Quick and Easy Way to Attract Hummingbirds?

[Barb]

I know we have them. I've seen them around our pond. But puttin a Hummingbird feeder out doesn't attract them. So I was wondering what flowers I could put in that would help attract them? I would put the feeder in the same area.

 

[Boots]

Any type of red flower attracts them. We also found that our own sugar water mixture seems to attract them better that a store bought one. The mixture is one part sugar to three parts water (1 cup to 3 cups or whatever mixture as long as you use three times as much water). DH and I have his and her feeders and he doesn't use red food coloring, I do. And actually we both get about the same amount of birds. Also we coat the chain or whatever it is hanging on with vaseline and this keeps ants from getting in it. We change out the mixture about every four or five days as it will get "ripe" in hot weather and you will have drunk birds. We put ours out around now and bring in around Labor Day. I read that if you leave it out longer the birds won't migrate and will freeze. Hope this helps a little, but actually I don't think I ever answered your question! But they do like red flowers especially with little trumpet type blooms. But any red will do.

 

[amid chaos]

Red trumpet flowers, red galdiolas, anything red and feeders...that should do it.

 

[pumba]

our cherry trees.....they loved them and also put up a red plastic hummingbird feeder.....next to it....we also did the sugar mixture ourselves.....and just make sure the feeders are cleaned really good......somehow bacteria grows good in the sugar and water

 

[BeautyLLM]

I have a fairly cheap feeder that I fill with a sugar solution (no red food color). The feeder has perches by each feeding tube which is neat because the hummers perch and drink so you can get a really good look at them!

 

[redd45]

Having red hair helps. I have them buzz my head whenever i'm working in my little flower garden. We lived in our house for about 2yrs when a couple of them followed my husband home from the neighbors, he was in his orange tracter. We now put the window feeders up and it is so cool to watch. I put a pot of mandaveilla vine(sp?)on our back deck and they love that.I read that they love to nest in pine trees.They love red,yellow,orange trumpet shaped flowers.Also nice to have is a watering hole,somthing that is shallow,either a bird bath or somthing on the ground.They are a very friendly bird and appear to have no fear of humans if you don't startle them.As the other reader stated it is very important to change the feeder to clean mixture about 2 times a week during really hot days.Susan

 

[We4mickey]

Here is some info for you.
Flowers, Shrubs, Vines and Trees That Will Attract Hummingbirds
The following is a list of flowers, shrubs, vines, and trees that hummingbirds are attracted to. Note: none of these need to be red in color, although the color red is attractive to hummingbirds. If in doubt as to whether any of the following will flourish in your area, please check with your local nursery.

Flowers
Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
Lantana Lantana camara
Columbine Aguilegia spp.
Fuchsias Fuchsia spp.
Impatiens Impatiens spp.
Coral-Bells Heuchera sanguinea
Hollyhocks Althea spp.
Penstemen Penstemen spp.
Petunia Petunia spp.
Flowering Tobacco Nicotania alata
Geranium Pelargonium spp
Begonia Begonia spp.

Shrubs
Azaleas Rhododendron spp.
Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii
Flowering Quince Chaenomeles japonica
Honeysuckle Lonicera spp.
Weigela Weigela spp.

Trees
Flowering Crab Malus spp.
Tulip Poplar Liriodendron Tulipifera
Locust Robinia
Eucalyptus Eucalyptus spp.
Vines Honeysuckle Lonicera heckrottii
Morning Glory Ipomea ssp.
Trumpet Creeper Campsis radicans
Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens

 

[We4mickey]

When To Put Up A Feeder


Most Hummingbirds are migrant, and visit North America in the warmer seasons. Feeders should be put up in time for their arrival. This will vary greatly depending upon where you are located. In the Florida area they arrive as early as January, and in the Upper Great Lakes they arrive in May. It is important to know the average date they arrive in your specific area to get your feeder up 5-10 days before the average date so they will see your feeder up and take a drink, and possibly stay for the season in your backyard!

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When To Take Feeders Down


We have found one of the biggest misconceptions about hummingbirds is the belief that if you do not take your hummingbird feeder down they will not migrate. This is absolutely false! In many areas hummingbirds start to migrate even before the flowers and insects start to wane. Males generally migrate several weeks ahead of immatures (new hatchlings) and females. Migration is done according to changing day length or photoperiod. Actually, migrating hummingbirds may be helped by feeders that are left up until at least two weeks have passed since seeing your last hummer.

 

[shep]

I've seen them a few times around my butterfly bush..

 

[Barb]

Thank you so much for the great ideas and tips! I can't wait to get started. I'm going to change the whole garden on that side of the house!!
We have Butterfly bushes, too. I'll keep that in mind when I start planting.

 

[Rafiki Rafiki Rafiki]

I've found two resources for my area:
1) Home Depot has signs up near the flowers that hummingbirds like.
2) My Cooperative Extension Agency has a list posted on their site.

My grandmother had so many hummingbirds year after year, and as she got older, I would change her feeder for her. NOT TOO MUCH SUGAR! she would say... 1 part sugar with 4 parts water (be sure it's warm water so that the sugar dissolves properly) and just a drop of red food coloring. Let it sit in a glass jar until it cools a little, and then place it in the feeder. The birds seemed to love the soft water in South Louisiana... And be sure and get the feeder really good and clean. No mold, no bad smells or the birds won't come.

Hummingbirds really make me miss my grandmother!

 

[bananiem]

I've found leaving your garage door up brings them right on in! They mistake the red-thingy that hangs down from the automatic garage door opener as a feeder, then they can't figure out how to get out the double car doorway! I had to cover the thing with duct tape so they'd stop flying in.
They seem to like my hostas and wave petunias.
My neighbor's daughter did her science fair project on them and she found they only went to the red feeder slightly more often than any other color. She contributed it to them being very territorial and one male kept chasing others away from "his" feeder. So you might want to put up 2 feeders.