you know that they are there. If you want to have a closer and longer look at them put up feeders.
Most of us begin with one feeder. Then we notice that it has been claimed by a noisy little male who spends his day proclaiming his territory and chasing away any other bird that tries to take a sip of his sugar water. We put up another feeder feeling sorry for the other birds and it simply snowballs from there on. It seems that seven feeders are the maximum for most people's yards. Maybe that is because it's hard to find many more than seven places to hang them. (We should have an informal contest - let us know if you have more than seven and we will see who is tending the most hummingbird feeders.)
The feeders need to be placed low enough to be easily cared for but should not hang in pathways. They should not bang on windows in the wind. Glass feeders should be hung over soft dirt, turf, or dense foliage. Most feeders are plastic and they come in many designs, colors, and sizes. If you own a variety of different kinds the birds will choose a favorite, and you probably won't be able to understand why they like that one best.
Each feeder needs a little bit of red. Remember that the birds are used to finding liny red flowers in fields and forests of competing colors. One color you don't need is yellow as that will draw bees, wasps, and yellow jackets. Unfortunately, many feeders come with yellow attachments. Check with Ramsey Canyon or a wildlife store to see if they have replacement red parts. If you have a choice, buy feeders that hold the smallest amount of nectar. The sugar water gets rancid quickly during warm weather and I have never had the birds empty a feeder before it is time to wash it and replace the liquid. If your feeders are emptied quickly, they may be visited by other animals like woodpeckers or nectar feeding bats. The woodpeckers will probably eventually leave you alone. I think that they just naturally try to peck holes in anything that might have food that they like. The bats are only here for a short while. They don't carry rabies, are probably a declining species specific to this area, and need food and protection. To discourage the bats, bring the feeders inside during the evening and night. Remember though that the bats pollinate plants that are also specific to this area.
Mix one part sugar to three or four parts water for the birds.
Please use only sugar water in your feeders. Hummingbirds do not need red coloring, honey, or any vitamins in the nectar. In fact, it is thought that those additives will actually kill the tiny delicate birds. Hummingbirds get all the other nutrients that they need from the bulk of their diet which is small insects. So, don't spray those tiny little gnats, don't fog your yard with pesticides and poisonous smoking candles but put up some more feeders instead. Bees and wasps are definitely a bother. Keeping the feeders clean on the outside, making sure that there are no leaking cracks, and experimenting with different types of feeders helps. Yellow jacket traps are a help, also. Try to find the inexpensive kind that uses sugar for bait, not the costly ones that may require dangerous baits. It has been suggested to me to try putting a bee feeder with very concentrated sugar water - two parts water to one part sugar in a shallow container in the area of the feeders. That will draw the bees and wasps away from the thinner bird nectar. Ants also like the sweet water. Hang the feeders with thin fishing line to give the ants a smaller bridge. Don't attach feeders to windows or walls near areas with a lot of ants. If you do, the ants will make a trail right up the wall. Some feeders have ant moats to fill with water. Maybe they will work or maybe the water will be used for drinking by other types of birds.
Mix one part sugar to three or four parts water for the birds. Keep everything that you use for mixing very clean. Salt will clean the inside of a feeder. If you are careful, Clorox and then lots of rinsing will kill stubborn mold in a feeder. Dishwasher detergent, again, carefully rinsed out is an efficient cleaner. Do not mix Clorox with any other cleaner. You can see from all this discussion that ease of cleaning is another element to consider when you buy a feeder. If you change the nectar often, simple rinsing will be enough cleaning on many days. A big batch of nectar will keep in the refrigerator.
Hummingbird enemies arc seemingly few, but neighborhood cats can be a problem. If you have a cat, declaw him, and keep a delightful household pet and then I won't have to be trying to scare him away from my bushes where he stalks the birds without his owner's realization. Try to hang your feeders away from your cat's perches. Blue jays sometimes catch hummingbirds to eat or they will raid their nests. I have only seen a jay with a hummingbird in its claws during cold weather when the hummingbirds may be easier to catch as they sometimes sit in a type of hibernation to survive the cold. Wasps are dangerous to some types of hummingbirds, but most of our birds can be seen actually poking the wasps and driving them away. On other occasions they simply let the wasp use one side of the feeder while they use the other.
It may take many days for hummingbirds to regularly begin using your feeder. If you want to see the birds often try to care for the feeders year around. Last year the birds in my yard left the week before Christmas but stayed in my neighbor's yard. Possibly it was warmer there. We kept the feeders clean and filled and on February 25 they came back, buzzing by my head for a few days before they drank from the feeders. Now I am looking forward to a little extra work but a lot of pleasure having hummingbirds here again. Also, I think I'll pick up a couple more feeders....