Hummingbird Central



Hummingbird Feeders

Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Garden

Low hanging hummingbird feeder surrounded by Batface Cuphea, Periwinkles, and Firebush
Low hanging hummingbird feeder surrounded by Batface Cuphea, Periwinkles, Dianthus, and Firebush

Hummingbirds, like other birds and other animals, need food, water, and shelter, the basic necessities of life. If you provide these, you will soon find hummingbirds in your garden!

Their diet includes small insects, spiders, sap and nectar. Insects are caught in mid-air or found on trees and foliage. Nectar provides the sugar needed to feed the hummingbird's constant energy consumption.

To satisfy the hummingbirds need for nectar, we've included in our landscape several types of Lantana, Zinnias, Butterfly Bushes, Pentas, Milkweed, Salvia, Batface Cuphea, Nasturtiums, Coreopsis, and other hummingbird-friendly plants, annuals and perennials.

Learn more about planting a hummingbird gardening full of hummingbird-friendly flowers

The Hummingbird Feeder

Hummingbird feeder nestled amidst Pentas, Geraniums, Batface, Roses and other colorful flowers
Three hummingbird feeders nestled amidst Pentas, Geraniums, Batface, Roses and other colorful flowers

 


We always leave room for fancier, glass hummingbird feeders to provide some variety in the landscape!
Hummingbird feeders make great gifts, and here is a favorite, glass one we received! We always leave room for fancier, glass feeders to provide variety and texture in the landscape. This one also has a built-in ant moat on the top.

Planting the right flowers is an important element in establishing the right environment for attracting hummingbirds. But you need another key attractant: the hummingbird feeder!


Sizes and Styles of Hummingbird Feeders

We use about ten feeders, of varying sizes and shapes. While some are "singles" others have four feeding stations/flowers and hold 8 oz. of nectar solution.

Our favorite feeders host from 8-10 hummers at one time, and hold from 32-48 oz. We use a variety of vertical feeders, and horizontal feeders to give the hummers a choice of feeding stations.

Some feeders are acrylic, and some glass. The plastic ones are lighter and not subject to breakage, but may contain BPA.

However, many prefer glass hummingbird feeders and their long-term durability as opposed to plastic (which can warp, fade and crack over time). And sometimes glass is easier to clean than plastic.

And newly introduced are the new "top feeder" models, which can simplify the refilling process.

Whatever feeder you prefer, make sure that it has adequate red color to be visible to the hummingbird from a distance.

Popular Hummingbird Feeders This Year

Most Popular Hummingbird Feeders
First Nature 3051 Hummingbird Feeder, 16-ounce ... at Amazon
First Nature 3051 Hummingbird Feeder, 16-Ounce

First Nature 3055 Hummingbird Feeder, 32-ounce ... at Amazon

First Nature 3055 Hummingbird Feeder, 32-Ounce

More Popular Feeders
Aspects HummZinger Excel Hanging Hummingbird Feeder with built-in ant moat ... at Amazon
Aspects HummZinger Excel Hanging Hummingbird Feeder with Built-in Ant Moat

Mini-hummingbird feeder with single flower, 2.3oz, pack of four feeders ... at Amazon

Mini Hummingbird Feeder with single flower, 4-Pack, 2.3oz
Colorful hand-blown glass hummingbird feeder, 32-oz capacity, with ant moat, hanging hook, rope, brush and service card ... at Amazon
Colorful hand-blown glass Hummingbird Feeder, 32oz, with Ant Moat, Hanging Hook, Rope, & Brush

Pinched glass hummingbird feeders, with built-in ant moat, pack of two feeders ... at Amazon

Pinched glass Hummingbird Feeder with built-in ant moat, pack of two feeders


About These Products

The Hummingbird Central website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Amazon offers a commission on products sold through their affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you. Orders are processed by and shipped via Amazon.

TIP: Plastic or glass? It's a personal decision. There is concern among some about the harm posed to hummingbirds from the BPA plastic used on some feeders. Glass feeders are felt to be safer in this regard. We suggest you research the subject and the marketplace, consider the potential danger of feeders with BPA, and then make your purchase decisions based on the information you have at hand.


