I have 3 feeders in my yard for Hummers -- they seem to have a favorite one, of course, it's the smallest.... probably holds 8oz of 'nectar'.
Is it possible that they can drink it all in one day? or do I possibly have acrobatic squirrels that are some how jumping over to it?
I am up to about 8-10 hummers, and they show up before 6am and are there til 8-9pm at night.
I just didnt think they could drink that much -- if it is only them.
I have not seen any squirrels on the feeder since I took off the seed tray. ... and DH did put an upside-down ice cream bucket on the pole to keep them from climbing.
any thoughts on how much those Hummers drink??
how quick do feeders empty?
our feeders hold 12 Oz., and they easily last 3-4 days which is how often i change nectar. We have Ruby throated here, but i don't know how many--there are several though
I have to admit... i sat outside an hour and the level dropped about 3/4" -- guess i just have hungry hummers and not a squirrel problem -- especially since i quit filling their feeder. [they were diggin in my flower pots - so i quit feeding them. ]
I have 2 feeders on a bird feeding station -- and when they are not bickering, 6-7 will feed at one time... oh, and 1 bumble bee. It's currently dark, and i dont think it left yet... but the hummers are gone for the night.
I have to get bigger feeders, and more of them. I'm going on vacation for a week, and dont want the lil buggers starving.
thanks for your reply....
Terese
I am envious if you can get them to empty it in one day. In my Minnesota yard the ruby throated hummingbirds chase eachother away so much I put up 5 feeders around the yard so they can't guard them well, but even if I had only one on my best day I don't think they would use up that much. Syrup is cheap so I change them every two days because I always end up with ants floating in them.
I make my own syrup, and i have at least 2 Ruby Throated... i have noticed they are working in pairs since i moved 1 feeder farther away... but i've noticed a few times thru-out they day, they get a long and share.... but usually it's like the Indy 500 of about 8 lil birds. oh, and bees. i wish i could get them on the plants and not the feeders.
[syrup = 2 cups sugar to 8 cups water. stir til dissolved, boil 2 min, cool, put in frig.]
Mine do not get much use when I have things in the garden in bloom. My sister lives in the country and has no flower beds and her one feeder has 8 hummers fighting over it. Some will drink together but not all of them. You are suppose to clean and refill everyday but I don't. I do good to check and put fresh in at about 3 days.
tsc...the only time I have had problems with the bees has been when I had a hairline crack in my feeder. You might check it out. Also this type of top down feeder is easier for bees to access. I still have a few, but I use the hummdinger now the reserve is at the bottom, and they have an ant moat.
The one smaller feeder that was being emptied in 8 hrs, I moved away from the "hang out" and put a 28oz feeder there. I have 4 feeders now, 3 of them being larger capacity.
The Bumble Bee must be able to get the nectar thru the yellow holes. the yellow jackets go "inside" the holes. sometimes when i open it all up the clean it, there are dead bees in there. I had one that leaked, but it doesnt anymore -- guess i did not have the base seated properly.
I had a lady offer to fill my feeders while I'm on vacation ... so i feel better about that now. I'll leave her a gallon of nectar... that should do 8 days.
Meant to post this pic also. Doesn't have a thing to do with how long feeders stay full.....but it is about feeders. The one on the left is a hummzinger that was purchased about three or four years ago (not sure exactly). The one on the right was purchased at Tractor Supply AFTER that. It was quite a bit less expensive and of course no shipping! However it is really wearing out, the color is gone and it hangs a bit crooked. The more expensive one from Drs Foster & Smith still has it's vibrant red color and in good shape; worth the extra money to me.
This message was edited Aug 16, 2011 10:19 PM
I can't seem to get hummers at my feeders at all. I try and try. I saw one feeding at the feeders earlier this season. But i had store bought syrup. My son told me that I should make my own. So I made my own syrup using the same ratio of sugar and water mentioned in tcs1366 post. I have had one hummer show up sporadically. But I have the feeder strategically placed by my Honeysuckle bush, which they seem a little more interested in. Is it ok to have the feeders in full sun? I am assuming so. They just are not interested in the feeders. My boyfriend has oooodles of hummers at his house and they squabble over feeder rights. They are so comical to watch. His feeder is placed in a mostly shaded spot, under his house's soffit. He also noticed a LOT more activity after he placed a 1/2 tsp. of honey in his syrup batch. Will honey hurt the hummers? They seem to go nuts after it.
GKay -- I honestly dont know anything about the honey -- I'd have to google it.
But it did take a few yrs for me to get this many. I think 4 yrs ago,, i had none ... feeders hung all season. The following yr started slow, think i ended with 2or3. Last year I had 4-5 and this year, it again doubled. I certainly hope this trend does not continue.... or it's really gonna get costly.
PLUS -- we really have not had our cat here.... the feeding stations are in his area. [we don't let him run freely... he's on a leash with a trolley system ... but the hummers sit/perch on the cable.]
did a quick google...
Honey is very dangerous to Hummers. Dont use it.
Never use honey when making your nectar mix. Honey attracts bees and can grow black fungus that will cause a fatal liver and tongue disease in hummingbirds
Honey will quickly ferment becoming poisonous to the birds.
**just a few snippets from the search....
http://www.sabo.org/hbfaqs.htm#honey
Q: Wouldn't honey be more natural to use than white sugar?
A: No! Honey is both unnatural and unhealthy for hummingbirds. Honey is made from the nectar of flowers seldom visited by hummingbirds. This nectar is chemically different from that of hummingbird flowers and is further changed by the bees. Honey also contains spores which have caused fatal infections in hummingbirds.
The nectar produced by hummingbird flowers is a relatively pure solution of sugars and water. White sugar, also known as sucrose, is not only a natural food for hummingbirds but also the sugar they prefer over all others in "taste tests."
Feeders are in the morning sun but not the afternoon sun.
OH Oh I will tell him to stop using honey immediately! Thank goodness I asked! Next I will move the feeders to a spot in my garden that receives afternoon shade. Thank you for responding so quickly!
Gail