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In case you have never experienced the pleasure of viewing a fluttering hummingbird sipping nectar from a blossom or feeder on a warm, sunny afternoon you are definitely missing one of nature's most awe inspiring pleasures. And basic, plastic hummingbird feeders are the perfect means to attract these tiny but fascinating birds to your front or backyard all springtime and summer long.
Hummingbirds actually have a lengthy, forked tongue that's used to lick nectar up to thirteen times every second either from a flower or a feeder and acts as a trough drawing the nectar in. While hummingbirds do eat some insects and pollen, sweet nectar includes ninety percent of their total diet.
Simple sugar water using four parts hot water and one part regular white sugar boiled for approximately two minutes are all that's needed to attract families of hummingbirds to your feeders.
Once the neighborhood hummingbirds learn where your feeders are situated they're going to come back time and time again. The birds will quickly become dependent upon the nectar you've been providing, particularly as the chillier, fall months approach when they will have to double their size to prepare for the long journey south for the winter season.
Be sure to keep your hummingbird feeders full and cleaned on a weekly schedule, or even more frequently if you see a black mold start to grow. The mold that forms in feeders with nectar is harmful to the birds and has to be eliminated at once.
Use some vinegar and hot water (one part white vinegar, four parts water) plus a bottle brush to get into the crevices. Clean and rinse out the feeders thoroughly several times to completely eliminate all of the vinegar. In case you don't have a bottle brush on hand, use some dry rice or even a few clean pebbles and shake the feeders vigorously to mix the solution.
Do not use honey or any type of artificial sweeteners in your hummingbird feeders as this encourages the development of possibly damaging microorganisms. Red food coloring, which has long been used in feeders to attract hummingbirds along with other birds, is also not recommended. Instead, select a red feeder or suspend a red-colored bow or a few beads nearby to attract these tiny avian wonders.
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