By Terrie Merritt

Hummingbird behavior is quite interesting and hummingbirds are fantastic little birds. Did you know that they are the only birds that can fly backwards? This is only one of the many interesting fact about the hummingbird, and you will find lots more interesting facts in the hummingbird behavior article below.

Hummingbird Mating and Reproduction

Hummingbirds court in the air but, contrary to common myth, mate on a perch. Males arrive first to establish a territory and food supply. They fly a courtship display when the females arrive, calling with a chirping sound and displaying his brightly colored gorget. Many species perform a flying dance to impress the female.

Bees and Hummingbird Feeders |Tips For Solving The Problem

What can I use for my bees and hummingbird feeders problem?…answer….Aspect HummZinger Excel Bird Feeder

Bees and hummingbird feeders …….If you have a hummingbird feeder, sooner or later it will also be attracting bees and wasps. Not only are that bees and wasps attracted to the sweet hummingbird nectar in the feeder, they are also attracted to the yellow flowers that are on a lot of hummingbird feeders. Yes, yellow is one color that definitely attracts bees and wasps! If you can’t take off the yellow flowers, you should at least paint them red, for red will not attract bees, but it will help attract the hummingbirds.

If that wasn’t bad enough, bees may even try to nest in your humming bird feeder and they will most assuredly constantly steal the hummingbird nectar that you put in the feeder.  Bees and yellow jackets both have a rather short proboscis (drinking straw) while the hummingbird can reach in a great distance.  If you get something the bees can’t get into and can’t feed from, you’ve won the battle.

Feeder placement can also be used to help solve your bees and hummingbird feeders problem. Bees prefer sunlight, so placing the hummingbird feeder in the shade, can help with the problem of bees and hummingbird feeders.

The actual hummingbird mixture ratio can also help with the bees and hummingbird feeder problem.   A mixture of five parts water to one part sugar is still sweet enough for hummingbirds, but may not be as tasty to bees. Also, hummingbird nectar that has fermented or that has become thick and sticky in the sun will be especially attractive to bees ….another reason to put your feeder in the shade and to change the nectar often.

You can also try taking the feeder down for one day. It is possible that the bees will give up looking for the feeder within this time and will move on in search for other food sources. Whatever you do, don’t put any Vaseline or insecticide or other product on the feeder to keep the bees away—you’ll hurt the hummingbirds more than you’ll hurt the bees.

There is one sure way to keep the bees out of your hummingbird feeder.

Aspect HummZinger Excel Bird Feedervideo

I hope you found this article on bees and hummingbird feeders helpful. Click the link for more bees and hummingbird feeders information.

Videos and info about where do hummingbirds sleep

Hummingbirds will find a favorite perching spot, where they feel safe, to sleep. Usually in a bush or tree, where they will perch on a branch. They especially like to use thick trees or bushes, such as a fur tree, because these will provide protection from the elements while the hummingbird sleeps.

If the hummingbird is a female hummingbird that has young babies that are still too young to take care of themselves, she will sleep on the nest.

Sometimes when sleeping perched on a branch, the hummingbird will loosen it’s grip slightly, which causes it to turn upside down on the branch. These upside down birds are sometimes mistaken for dead birds because of their upside down position. When found in this state they may not even respond to your touch. They should just be left alone until they return to their normal state on their own, usually when the sun comes up and warms their bodies. It may take as much as an hour for the hummingbirds to fully recover from this hibernation like state called torpor.

below is a video on where do hummingbirds sleep:

Here you can see a hummingbird that is actually hanging upside down from a branch.

Here is another where do hummingbirds sleep video. This hummingbird is actually sleeping, hanging upside down from the feeder.

I you want the best hummingbird feeder, that’s easy to clean and will protect your nectar from bees, wasps, ants and other crawling insects, check out the feeder below!

Here’s The Easy Solution To-How To Keep Bees Away From Hummingbird Feeder

Ants, bees and other insects always seem to end up at your hummingbird feeder. Bees, just like your hummingbirds, enjoy that same sweet hummingbird food that’s inside your feeder. Once your feeder is up, it doesn’t take long for the bees and other insects to find it.

Besides attracting bees, a lot of hummingbird feeders will leak the nectar onto the ground where the ants can easily find it also. Once the ants find it they get into the feeder and drown where their bodies decompose and ruin your nectar. Bee and ant problems seem to go hand in hand when it comes to feeding hummingbirds.

The good news for us hummingbird lovers is that there is an easy solution to  “how to keep bees away from hummingbird feeder” …. that will also keep the ants out of your hummingbird nectar.

