Attracting Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are one of the most popular varieties of birds not only because of their beauty but also because of their unique way of flying and how they eat as well. There are lots of easy methods that can be used to attract humming birds. Read on for some great tips to bring more hummingbirds to your home for you to enjoy.

A great way to attract hummingbirds to a feeder is to place some pots, or other containers filled with flowers that hummingbirds especially like on the ground close to the feeder. A container filled with taller growing flowers will work well here. One of my favorite flowers for attracting  hummingbirds is red salvia. You can get varieties of salvia that grow up to 3 feet tall and they are great for decorating as well as for encouraging hummingbirds to come feed nearby. You can also use hanging flowers that attract hummingbirds, such as ones that do particularly well in hanging baskets. One that works very well with hummingbirds is a red Petunia and another is red Fuchsias. Another choice readily available in hanging baskets, that comes in red, is Impatiens. Impatiens are excellent for attracting hummingbirds and all you have to do is place one of these hanging baskets near a feeder and in no time you’ll have all the hummingbirds around you could want.
However these aren’t the only flowers that do well when it comes to attracting hummingbirds. You can also use cardinals lantana, columbine, coral-bells, hollyhocks, penstemen, geraniums begonias and many more. Also try having some honeysuckle or morning glory around because humming birds are especially partial to those as well.
It can also be helpful to make sure that your feeders are especially attractive to hummingbirds if you want to encourage them to stop by. You can do this by making sure that your feeder is always filled with fresh nectar and that it has some red on it. while hummingbirds will eat from any color nectar producing flower they are especially attracted to  red so having some red on your feeder, whether it’s a part of the feeder that has been made in red, or just some red ribbon tied onto the feeder will be very helpful in bringing hummingbirds around to see you during their season.  

When it come to your feeder be sure to take good cafe of it though. Your hummingbird feeders need to be cleaned, and nectar changed every 3-4 days--more often in hotter weather. If you see black spots inside your feeder this is mold and you will need to scrub it out with a good bottle brush, but if you can't reach it with a bottle brush you can add some sand with water and shake the feeder to remove the mold. You should never use harsh detergent to clean your feeder as this can leave residue which can be very dangerous and damaging to your hummingbirds. Rinse out each time you change your nectar with hot water, and if you do this on a regular basis you should not have a problem with mold inside the feeder so long as you keep an eye on it. Don't fill the feeder more than half full, because they won't be able to drink it all before it will need to be changed.
Its also a good idea to make your feeder insect proof as bees and other insects can deter hummingbirds from feeding from your feeder. Many feeders are insect proof and have small moats to prevent ants and certain blocks to stop flying insects from getting in and drinking the nectar while still allowing the birds to drink it like they would normally. Putting some bar soap on your feeder can prevent bees and wasps from building their nest on it as well.

Overall there are plenty of ways you can attract hummingbirds into your garden or backyard and as long as you do the work you wont have any problems getting them to come and pay you a visit.