Cleaning the Feeders

On cool days in spring, and on warmer days early in the summer when the birds are not draining the feeders daily, we can leave in the nectar mix for 3-4 days or until the mix starts to cloud ... we then replace it.

During migration, the mixture never goes bad, as we have to refill the feeders daily.

Avoid using cleansers that will leave poisonous residue.

It is important to keep the feeders clean. During refilling, we inspect each feeder, and scrub with a small brush like those shown below, and clean water any areas where mold, dirt, ants or other debris have accumulated.

Hummingbird Feeder Cleaning Brush Mini Nylon Brush Set (12 pieces)
Set of 12 hummingbird feeder cleaning brushes, various sizes ... at Amazon


The Hummingbird Feeder Mixture Recipe

When formulating your hummingbird mixture recipe, remember that nectar found in nature is typically in the range of 12%-35% sugar (sucrose). The solution you prepare should be similar to that found in nature.

A classic 16-oz First Nature feeder hung at eave-level ... always a favorite of the hummingbirds!
A classic 16-oz First Nature 3051 feeder ... always a hummingbird favorite!

We make our own solution, using the recommended mix of four parts water to one part sugar, i.e., 20% sugar. We do not boil the water, but we find that using warmer water helps dissolve the sugar quicker. Note that our water is pure; for those whose water supplies are suspect, boiling water is an option to remove impurities.

We never use red-dye or pre-mixed commercial nectar ... it is just not needed, and it can be harmful to hummingbirds. Just make your own ... it is easy to do!!

Yes, Bees Like Feeders Too ... What to Do?

Bees, hornets and wasps are always a problem for hummingbird enthusiasts. Feeders with bee-guards are a plus.

Our main defense again these flying insects is to wipe the feeder of any excess drops of nectar solution before rehanging it. If bees become a real nuisance, we will move the feeder to another location.

Another solution is to use feeders without yellow, a color that seems to attract bees and wasps.

And never use any sort of oil or Vaseline type products on the feeders to deter insects ... products like these are harmful to hummingbirds.

What About Ants?

If you are subject to ants, you might want to attach ant-guards, or moats, above your feeders.

Some feeders, like the Aspects models, have a small, built-in moat on top that you fill with water.

Standalone ant-guards/moats hang above the feeder, like those shown below.

Ant Guard for Hummingbird Feeder - 3 OZ, 2 Pack, Clear Red Plastic, S-hooks above and below, suitable for all feeders
Set of two 3-ounce ant guards for hummingbird feeders, clear red plastic, with S-hooks above and below, suitable for all feeders ... at Amazon

 

First Nature 5055 32-oz hummingbird feeder, with an OrienTools ant moat above it

 

Let's Share a Feeder!

During early spring when feeding activity is not very high and the weather is cool, we typically only half-fill the feeder as that will last for days.

As the fall migration peaks in late August and early September we fill the feeders to brim. It is then that the hummingbirds start to share feeders, an action unheard of during the summer when defending a feeder is the norm. As sharing continues, we will see 6-8-10 hummingbirds on a feeder at a time.


What About Next Year?

Hummingbirds have an innate ability to remember their favorite feeding locales. Banding experts have shown time and time again that individual hummingbirds return to the same spot year after year.

So enjoy your hummers today ... and hopefully you will see them again next year!

Hummingbird Feeder Photographs

First Nature 3055
32-oz 10-feeding station vertical hummingbird feeder ... the extra capacity is great during peak feeding season!
Several hummingibrds feeding on a 10-flower vertical feeder
Aspects Zigger Excel ... Flat, 6 feeding station hummingbird feeder with continuous perch. It also has a built-in ant moat. Flat, 6 feeding station hummingbird feeder with continuous perch
Flat, horizontal 8 feeding station hummingbird feeder from Droll Yankees Flat, horizontal 8 feeding station hummingbird feeder

16-oz First Nature 3051 feeder at a low level near a variety of hummingbird friendly plants.

This is a great solution if you have no pets, or raccoons!

Put the feeders at eye-level for the enjoyment of the hummingbirds, and you!

16-oz First Nature feeder at a low level near a variety of hummingbird friendly plants

Fun, yet functional, feeders abound ... like this one in the shape of the State of Texas!

State of Texas hummingbird feeder