Even if you live in the middle of a town or a city, you can attract hummingbirds to your garden. Some simple steps and adjustments in your garden will make it more hummingbird friendly and you will be rewarded with their arrival year after year alongwith their young ones.

As most of the birds, hummingbirds virtually have no sense of smell. Apparently, these birds depend on sites and are directed by the flowers to find their nectar source. Some of the plants which you can consider to plant in your garden to attract the birds are, cardinal flowers, bee balm, columbine, cypress vine, honeysuckles, petunias, geraniums, fuchsias, Indian paintbrush, salvia, mimosa, azalea, manzanite, butterfly bush, etc. If you are having any doubts regarding their growth in your area, check with the local nursery to find which of them will grow in your garden.

When using your own hummingbird nectar for the feeders you must never add artificial red coloring to them. The red colors of the feeders are enough to attract them. Also, use of honey or artificial sweeteners has to be avoided. Artificial sweeteners do not have any food value and honey ferments easily which can cause sores in the mouth of the birds. The hummingbird feeders in your garden have to be cleaned every 3-4 days and the nectar changed to keep on attracting the birds.

If you notice molds on your feeder, you have to scrub them out with a bottle brush. If you are unable to reach them with the brush, adding some sand and water and shaking the feeder will remove these molds. You should never try to clean the feeders with harsh detergent or soaps as the birds do not like any traces of soap left in the feeder. Hot water should be used to rinse out the feeder each time the nectar is changed. A little amount of white vinegar can also be used with the water for rinsing.

Planting a hummingbird garden with their favorite plants will attract more and more of the birds. A few plants which you can consider planting are manzanita, butterfly busch, azalea, honeysuckle, bee balm, coral bells, columbine, cardinal flowers, petunia, shrimp plant, etc. You should note that none of these plants have to be red colored to attract the birds. Also, you can check with your local nursery if having any doubts, whether any of them will flourish in your garden area.

Never try using artificial sweeteners or honey for feeding the hummingbirds. The quick fermentation of honey in the feeder can cause sores in the birds' mouth or promote a fatal fungal disease. You have to clean the feeders and change the nectar solution every 3-4 days, or more frequently if the weather is hot. Use a good bottle brush to clean the inside of your feeder if any mold formation occurs. Some sand and water can also be added inside the feeder and shaken to remove these molds. Instead of using soaps and detergents, you can use hot water with little white vinegar to wash and rinse the feeders, as the birds do not like any traces of soap.

Your garden and feeders can be invaded by insects like ants and bees which can drive away the hummingbirds. Using nectar protectors, moats and feeders with built-in bee guards will prevent this, and ensure the continued arrival of the hummingbirds.

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Written by Gerard Lon using tags: hummingbird nectar