Here’s The Easy Solution To-How To Keep Ants Out Of Hummingbird Feeders

Ants and hummingbird feeders just seem to go together. I guess because you hardly ever see a hummingbird nectar feeder without ants on and inside it.

The same sweet hummingbird nectar that is so attractive to your hummingbirds, is also just as attractive to all the ants in your neighborhood. Once your feeder is up it doesn’t take long for the ants to find it’s location.

A lot of feeders will leak and spill nectar on the ground, alerting all the ants in the area to it’s presence. They soon find your feeder and get into the nectar and drown. Their bodies decompose and ruin your nectar.

Luckily for all of us hummingbird lovers that use nectar feeders, there is a cheap and easy solution to the hummingbird feeder ant problem.

The answer is a simple device that holds water and since the ants can’t swim, it becomes a barrier to keep the ants away from your hummingbird nectar. The device goes by several names , ant moat, ant guard and ant trap, but is most commonly known as an ant moat.

 Below is an inexpensive ant moat that will answer the question of how to keep ants out of hummingbird feeders.

Also, because it is so inexpensive, most people will buy several ant moats so that they have one for each of their hummingbird feeders. A truly quick, easy and cheap way to solve all of your hummingbird feeder ant problems.

Trap-It-Ant Moat For Hummingbird Feeder

Product Description

The first and still the best ant moat protection for your Hummingbird and Oriole feeders. Protect your feeders from ants and other crawling insects. Insert the ant moat between hanger and feeder and fill with water, providing a barrier to crawling pests. The red color is great to help attract hummingbirds to your feeder.

Click the link for more information on How To Keep Ants Out Of Hummingbird Feeders.

Everything you need to know about hummingbird feeding

Each year, especially when the hummingbird migration starts and hummingbirds begin their trip back north, hummingbird feeding will become a major pastime for many backyard birders.

And each year more and more hummingbird feeders seem to take up residence in more and more backyards.

To help you with your hummingbird feeding experience, I will try to answer some of the more frequently asked questions and talk about some of the topics that people have shown an interest in, related to feeding hummingbirds.

These categories are actual search phrases people have used in their quest to find answers about hummingbird feeding.

Hummingbird feeding in Spring

Hummingbird feeding in spring should begin according to the hummingbird migration.

Migration starting times for hummingbirds vary by species. But many Ruby-throated hummingbirds start their northward migration in March and April so mid March is a good early time to start hummingbird feeding in spring.

You can start a week or two later if you live in a more northern part of the country.

When hummingbird feeding in spring only fill your feeder about 1/3 full or less. This way you won’t be wasting too much nectar while you are waiting for the first hummingbird to arrive.

When should I start feeding hummingbirds?

Month to start feeding hummingbirds

Here are some general guide lines on the hummingbird migration to answer the question of when should I start feeding hummingbirds and the month to start feeding hummingbirds, according to where you live.

If you live in the southern parts of the country mid march is a good to start feeding hummingbirds if you want to attract some of the early migrating birds.

 Along the Gulf coast a few  hummingbirds start showing up in late February, but there are not many sightings until the first part of March.

About the first part of April the hummingbird migration starts to reach into Virginia, Kentucky and Missouri.

By the middle of April the hummingbird migration is into Ohio, Indiana and Illinois and by theend of April hummingbirds can be found as far north as the great lakes and in the New England states.

By the first part of May the hummingbird migration is into northern Michigan and Canada.

When do you start feeding hummingbirds?

I live in northern Ohio and start putting out feeders towards the end of April.

 By this time some of my early blooming hummingbird plants are starting to bloom and I can be fairly sure that there are already a few hummingbirds in my area.

When do you start feeding hummingbirds? ….start feeding them about the time you expect to see them in your particular area.

 Refer to the above information under the heading “When should I start feeding hummingbirds? Month to start feeding hummingbirds ” to get a general idea.

Hummingbird feeding liquid

The hummingbird feeding liquid, that is used in hummingbird feeders to attract hummingbirds, is a simple sugar and water solution.

The hummingbird feeding liquid should only contain sugar and water and not any other additives.

 It is made up of a ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. This ratio will produce a hummingbird feeding liquid that will closely resemble the nectar found in flowers.

Hummingbird red food color

Hummingbird red food color refers to the red food coloring or dye that is used in most commercial hummingbird nectar recipes. The store-bought nectar uses the red dye to help attract hummingbirds to your feeder.

Note: hummingbird red food color is totally unnecessary and can even harm your hummingbirds, so do not use it.

