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cghpnd

New at butterfly/hummingbird garden

cghpnd
10 years ago

Hey yall. I already have everything ready for the butterflies (my first year). I was given a bird feeder and something called Perky-pet nectar for hummingbirds.Has anyone used it?

When should I see them here in Northern Virginia? I dont want to waste the nectar and bugs get into rather than the birds.. thanks alot!

Comments (6)

  • eric580
    10 years ago

    I used concentrate and premade nectar too. I don't like making the sugar because I need my sugar :) ,but the recipe is one part sugar to four parts water bring to a boil,and let it cool after sugar is melted. You can put up your feeder now. They arrived in my western PA garden on Mother's day. It's not too late though, just in time :)

  • cghpnd
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the advice. So they eat at any time of the day or at specific time? I put it about 5 feet off the ground on a hook against a brick wall. Is that ok?

  • cghpnd
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the advice. So they eat at any time of the day or at specific time? I put it about 5 feet off the ground on a hook against a brick wall. Is that ok?

  • sunflowersrus222
    10 years ago

    I make my own nectar. 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. NO dies!! Some have said that the dies can harm the hummers. I used to add a tiny bit of gel red food die that I used for cake decorating. Never saw a problem with it but once I heard it was bad for them I discontinued using it. Its not even necessary. The hummers still love the sugar water without the colorant.

    I'm in PA north east of Philly and my hummers come around like clock work every 20 minutes to feed. Put out a couple of feeders because they are territorial. The male will not share with the girls. I have 3 feeders in my yard and no 2 hummers feed at the same feeder at the same time. You can hear them squeak at each other if the male is feeding and a female comes over while he's there.

    Change your solution once a week because mold will grow inside the feeders and that will make your hummers very sick if they will feed at it at all once mold is in there.

    FYI.. don't give up. I've lived in my house 20 years and have been trying to attract hummers all this time. it wasn't till 5 or 6 years ago that I finally saw hummers. Now they come around every year. I put my feeders out in early May because the males will come around searching for food first then they go back and get the females to follow them. We call them scouts.

    I have an enormous butterfly bush which the hummers love as well as a trumpet vine growing across the back of my yard. You can search "plants for humming birds" and get a lot of info on what else to plant.

  • cghpnd
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for all the helpful advice. I made the nectar per your advice and well, lastnight I noticed (while I was out hunting slugs down) that there was 4 ozs of nectar left in the feeder. Today its completely sucked dry. There was alittle bird poop on it. Does this mean I have the visitors I wanted??? I see no ant trails or bees... I throw out seeds for the other birds too.

    I wont give up!
    I wish I had a yardto do whatever I want. But im stuck here in the apartment. Ground floor thankfully

  • sunflowersrus222
    10 years ago

    cghpnd, either you have hummers or your feeder is leaking. Only way to really know is to see them feeding. Sometimes I put the liquid in my feeder but not much and it looks like there is a lot in there but it just hasn't drained down into the feeder portion. Once it does then the container looks nearly empty. I just threw out one of my feeders because it didn't stay closed tight enough and everything leaked out around the rim. The bottom was in 2 parts that screwed together and then the container went into the bottom. Where the 2 bottom sections joined leaked really bad. Its the common plastic feeder sold in most stores with fake flowers and a fake vine design that sticks out to act as a perch if your wondering. I'll never buy another one of those again. My best feeder is glass with plastic bottom and a plastic rim around it for the perch. That one has never leaked.

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