We all would love to have hummers buzzing around our yards. Put out your hummingbird feeders about first week of May in the midwest.
A few small feeders are better than one large one. Male hummingbirds are very territorial
and may not allow other males to feed. Place your feeders so they cannot see each other as they feed. Plant clusters of red or bright
colored tubular flowers in your yard or in hanging baskets. For best results place your feeders near the flowers.
Don't use red food coloring if making your own nectar, it could harm the hummingbirds. If you don't think there is enough red on the feeder,
tie some red ribbons from it to make it more noticeable.
To control bees, spread a little Vaseline, mineral oil or salad oil around the ports.
Try using Avon's Skin-So-Soft around the ports without getting it in the nectar.
Keep a water bottle filled with soapy water to spray your feeder to wash off the sugar water that has spilled.
Try moving the feeder to another location. You could also try a wasp trap.
Bees usually aren't a problem until the summer's end.
To control ants use an ant trap that keeps ants from reaching your feeder by
creating a moat between the feeder and the hanger. They are a fantastic invention.
Hummingbirds have an incredible memory, attract them in the spring and they should return in the fall and even the next year!
Leave your feeders up until the end of October in the midwest. Hummingbirds need the food to migrate - they will not stay around
because your feeders are out.
