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If you have never experienced the pleasure of seeing a fluttering hummingbird sipping nectar from a flower or feeder on a warm, sunny afternoon you are definitely missing one of nature's most awe inspiring pleasures. And simple, plastic hummingbird feeders are the ideal 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 as many as 13 times every second either from a flower or a feeder and acts as a trough drawing the nectar in. Even though hummingbirds do eat some insects and pollen, sweet nectar consists of ninety percent of their overall diet.
Ordinary 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 find out where your feeders are located they will come back time and time again. The birds will quickly become dependent upon the nectar you've been providing, particularly as the cooler, autumn months approach when they must double their size to prepare for the long journey south for the winter.
Be sure to keep your hummingbird feeders full and cleaned on a weekly schedule, or more often if you see a black mold start to grow. The mold that forms in feeders with nectar is harmful to the birds and needs to be removed immediately.
Use some vinegar and hot water (one part white vinegar, four parts water) along with a bottle brush to get into the crevices. Clean and rinse out the feeders thoroughly several times to completely clear away all of the vinegar. If you don't have a bottle brush handy, 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 growth of potentially harmful 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 hang a red bow or a few beads nearby to attract these small avian wonders.
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