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 Post subject: Hummingbird Feeders
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 12:22 pm 
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***************** Your comment ****************

My question is: my neighbor put out a couple of hummingbird feeders with the red sugar(nectar)--the hummingbirds started coming, but over the past couple of days, the feeders are swarmed with bees (look like some type of honey bee). Now the hummingbirds try to come to feeder, but go away because of all the bees. Do you have any ideas how to keep the bees away so the hummingbirds will come back? This is the first year we've had this problem. I appreciate any advice you can offer. Thanks, Donna


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 1:14 pm 
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Donna,
I posted this reply to a similar question in June:
Please, please do not use red dye. Hummingbirds are attracted to red but the feeder should be colored, not the water. This is a waste of money and possibly harmful to the birds. I have gathered a lot of knowledge about hummers by visiting sites where, literally, thousands of them congregate and breed.
I have had 5 feeders working at my house in Coppell with sightings every few minutes. Both the black-chinned and the ruby throated are regular visitors and breeders. The formula is 4 parts water, 1 part sugar. Mix in warm or hot water until the sugar is dissolved. Let stand until cooled. Put excess in fridge so you don't have to make it every time. It will last a week or two. The mixture in the feeder should be placed in the shade and replaced every 2-3 days. Clean the feeder every time with hot soapy water. The cold mixture out of the fridge is fine. Please understand why I'm being so directive. These are extremely small birds that weigh less than 5 grams. The sugar to water ratio I suggest nearly replicates that of nectar from flowers. Too much or too little sugar is bad.
Help us attract and support these beautiful creatures by spending just a little extra time.
Thank-you for listening,
Tony M
With respect to the bees, a properly designed and functioning feeder will not attract bees. The feeder may be leaking or your neighbor is spilling the nectar. If you/your neighbor would like info on a good feeder, send me a reply.
Tony M


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 5:40 pm 
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Location: Alvarado,TX
I recently purchased a hummingbird feeder that comes with a "pinchpot" below the feeder. The suggestion was to plant flowers that would also suit hummingbirds.

What flowers would you suggest?

Thanks for your help.

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...Heather


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 Post subject: Hummingbird Feeders
PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 5:45 pm 
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Tony, thank you for the information. I think the feeders my neighbors are using are the same ones they've used in the past, but they may not be working properly. I'll be sure to pass on your advice to them. I would look forward to any information you can offer regarding a good feeder. Thanks again, Donna


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 7:56 pm 
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Donna-
Wild Birds Unlimited stores carry a circular (as in flying saucer) feeder with about 4 ports or holes. It is made of hard plastic and is designed with an ant well to prevent ants from climbing down from the tree onto the hook and over to the nectar. The top is red and the bottom is clear so you can see when it is low on fuel. They cost about $15.00 but are guaranteed for life at any store. I have 6 of them and have replaced 2-3 over the years. I never have trouble with bees. They also have perches for the less timid birds to light on. Hence the myth hummingbirds never stop flying.
Another thought for your neighbor's, bee problem. Bees have short tongues. If you keep the nectar about a half inch below the feeding holes the bees will not be able to access it. Hummingbirds have extremely long tongues, so long they actually wrap around their heads where they are attached. Hard to believe but I've seen it. They can get to the bottom of my feeders with no problem.
Tony M


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 18, 2003 8:11 pm 
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Heather-
I'm not sure what a "pinch pot" is but I am concerned about flowers being too close to a feeder because of the danger this condition poses. Cats can and will hide in the foliage and snatch them right out of the air. I like our cats but I also keep a squirt gun handy for behavior modification.
This is a good list of plants to attract hummingbirds. http://www.westongardens.com/wgib%20starting%20page.htm
Weston gardens also sells all of these plants so it is a complete resource. If you haven't been there, it is near magical. The demonstration gardens are some of the best. They even have Koi ponds and water plants, sun lovers and shade seekers.
Tony M


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2003 9:16 am 
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Location: Alvarado,TX
Tony, It's a National Geographic hummingbird feeder. You'll be happy to hear that the nectar reservoir is red plastic. The whole contraption hangs in the air...The nectar reservoir hangs a few inches above the little pot to plant flowers in.

So the hummers should be safe from all cats, except those that excell on the trapeze!

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2003 4:18 am 
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A little bit off topic, but it seems to work best to have at least two feeders that are situated so that they can't be guarded from a single location -- maybe one on each opposite side of a house, for example. With but one feeder or if more than one can be seen from a single perch, a resident bird seems to spend most of its time guarding the feeder(s) and attacking/chasing away those from other nests or migrants. Maybe there will be a guarding resident for each location/placement, but more than one feeder increases the chance that some bird(s) will feed rather than fight. I've seen a resident kill an interloper before; multiple feeders won't necessarily prevent that, but it seems to reduce the opportunity for fighting. This doesn't apply as much during the heavy fall migration, when the migrants would rather feed than fight, but the swarming that accompanies the migration is another reason to have multiple feeders.

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 Post subject: Hummingbird Feeders
PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2003 7:25 am 
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Tony,
Thank you so much for your help with hummingbird feeder & bee situation. I took the information to my neighbor last night. She was very excited--she is 93 years old and homebound. The birds of all kinds bring her a lot of joy! Thanks again for all the help! What a great service you offer! Have a good, cool day! Donna


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2003 8:02 pm 
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Enzyme11-
Good adds, I have seen the exact situation you are describing, and your suggested ways to avoid them, at my home for years. I have also seen just the opposite. There is a place in San Angelo TX that has been dubbed the hummingbird capital of TX by the Parks and Wildlife dept. Any time of the day, Mar-Sept, you can see hundreds of hummingbirds - at once! 99% of them are the black-chinned variety. There is little fighting as a dozen birds share one feeder. The owner, Dan Brown, goes thru 2.5 gallons of sugar water a day. I have also been to SE Arizona where you can again see hundreds of hummers in one location but one big difference, there are 10 different species. Very little fighting as these little helicopters share the same feeders.
Tony M


Last edited by Tony M* on Mon Sep 01, 2003 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:35 pm 
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Location: Garland, Texas
We have had a number of hummer feeders over the last couple of decades, and by far our favorite feeder is from right here in Texas. It is the Best-1 feeder.

When not residing the Texas, it travels with us to Colorado to feed the hummingbirds there. Because of the quarrelsome Roufus (or Rufus) we have resorted to using a feeder on each end of the porch at the cabin. It helps some, but once they have staked out the feeder, they can be problematic. They don't want to feed, but they don't want others to enjoy the feeder either. At weeks end we have poured out more nectar than was consumed. Quite a contrast to years past when we would refill our 32 oz. feeder at least every other day if not daily.

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