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Low-cost tips for attracting hummingbirds to your garden

11/23/2015

 
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Those who have never seen a hummingbird up close may not have a full appreciation of their brilliant colors or the hypnotizing rhythm to their flitting movements, but many of those who have wonder how they can consistently attract these fascinating creatures to their home. Fortunately, attracting hummingbirds to your backyard with cost-effective garden design solutions is as simple as understanding their behavior. You can find more inspiration for your garden here if you’re interested in applying any of the advice from this article.
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Hummingbird Season
Hummingbirds thrive in the spring months, and their first appearance depends on your local climate. Find out when hummingbird populations typically appear in your area, and hang nectar feeders in your yard at least a week before this date to ensure hummingbirds can see them as soon as they arrive. Establishing your property as a hummingbird friendly area early encourages them to return all season long.
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Multiple Feeders
Like many animals, hummingbirds frequently display territorial behavior when competing for resources. Dominant male hummingbirds will often chase away other specimens before feeding themselves, and for this reason if you have a single feeder in your yard your sightings may be severely limited. Install several feeders in separate locations throughout your yard to ensure everyone has a place to eat, and be sure all feeders are out of the reach of predators or other animals.
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Misting Sprinklers
Hummingbirds frequently clean themselves by darting into mists of spraying water and then quickly away to shake their feathers dry, and so an easy way to attract more hummingbirds to your home is by providing a bathing area in the form of a misting sprinkler. Hummingbirds take these mist showers several times daily, and so lovers of these tiny birds can see them several times daily simply by using them to water their gardens.
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Feeder Maintenance
Hummingbirds will quickly reject a neglected feeder and may even forget them as reliable sources of food after being disappointed, so maintaining the condition of your nectar feeder is important to ensuring they return until the seasons change again. Nectar can spoil in as little as 2 days, causing mold growth and fermentation, both of which can be extremely harmful to hummingbirds, so change the supply regularly and always clean the feeder with hot, soapy water before refilling it.
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Color Code
Hummingbirds are naturally attracted to brilliant colors such as red and orange, and so choosing feeders and flowers in these colors is a way to make your yard a more inviting place for hummingbirds to visit. You can also tie lengths of colored ribbon to the hanging wire of a nectar feeder to highlight it to hummingbirds in flight as well as curious hummingbirds assessing the scene from a distance.
What do you do to attract birds, especially hummingbirds to your garden? 
24 Comments
Eddie Sampson
11/23/2015 09:05:48 am

I have a hummingbird feeder

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Laura
11/23/2015 06:48:19 pm

Get another one Eddie!

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Erin R.
11/23/2015 12:42:51 pm

Oh, they are little sweeties! When we were kids we would sit for hours next to our Grandma's hummingbird feeder with our fingers under the little spouts like perches. The hummingbirds got so used to us that they'd just zoom up and sit right down to eat with no hesitation. I loved their teeny tiny claws clutching my finger, so light I could barely feel them. We've got a red bottle feeder in our garage somewhere, I should dig it out and clean it up for next spring. Thanks for the reminder!

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Laura
11/23/2015 06:46:12 pm

I always get this thrill every time I see hummingbird ~ even at, you know, my age! Their flappy wings just make me happy. I can't believe you got them to eat off your finger! Never had that experience. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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Ashley link
11/23/2015 05:29:53 pm

There was a hummingbird that was always around the cabin we stayed at on vacation a few months back and it was just the prettiest thing! My husband and I were both mesmerized by it!

Hope you have an absolutely wonderful thanksgiving with your family Laura!!

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Laura
11/23/2015 06:46:39 pm

You too Ashley!

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D.D.
11/23/2015 05:57:48 pm

Hummingbirds are amazing. Would love to attract more to my garden.

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Laura
11/23/2015 06:47:20 pm

Me too D.D. Send me some pics when you do =)

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Tandy | Lavender and Lime link
11/23/2015 11:11:12 pm

We don't encourage birds to our garden as the dogs catch and kill them if they can :)

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Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy link
11/24/2015 08:06:46 am

I would love to attract birds in to our garden, but sadly my cats would kill them :( They haven't brought back any "presents" for quite a while, but I don't want to encourage them,

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Gingi Freeman link
11/24/2015 05:28:42 pm

I love hummingbirds in the garden! I have one hanger on my porch, but want to buy more... - www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop link
11/24/2015 08:41:46 pm

This is making me long for spring already....I have a long wait ahead! I love hummingbirds. They are so pretty and seem so mysterious. I have never seen a seed feeder for hummingbirds. Usually it's those liquid sugary feeders. That round shape is so beautiful.

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Lisa | My Fancy Bathroom link
11/25/2015 08:22:12 am

Love thís blog so much! Very useful!

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Christine (The Raw Project) link
11/25/2015 02:58:53 pm

Great info here, thanks! We have a lot of humming birds around, but I've been reluctant to add a feeder since I tend to forget to refill them! But that will change for spring!

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Kari Peters link
12/1/2015 11:25:35 am

We have a couple of hummingbirds that come and go, they feed off my hanging flower baskets on the porch, but I think we'd see them more often if I got busy with a feeder!

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vemales link
12/3/2015 12:42:44 pm

i love humming bird. I would like to adopt hummingbird :D

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Amy (Savory Moments) link
12/3/2015 06:53:16 pm

I love hummingbirds. It's always so fun when they make their re-appearance each year. These are great tips!

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Michaell Johnson link
12/4/2015 12:37:56 am

I have to agree with Dannii about cats loving the hummingbird hunt. We have to be so careful about where our hummingbird feeders are. Thanks for the info about proper nectar care! I definitely do not change it out as frequently as I should.

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Colleen
12/19/2015 10:42:04 am

I planted American honeysuckle "Major Wheeler" 3 years ago now, and so far the hummingbird caterpillar has eaten any sign of a bloom. You know the saying, the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the 3rd year they leap! So maybe the 4th year I can finally see hummingbirds and hummingbird moths.

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Adriana
1/3/2016 03:06:20 pm

I attracted a lot of hummingbirds by putting water colored with a beet peel and a little bit of sugar they love my balcony garden.

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Peyton link
4/5/2016 04:22:51 pm

I have multiple hummingbird feeders every year. Normally will get 4-6 different birds each spring. I love watching them move from one feeder to another.

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Dana Rodriguez
2/22/2018 09:05:46 am

I love Hummingbirds. When I lived in TN I had a feeder and they returned every year. I want to get another feeder for where I live now. Thanks for the tips!

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Rick
3/10/2018 11:48:05 pm

The hummingbird rest on our skulls that we've collected while hunting. I have no idea why. They are always in the pines sipping sap too.

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Betsy Pauzauskie
4/22/2018 06:31:04 pm

We attract hummingbirds by putting out 3 separate feeders, one of which is two foot long (a horizontal feeder with multiple stations). We still find the hummingbirds to be territorial though. Our trumpet vines are in bloom when the first hummers arrive each spring. I need to plant more hummer-friendly perennials this year.

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    Hi, I'm Laura and hail from Buffalo, NY. I consider myself a lifelong learner who loves gardening with a 360 degree view. Thanks for stopping by!
    Laura Sproull

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