This entry was posted on Monday, September 1st, 2008 at 3:21 pm and is filed under Bird Information, Feeding, Hummingbirds, Migration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
September 1, 2008
Southward migration time is here which makes it very important to have your hummingbird feeder ready and available for your current residents and also the many visitors that will stop by to refuel before continuing their journey south. If you live in an area that stays warm year-round, the hummingbirds may not migrate at all.
Use the same area to hang your hummingbird feeder and make sure it has shade during the day to keep the solution from evaporating. A reachable bottom branch of a backyard tree or under your patio is perfect. A constant food source in the same location of your backyard will ensure many hummingbirds.
Hummingbird feeder maintenance is very important. Any mixture of sugar and water will ferment and host the growth of mold spores. To avoid these problems the mixture must be discarded at least every 3-4 days — more frequently in high temperatures. Always clean a feeder thoroughly before refilling. A wash of vinegar and water using a bottle brush will do this job.
Never use honey in attracting hummingbirds. The use of honey can cause a fatal fungal infection on the hummingbirds’ tongues. Do not use red coloring in the sugar water solution. Some red on the hummingbird feeder will adequately attract the birds.
Sugar solution should be made in your own kitchen. Simply bring 4 cups of tap water to a near boil and slowly dissolve 1 cup of pure granulated white sugar into the near boiling water, keep stirring until the water is clear. Remove from heat and let cool several hours or overnight. Store any leftover in the refrigerator up to a week.
Attract these fast flying, acrobatic, fighting and on the constant hunt for sugar solution little hummers to enhance your backyard birding.
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