I know a number of people sweeten their mix to a 3:1 ratio for the winter in your area and I did see on a Youtube video that a fellow set his feeder on a heating pad. The hummers took full advantage of that setup and were often perched on the pad for the extra warmth. Bless you for taking the time and trouble to provide for those little birds and good luck to you.

I also live in the Pacific NW and have 3 Anna's that are still residing here. With our wind chill factor it has gotten to a low temp of -6F degrees. I have been rotating two feeders in to thaw, and two feeders out. I am thinking that I should bring in all 4 feeders at dark so that they are all thawed and ready to go in the morning? When I got up this morning they were all frozen, and the weather isn't supposed to improve tomorrow. This is the first time I've had feeders out past winter, and I want to make sure I care for them properly. Thanks!

I posted this in another thread, too....

I live in the Puget Sound region and the last few years the Anna's have overwintered here, so I keep my feeder out all year. What I do (and I try to post this everywhere I see people talking about feeding in below freezing weather) is wrap my feeder in little white Christmas lights (not the LED, but the incandescent). They give off just enough heat to keep the feeders thawed. If it's super cold, just wrap more lights. It doesn't seem to bother the birds and looks very festive at night.

I actually hang something below the feeder to hold some of the lights below it, too, so the heat rises up and keeps it warm enough to not freeze

I live in PACNORWEST as well. I had 4 hummingbirds but one of my females died earlier this month. Now Im down to 3 - one more female and two males (one of them is the alpha).
My alpha is very territorial and wont let the others feed. There have been ongoing fights between them for the past three days.
I bring my feeder in at night and put it out every morning around 6am so the nectar doesnt freeze. This forum has been very helpful to me. Thanks to everyone posting! Any input on what I can do to put up a hummingbird house? I saw one on ebay & amazon I want to buy them for the cold nights. Not sure if they will use it though. I already have a swing for them too. (Yes, I have spoiled hummingbirds)

Anna's routinely overwinter in the PNW, especially in coastal areas. I have been feeding hummingbirds in winter for many years ;-)

They are very capable of foraging on their own - otherwise they wouldn't remain here through winter - but providing nectar helps for sure, plus it attracts them in close where you can see them.

In cold weather, I bring my feeders in at nite and rehang again early in the morning. They always seem to be waiting close by for me to complete this routine.

They are also very able to tolerate the cold. They are able to slow down their metabolism to enter a kind of stasis that reduces energy needs and helps keep them warm. I have never heard of a hummingbird 'house'.......they seem to find suitable night nesting locations without help but if it makes you feel better, go for it!

I'd also encourage planting winter blooming plants to encourage them hanging around. Winter blooming mahonia, honeysuckle, sarcococca and winter heaths and heathers are all favorites, as is witch hazel later in the season. I also grow a Grevillea victoriae, an Australian plant that blooms in winter and is very attractive to hummers.

Simplee, if you can hang a second feeder out of sight of the alpha, that will give the other little guys somewhere to feed while the alpha guards his.

Don't know about hummingbird houses, but tight-needle evergreens like spruces or yews do a marvelous job of cutting the wind, and many birds shelter in them in the winter.

Shilla, the heating pad idea is marvelous. Those rubber seed-starting mats would do the same job and more impervious to wet.

I have the overwintering Annas here too - I wish I knew where they go at night but they aren't sharing that ;) They manage, and in temps a lot colder than you might imagine.

If the forecast is calling for about 28 or colder I bring the three feeders in at night. The syrup doesn't seem to freeze at around 30ish but will if it drops too far into the 20s. DH puts them back out about a half hour before daylight and the hummingbirds are there within a few minutes.

I have three squabbling and alternating guarding this morning. Somehow they all seem to eat and stay healthy.
If we have that odd storm where temps stay in the 20s during the day I will alternate feeders, or bring in a feeder, add a little premade nectar heated in the microwave to thaw what's already there. I've duct taped the handwarmer packets to the bottom of my saucer style feeders a couple of times but usually they don't need quite that much attention.

I do find if its snowing, the feeding ports become hidden (or frozen) on the two saucer style feeders hanging in front of my office on a shepherds hook. A coat rack temporarily wheeled out to just under the overhang of the house takes care of that ;)

Ch 5 Seattle had offered these tips for keeping feeder liquid from freezing a couple of weeks ago. The plumbers tape was an interesting idea...

Here is a link that might be useful: Hummingbird feeder tips King 5

Don't you just love watching them? Especially in winter for me, as I tend to be at home a lot more at this time of year.

