Attracting Hummingbirds to your yard is easy and practically guaranteed!

Where ever you live in the USA there’s at least one species of hummingbird that will make your yard more interesting.    If you live in the Southwest you will get the lion’s share.

I feel that hummingbirds are the single most interesting bird to attract to your yard.  They are beautiful, their flight patterns are unique, and they make very unusual sounds which announce their presence.

They make a squeaky, chittery noise that sounds more like mice than birds as they perch and fly.  Their wings make noise, too, somewhat like a small industrial sewing machine.  During their courtship routine, they make a vrooming noise, somewhat like a child mimicking the sound of a jet airplane.  If God had given them the gift of song, they would be perfect!

Their behavior is aggressive, consistent and predictable.

Hummingbirds follow the food.  Wherever there’s an inviting supply of nectar flowers, the birds will be buzzing.  As nectar feeders gained in popularity in recent years, the hummers have shifted their migration patterns and species have begun to show up in new territories.  By keeping feeders available during the winter and early spring, you might keep them year round!  Go to Garden Accent Heaven for the best priced, highest quality, and greatest variety of hummingbird feeders.

Fall and winter are perfect times to plan the longest growing season of hummingbird plant magnets.  High nectar content is the first principle, and then choose red-orange, red, and orange flowers that are a tubular shaped.  Bees will also be attracted to many of the same type flowers.  Read on for some helpful hints.

Hummers also eat tiny insects and spiders.  They use the spider webs to make their nests so it is good to have webs about your yard for them to gather.

Providing water for them is highly recommended.  Spend the amount needed to purchase a bird bath with a mister just for your hummers. (Link to our site) They love the fine spray.  You can even add a timer and the hummers will learn the time settings and be waiting for their bath! And you will know when  the show will begin!

Now let’s talk about which plants to put in your yard.  Choose tubular shaped flowers, those with a flaring rim above a long tube that attaches to the stem.  Tubular flowers are inaccessible to other pollinators so that the hummers are assured of a reward when they visit them.  Example:  daisy type flowers have high nectar but all insects can get to them.  Some bees will get in to some of the tubular but the hummers and bees have a pretty good team approach .

You will want to plant perennials, annuals, vines, shrubs and small trees thus providing the widest range of choices and the longest growing season.   Following are the most common plants that will grow in most areas of the USA.  With a bit more effort on your winter reading, you will find more plants specific to your region.

Click here to see an excellent PPS special Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air.

Hummingbirds are extremely loyal to feeding sites. A hummingbird that feeds in your yard one year will return to that feeder the next year. If you aren’t attracting as many hummers as you want read on! As the male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is so territorial, one key is to offer lots of hummingbird feeders.

Remember two Golden Rules: Keep your hummingbird feeder clean and the hummingbird nectar fresh. Hummingbirds keep their distance from fermented nectar. They will not eat from a dirty feeder, especially one that has mold on it!

Perhaps hummers understand the need for a clear head for their acrobatic flying. Fermented nectar can support the growth of deadly molds. If a hummingbird gets a taste of fermented nectar from your feeder, it will look elsewhere for a drink and remain suspicious of the offending feeder for a long time.

Frequently asked questions from those who have Hummingbird feeders:

Q. How can I keep bees and wasps away from my Hummingbird feeders?

A .Use a Flat Top Hummingbird Feeder (The best one is Droll Yankee Aspects Feeder). When the Hummingbird Nectar is not at the feeding port, Hummers can reach the nectar-Wasps and Bees cannot!

Q. How can I keep ants out of my feeder?

 A. Buy a new feeder with “Nectar Guard Tips” or hang a Nectar Protector Ant Moat above your feeder and fill it with water (ant’s can’t swim!). The hummingbird feeder will be easy to fill and clean- yet no ants and lots of hummers in your backyard!

Hummingbird Nectar is easy to make at home. First bring water to a boil. Once the water has boiled for a while put it into a measuring cup. Begin with four parts water then add one part ordinary white cane sugar. Stir the sugar into the hot boiling water thoroughly to make sure that all of the sugar is desloved into the water. When done stiring allow nectar to cool. Unused nectar can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. This mixture approximates the average sucrose content (about 12%) of the flowers favored by North American Hummingbirds.

Once your hummingbird nectar is cooled add it to your hummingbird feeder.