Hummingbird food clear

Hummingbird food clear refers to hummingbird nectar that does not use the red dye to color the nectar. Without the addition of the dye to the hummingbird nectar, the water and sugar will produce a clear nectar.

More and more companies are offering clear hummingbird food as a response to the growing belief that the red die will harm the hummingbirds.

The red dye in the hummingbird food is not necessary to attract hummingbirds. Use a feeder that has red on it or tie red ribbon to your feeder or add some red silk flowers to your feeder to attract hummingbirds.

Avoiding red hummingbird nectar will insure that you will not harm the hummingbirds you are feeding.

How do we make hummingbird food

Making your own homemade hummingbird food is easy to do.  All you need is ordinary white granulated table sugar and tap water.

Don’t add anything else to the nectar recipe.

in a pan on your stove, add 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.

stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved, while bringing the hummingbird food mixture to a boil.

boil the nectar for about 2 minutes then remove from the heat to cool.

when your homemade hummingbird food is cool you can add it to your feeder.

This will prevent the nectar from fermenting as quickly and make it last longer in your feeder before needing changed.Boiling the the hummingbird mixture for about 2 minutes will release the chlorine from the water and kill any mold spores that might be in the sugar.

Click on the link hummingbird feeding /feeder cleaning to read about changing the nectar and cleaning your feeder, two important issues when hummingbird feeding.

You will have to change the nectar every now and then or the nectar will get moldy. The above article will tell you how often to change it and how to keep your feeder clean.

Feeding hummingbirds maple syrup

Never use maple syrup, honey, molasses, corn syrup, brown sugar or artificial sweeteners when hummingbird feeding – just plain white granulated table sugar.

Feeding hummingbirds corn syrup

Never use corn syrup, maple syrup, molasses, honey, artificial sweeteners, brown sugar or anything else when hummingbird feeding. Use only white granulated table sugar, the stuff you put on your breakfast cereal.

Choosing a hummingbird feeder

Now that I have answered How do we make hummingbird food?…….let me give you some advise about choosing a hummingbird feeder.

Click this link choosing a hummingbird feeder to learn what type of feeder is best. You will want one that keeps away ants, bees and wasps, and is also easy to take apart and clean.

Where should I put hummingbird feeders outside?

The ideal location for hummingbird feeding, would be close to a window in your house so that you can watch the hummingbirds when you are indoors.

The feeder should also be hung in a shady spot if possible, to keep the nectar from spoiling as soon.

Hummingbirds are more likely to spot feeders that are hung  near plants that attract the hummingbirds.

If you use more than 1 feeder for hummingbird feeding, hang them so that both feeders can’t be seen at the same time.

 Hummingbirds are very territorial and will guard the feeder by chasing off other hummingbirds that try to use the feeder. This is usually done by a dominate male hummingbird.

If the hummingbird can find a spot where it can see both feeders, it will be able to guard both of them at the same time. This will make it difficult for other hummingbirds to sneak in to get a drink.

To hang the feeders on opposite sides of the house is a good way to prevent this aggressive hummingbird behavior and will improve your hummingbird feeding.

I hope this answers the question Where should I put hummingbird feeders outside?

Feeding habits of hummingbirds

Ruby throated hummingbird food intake

Besides the sugar water in your feeder, hummingbirds also feed on flower nectar, insects and spiders.

When flowers are in bloom, the hummingbirds won’t be visiting your feeder as often. Nor will they when the nesting season begins.

 Click on the link hummingbird seasonal feeding patterns for more information about the feeding habits of hummingbirds.

How often hummingbirds feed depends on the caloric content of the food they are eating. Flower nectar from different kinds of flowers vary in the amount of calories they contain. The more calories they consume at each meal, the less often they have to feed.

In general though, a hummingbird will feed every 10 to 15 minutes, all day long. They might eat up to their body weight in food each day. Especially when getting ready for the migration when they will sometimes double their body weight.

Click the link what do hummingbirds eat to read more on the feeding habits of hummingbirds.

Why is my hummingbird food jelling?

I searched the web and could find no answers for why is my hummingbird food jelling.

This seems to be a problem though as 22 people a day are searching this term.

My best guess would be you are adding red jello to your nectar. Stop it and your problem will dissappear.

Let me repeat, don’t use anything but white granulated table sugar and water in your hummingbird nectar. Follow this advise and you won’t have any trouble hummingbird feeding with your homemade hummingbird food.

When to stop feeding hummingbirds

When to stop feeding hummingbirds is about 1 to 2 weeks after you see the last hummingbird at your feeder.

If you leave your feeder out after your hummingbirds are gone you might catch a straggler passing through your area that got a late start on his migration south.