We had a light dusting of snow yesterday morning that has remained due to our current cold weather. Didn't seem to slow them down at all. The alpha male took up residence on the tip of a nearby conifer.......the better to guard the feeder......and would make periodic sorties to the feeder as well as to chase off any intruders other than his mate. But the others managed to sneak in from time to time.

He was back again this morning as soon as I rehung the feeder and paid no attention to me as he was busy filling his belly. I was less than a foot away. He is back again now, guarding his territory and fluffing his feathers in the sun.

I got some ideas here for keeping feeders from freezing and came up with another that might be helpful. I keep a large, shallow clay dish (basically a plant tray) to water my other birds in the winter. I have a flat, electric deicer to keep the water from freezing. I simply placed the hummingbird feeder right on that flat surface and so far, it is working great.

Those here participated in the hanging of the outside christmas lights this afternoon, DH in a red jacket and I lost track of how many times he instinctively ducked as they buzzed into his face ;)

I seem to have two guarding today, one in front and another on the other side of the house in back - rarely do they share. If I do notice two feeding at the same time, it's a wary noisy truce with a lot of chattering/squeaking at best and very temporary.

Mehitabel--thank you so much on the feedback! I just ordered my 2nd feeder and will be posting next weekend on the back of my house because my Alpha posts himself on a tree that oversees my feeder or he will sit on my swing and watch it.
Hopefully, my female and junior male will be able to feed that way.
I found a birds nest in one of my Heather bushes but its empty, I'm guessing it belonged to a family of house sparrows from last Spring or something. I have not touched the nest or moved it. If they come back, I want everything as they left it. It really is a beautiful nest.
Okay back to my Hummers. I have enclosed the link to the little house I want to purchase. I feel much better knowing that they will be okay out there but just in case I want to ensure that I am providing as much as I can on my end so they can be warm and somewhat safe.
I'm so thankful for this forum!

Here is a link that might be useful: AMAZON-HUMMINGBIRD HOUSE

So glad to have found this forum! We are on the eastside of Seattle. DH and I have been captivated by these little birds since a couple of them set up housekeeping in our yard this summer. We were really happy when they decided to spend the winter, too. This weekend a bunch of new hummers joined the two regulars in our yard. They've all been jockeying for possession of the feeders and putting on quite a display. We worried about them not being able to get enough nectar to survive the cold so hubby went and got the last few feeders at the grange. We added two in the front yard and three in the back. Even spacing the feeders well apart, the hummers are still fighting continually. We had to thaw frozen nectar multiple times today and decided to bring the feeders in after dark. Hubby gets up well before dawn so he can put them back out before the birds arrive for breakfast. Our visitors all look like Anna's except for one that definitely seems to be a male black-chinned. Will try to get a pic and post it here. Thanks for all the ideas about keeping feeders warm!

I read that hummers are up an hour before sunrise. I've been hanging my feeder under a lit porch light. No freezing yet. I see that "hummer house". I'm reading it's a platform for nest building in summer, not to keep the birds warm, right?

Hi, simplee. Wow, $30. I'd say save your money and use it to buy more feeders or a couple of hummingbird books. :) You will love reading about them and their habits, complete with lots of photos, and you'll be better able to help them thrive when you study them.

Here's why I think it's a waste of your money

1. It's a nesting platform, not a house that will keep anyone warm in winter.

2. I honestly don't think hummers would use it to nest. Hummers build their nests on the very edges of branches, in a place under another leafy branch. They do this because that will support their weight, but not the weight of predators who don't dare to get that far out. The branch above keeps a lot of the rain out, provides shade and also cover.

They also work very hard to disguise the nest, even gluing bits of lichen on it to make it look the adjacent branches. In other words, they hide their precious babies as well as they possibly can.

A nest on that platform would be extremely visible there with grey and jade roof! Yipes! No self respecting mommy hummer with good genes would put her precious nest there.

You obviously want very much to protect and provide for them. A tree or big bush would provide a better nesting place. Even if you can't provide that, providing a steady source of food is a godsend to them
.

I read that hummers are up an hour before sunrise. I've been hanging my feeder under a lit porch light. No freezing yet. I see that "hummer house". I'm reading it's a platform for nest building in summer, not to keep the birds warm, right?

Sorry for the double post.

Thank you so much for the input on the Hummer house. I will definitely save my money and invest in other things. Since I don't have much of a green thumb, its shocking that I have been attracting them all year this year.

I do adore them though and I am definitely not complaining. I am such a sucker for them too.
I do have some questions that crossed my mind:
-Can I reheat the same batch of nectar?

I noticed GSThiel mentioned that her husband places them out early in the morning. I normally post mine @ 6:30 but it gets slushy. Thank goodness my house faces the morning sun.

