When to put up hummingbird feeders?

[J F]

If no feeder is there they will fly up within about two inches of our noses and take a long hard look at us. Its like "Where's the Beef?". .

:laughing:

The sugar/water stuff (with some red food coloring, if you must) is very cheap to make whistlepig, if you didn't know that already. 1 cup sugar:4 cups water

Keeps roughly 7-14 days, in the feeder, in GA.

 

[whistlepig]

We have been doing this for a few years now. Sugar water with coloring does not give hummingbirds the nutrients that they need to survive. They can starve to death on this mix. Better to buy something that's made for them. And the mix made for hummingbirds attracts a lot more birds than the sugar water and coloring mix.

 

[J F]

They normally have a lot more to eat than "just" the feeder, whistlepig. No need to get offended, just trying to help.

The coloring is just for us "humans".

 

[newbury]

They normally have a lot more to eat than "just" the feeder, whistlepig. No need to get offended, just trying to help.

The coloring is just for us "humans".

From
hummingbirds.net

Filling the Feeder

The sugar water we use to fill hummingbird feeders is only a supplement to the birds' natural diet. It's not necessary to buy a commercial "nectar" mix that includes additional vitamins, protein, or other substances, because the birds get all they need from the flower nectar and insects they consume. All they want from us is the quick energy they get from ordinary white cane sugar. It's just fuel for chasing bugs, and causes no known health problems in hummingbirds, whose metabolism is significantly different from humans'.

The "store bought mix" does increase the wallet of the merchandiser.

 

[J F]

rut-roh...troublemaker. :laughing:

 

[whistlepig]

We want what's in our hummingbird feeder to be their natural diet. That's why we pay the extra money for it. If you are baiting them by all means use the sugar water. If you are feeding them then pay a few cents more and buy them the proper feed that they need.

 

[J F]

Any explanation for the anger?

 

[J F]

If you are baiting them by all means use the sugar water.

Do people actually shoot hummingbirds for food??? Holy Crapollla!! I never knew!!!

Is it a diet thing? Eat "only hummingbirds" and lose all the weight you want?

 

[newbury]

We want what's in our hummingbird feeder to be their natural diet. That's why we pay the extra money for it. If you are baiting them by all means use the sugar water. If you are feeding them then pay a few cents more and buy them the proper feed that they need.

because the birds get all they need from the flower nectar and insects they consume.

Like I wrote.

Do you have evidence otherwise?

 

[newbury]

Do people actually shoot hummingbirds for food??? Holy Crapollla!! I never knew!!!

Is it a diet thing? Eat "only hummingbirds" and lose all the weight you want?

No, you have to run them down and catch them by hand. I forget what the bag limit is. Less than a pound.