Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Lot's of Ruby Throated, 1 by acrisman

acrisman wrote:
I live in Carlsbad CA just North of San Diego. I have a total of 5 - 64 oz perching feeders. (I like to give the birds a rest while they're feeding.) The most action is just before dark when the birds are filling up their tanks for the long night ahead. There may be 50 birds looking for a spot at times. I go thru 25 lbs of sugar a month.
Put up the feeders & they will come! Just remember to keep them filled with fresh sugar water. The water will spoil if the feeders are in the sun all day & you're not cleaning them weekly.
Cleaning: I put a tablespoon of bleach in the feeder bowl, fill with hot tap water & let it sit about 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. I use hummingbird feeder brushes to clean the port holes.
Mix: I put 2 cups of sugar in an 8 cup pyrex measuring cup & fill with hot water (from the tap) to the 8 cup line & stir briskly with a wisk. You don't need to use any special mixes and heating the water to boiling is NOT necessary. Just make sure you stir till the sugar is dissolved & DON'T get creative & add anything else to the mix. Honey or syrups will prevent them from using their tongues.