Hummingbird feeding in the fall will not cause them to stay longer than they should. This is a common misconception but, I just won’t happen.

 The fall migration is triggered by a decrease in the length of daylight, not by the scarcity of food. They will begin migrating even when there is still natural food available, probably to ensure that they will be able to find food along the way south.

So keep hummingbird feeding, keep your nectar fresh and your feeder clean and enjoy your hummingbirds as long as they are still in your area.

 And remember when to stop feeding hummingbirds is about 1 to 2 weeks after you see the last hummingbird at your feeder. By then you can be fairly sure the birds are done going through your area on their way south.

Hummingbird Feeder Tubes For Making Your Own Feeders (Pkg of 12)

Product Features

Converts almost any container into a hummingbird feeder

Red tip is attractive to hummingbirds

Rubber stopper is tapered for a tight fit

Simple design makes this an easy craft project

Terrific and easy project for scout groups, schools, church groups, etc.

All you need is an opening into which you push the rubber stopper on the feeder tube. The stopper is tapered and measures 1″ at the top and 5/8″ at the bottom.Product Description (hummingbird feeder tubes) for hummingbird feeding
It’s easy to do your own hummingbird feeding and make a feeder with these inexpensive, foolproof hummingbird feeder tubes. Use any type bottle, jar or other container for liquid.

The curved plastic hummingbird feeder tubes have a red tip to attract hummingbirds. Potters will find these hummingbird feeder tubes perfect for completing a handmade feeder.

For the crafts-minded person, plastic pop bottles make excellent containers. You can also use glass jars with lids. Just drill a hole in the lid and insert the hummingbird feeder tubes.

Important: make sure that the rubber stopper fits tightly into your container to prevent leakage at the tip.

You get a total of 12 hummingbird feeder tubes inserts in this offer, each one consisting of a transparent feeder tube, a red cap with feeding hole and a rubber stopper. They are assembled and ready to use.

Hummingbird feeding will be a lot more fun by making your own feeders with these hummingbird feeder tubes for making your own feeders.

I hope you enjoyed this article on hummingbird feeding.

Ohio residents have no trouble enjoying the many Ruby-throated hummingbirds that inhabit the state roughly from April through September, but hummingbird species in Ohio are very limited. There are only two other species of hummingbirds that have also been documented in Ohio, they are the Rufous Hummingbird and the Calliope Hummingbird.

Enjoy these Ohio hummingbird pictures: here are the three hummingbird species in Ohio

Ruby-throated hummingbird	Rufous hummingbird	Calliope hummingbird
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mullhaupt/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0	http://www.flickr.com/photos/rick_leche/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0	http://www.flickr.com/photos/33403047@N00/ /CC BY-NC 2.0

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By Stephanie Hetu

Before we throw facts about the hummingbird at you, we hope you’ve been visited by these tiny birds and been as delighted as most of us are. If your back yard contains the right kind of flowers, chances are you’ve been visited by these critters and have a few questions for which we have answers!

Cool Facts About the Hummingbird:

Did you know that Ruby-throated hummingbird females are up to 20% bigger than the males? This is one of the facts about the hummingbird that most people don’t know. But then they move so swiftly, whether it weighs one-tenth of an ounce or three-tenths of an ounce is hardly significant, is it? Interestingly enough, both sexes nearly double their weight in preparation for the fall migration to warmer climes.

Their wings beat 60-80 times per second and they fly at up to 25 miles per hour. With this in mind, you now realize why they need super concentrated sugar water solutions if you are going to provide a worthwhile food in your feeders. Use a ratio of 4 parts sugar to 1 part water.

Speaking of feeders, we do hope you are taking advantage of an easy feed. They will find even the most remotely placed feeder. If you want them to come right up to your most convenient window, put it there. These inquisitive birds will find it within a day or two at the most IF they are in town.

Some geographic locations have a very limited visitation period. In central Oklahoma, you will often not see these birds until late July and they’ll be gone by mid September. Still and all, you do have that window of opportunity to watch them up close and personal for awhile.

One of the ‘don’ts’ concerns using honey or brown sugar in the water instead of white sugar. Don’t do it. In the heat of the sun, anything but white sugar–with a drop of red food coloring if you wish–will encourage the growth of mold and bacteria and bring disease to this tiny critter. And please change this water every third day to eliminate souring. Fresh is best and sugar is cheap!

Visit http://www.backyard-critters.com for more cool tips about critters!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephanie_Hetu
http://EzineArticles.com/?Cool-Facts-About-the-Hummingbird&id=127728

I hope you enjoyed this article on cool facts about the hummingbird.

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