-Also, I am making nectar every 4 to 5 days. Is this a good batch schedule?

I love this forum and am very grateful for all your suggestions. Talk to you all soon!

Hummer feeders should be rinsed in very hot water, no detergent. Their sugar water, always as fresh as you can give them. I refill at least every 3 days after a boiling hot rinse. My feeder is glass, maybe plastic won't take super heat.

I found the "heated small animal pad" on amazon. It keeps a flat bottomed feeder perfect temp. It's 9x12. About $30.

Hi feral.kitty,

I have a glass feeder and wash with hot water only. Good to know I am doing that right.

That heading pad sounds pretty interesting, I am also interested in the XMAS light concept.

I read on a website that adding more sugar to the nectar can help the birds during winter but I am worried that it could be very unhealthy for them since too much sugar is bad for them.

I have enclosed the website that has brought up XMAS lights and other tips by Melissa Mayntz, Birding/Wild Birds Expert.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nectar Warming Tips

Can someone tell me why not to wash in detergent if they are rinsed thoroughly? I put all my glass and disk shaped plastic feeders through the dishwasher. I don't believe there is any residue on them and they are sterilized. I haven't noticed any kill off of the birds.

Olychick, I put disk shaped feeders in the dishwasher too. You are right about that. I read that's OK. I guess humans cannot do the thorough job that machines do. Always better to be safe when they depend on you, the little sweethearts.

Thanks to all of you for your great tips and suggestions! I've been bringing my feeders in at night and duct-taping hand warmers to the bottom and sides of my feeders in the daytime - it works great. The temp here has not gotten above 20 degrees since the 29th - still have all the snow! I've been seeing 2 female Anna's at the feeders now and they seem to be doing well!

Thanks for the confirmation about the dishwasher feral.kitty.

On a different subject, I keep reading suggestions to use a trouble light to keep the nectar thawed, but I am concerned that a hummer could be burned should they fly too close or try to land on it (if there are any metal parts). Especially when there is crazy acrobatic flying going on trying to defend the feeders.

Interesting comments about using the dishwasher. I've been using only hot water on the feeders, but the pot that the sugar is boiled in and the pitcher where fresh nectar is stored have both gone in the dishwasher. Guess that doesn't make sense. ??? :-0 ???

I didn't think it was worth bothering with the dishwasher for hummzingers since they are so easy to clean. That was until I found a tiny, nearly invisible bit of black mold still hiding in one of the portholes after a "thorough" hot water wash.

First, that mold formed even tho I was changing the feeders every other day or even every day during the hot weather. Second, it was clear what I thought was a thorough hot water cleaning wasn't always doing the job at least during the hot weather.

I splurged on a duplicate set of feeders, so one is in the dishwasher while another is hanging outside. I think the need for the dishwasher treatment at least every couple of times is more necessary in the hot weather when every sort of microbe multiplies faster.

As a bonus, having a clean set of feeders on hand makes changing the feeders a breeze, even when you have to do it every day.

Olychick: I'm not finding much about trouble lights except to keep them 12 to 24 inches away from the feeder. Would be awful if their little feet landed on a hot spot.

There is a wealth of knowledge on this post. Thank You. I noticed most of you are from Zone 8. What is the lowest temperatures you get? I thought hummers fly to Mexico or Southern California for the winter?

We have had a few days of 20F in winter. Mostly in the 50's. I usually have an immature hummer staying through spring. I guess they go North then. This is the Southern Outer Banks.

This is just my 2nd year wintering hummingbirds! I do have one Anna's hummingbird and two green ones. I'm fascinated with the Anna, the pink feathers are gorgeous.About two weeks ago, the little guy flew into our window, I ran and picked him up, handed him to my husband and found a small box. He was alert and holding his head up,after my husband placed him in the box he said, oh look, he left a feather for you. Sure enough, there was a single very small feather on his hand! I saved it in a small clear plastic container and show it off! The tip of it glows pink when the lighting is just right! The hummer flew away after just a moment, and returned the next morning. All is well.

Terrycathey01: how exciting to have the tiny pink feather. But better yet that all's well. Thanks for sharing this!

Ladyrose, the Anna hummingbirds will overwinter in the Pacific Northwest. I'm in coastal Washington - today it is almost 60F and torrential sideways rain, wind. Two weeks ago we got down to 25F overnight about three times and our daytime highs did not reach 40F. These are tough little birds, not nearly as delicate as one might guess. They managed last winter when we had extreme (for us) lows in December and again in February, my backyard thermometer registered 11 one of those mornings and there still were my three at the feeders.

So sad, no hummers in 4 days. Leaving the feeders out. They weren't as fat as previous migrants, maybe they found greener pastures.