Hummingbird Feeders

[KilljoyKlown]

I gather you guys are adding food colouring. Bright colours potentially aid in attracting their attention, you could also look to perhaps planting certain flowers to that they would naturally use, might even keep the bees at bay.

When I first bought the feeder I got what they called nectar it was red and I watched many hummer's take a quick taste and then fly off never to return. After a month of no hummers I through it out and made sugar water and now the hummers are fighting over it. Has anybody seen those feeders made to screw on to the large soda bottles? They are cheep and work very well and if you have a lot of hummers sucking it down all the time you never get that dripping problem that iceaura was talking about.

[KilljoyKlown]

I tried the feeder thing. A lot of work. I like the feeders that are made of plastic with a red tinted "bottle". I had some an they got messed up. The little plastic pieces that stops bees. Ended up missing. I found all of them, on the ground eventually. I even had a sort of expensive one. A gift, made of copper & glass an plastic, get ruined. So I bought a cheap one. My last feeder by the way. Because I figured out what was happening. I watched an set game cameras. Them bloody squirrels were tearing up the feeders an drinking the humming birds water an spilling it. An I had a issue as well with ants. The sugar ants here in Florida at my home are like the squirrels. They don't know well enough to leave them alone. I can't hardly even feed other birds because those squirrels, are "hogs" they eat every last seed. I am working on a way to remove a few.

The ones with the little white plastic flowers with a single hole works best and if you hang them with a wire or cord in a good place that's hard for animals and ants to get to it, you should be fine.

[el es]

My back yard is more of a mess, than something for better Homes and Gardens. Half of my efforts are in vain because of the deer, groundhogs, and rabbits. I have to bring some of the feeders in at night or the raccoons will tear them up.

The squirrel population is down since a coyote showed up a year ago.

I've added some stuff for ther monarchs. Years ago I would chop down a milkweed whenever I saw one, now I cultivate them on purpose. I have about 2 dozen common milkweeds and 2 dozen swamp milkweed plants plus half dozen butterfly flower.

[KilljoyKlown]

My back yard is more of a mess, than something for better Homes and Gardens. Half of my efforts are in vain because of the deer, groundhogs, and rabbits. I have to bring some of the feeders in at night or the raccoons will tear them up.

The squirrel population is down since a coyote showed up a year ago.

I've added some stuff for ther monarchs. Years ago I would chop down a milkweed whenever I saw one, now I cultivate them on purpose. I have about 2 dozen common milkweeds and 2 dozen swamp milkweed plants plus half dozen butterfly flower.

When I lived in Texas I had a green belt area directly behind my backyard and I had all the animals you mentioned plus a few more. It was a real challenge to try and find ways to feed the birds without feeding the rest of the local wildlife and yes the raccoons were the toughest to deal with. When I was growing up in southern California, I would catch the monarch larva (colorful caterpillar) and watch them turn into a cocoons.

[Enmos]

Dead ants! You should put some ant bait in that tree or something. I know Amdro works great with fire ants, but I'm betting the ants you are talking about are some other kind. But I would try Amdro anyway.

Huh? He should mass murder ants just so a few won't drown in the birdfeed? Why?

As long as bugs are outside and not bothering me, I leave them alone. But if they are bothering I don't feel bad about killing them.

The ants aren't bothering him. They are drowning in sugar water.....

[KilljoyKlown]

Huh? He should mass murder ants just so a few won't drown in the birdfeed? Why?

The ants aren't bothering him. They are drowning in sugar water.....

Any ants on my property are annoying me by definition, and I sure don't consider killing ants as murder. Usually as long as they stay outside I'm okay with them but I consider my bird feeder off limits to ants and will do whatever it takes to put a stop to it. Fortunately I haven't had an ant problem, so what I'm willing to do to them is a moot point at this time.

[KilljoyKlown]

I mixed up a stronger batch of sugar water 2.5 cups of sugar for 24 oz's of solution. Now I routinely have 3 and 4 hummers buzzing at all times it's still light enough to see. The solution needs to be refilled every 5 days now. I've actually seen 3 hummers feeding at the same time without fighting. They seem very active at sunrise and sunset.

I would guess they need to charge up first thing in the morning and suck up as much as possible before bedtime.

[Fraggle Rocker]

Any ants on my property are annoying me by definition, and I sure don't consider killing ants as murder.

Human activity has changed the ecosystem dramatically so that it provides much more food for ants. I mean geeze, they find entire objects made out of sugar just lying on the ground! We created the ant overpopulation problem so it's up to us to solve it.

[KilljoyKlown]

Human activity has changed the ecosystem dramatically so that it provides much more food for ants. I mean geeze, they find entire objects made out of sugar just lying on the ground! We created the ant overpopulation problem so it's up to us to solve it.

Here in Washington carpenter ants are a real problem. Because of them my parents had to bag their 5000 sq. ft. home, the same as they do for termites in California and gas them. When I was in Texas, it was fire ants that were a problem. When they breed the air is thick with winged males, so much so that you know you are going to be in trouble. Very annoying. The kind of ants that seem to be every where are the very tiny black ants. Yes, you've probably seen them in your kitchen usually in the spring time. They form those columns into your kitchen and sometime the bathrooms. Killing them all, produces no regrets on my part.

[R1D2]

Killing ants produces no regrets on my part either.

[Enmos]

Here in Washington carpenter ants are a real problem. Because of them my parents had to bag their 5000 sq. ft. home, the same as they do for termites in California and gas them. When I was in Texas, it was fire ants that were a problem. When they breed the air is thick with winged males, so much so that you know you are going to be in trouble. Very annoying. The kind of ants that seem to be every where are the very tiny black ants. Yes, you've probably seen them in your kitchen usually in the spring time. They form those columns into your kitchen and sometime the bathrooms. Killing them all, produces no regrets on my part.

Ants have been here for a 100 million years. We invaded their territory, so how is it that they are the problem?
If you don't want to share the environment with ants go live somewhere else.

[Enmos]

Human activity has changed the ecosystem dramatically so that it provides much more food for ants. I mean geeze, they find entire objects made out of sugar just lying on the ground! We created the ant overpopulation problem so it's up to us to solve it.

If you want to care of an overpopulation problem start with your own species.

[KilljoyKlown]

Ants have been here for a 100 million years. We invaded their territory, so how is it that they are the problem?
If you don't want to share the environment with ants go live somewhere else.

And where would that be? When they invade my territory they have to either leave or die. Funny how they never leave, but I can't let their ignorance of my territory stop my taking action against them. When they are in my home or even just visiting my property and somehow causing me trouble they are fair game. Other than that I'll leave them alone. I feel the same way about all bugs so I'm not just picking on ants.

[KilljoyKlown]

Getting back on track, my latest batch of 24 oz of sugar water has a full 3 cups of sugar. It was lighter than syrup but thicker than water. Needless to say the hummers love it. My hummers know what a real sugar fix is and I always have the solution prepared so I don't have to keep them impatiently waiting any longer than 5 minutes.

[Enmos]

And where would that be? When they invade my territory they have to either leave or die. Funny how they never leave, but I can't let their ignorance of my territory stop my taking action against them. When they are in my home or even just visiting my property and somehow causing me trouble they are fair game. Other than that I'll leave them alone. I feel the same way about all bugs so I'm not just picking on ants.

You forgot to read my post

[spidergoat]

I have a mimosa tree in my yard, they go crazy and fight over it.

[KilljoyKlown]

You forgot to read my post

I read your post, but if I'm living in a home and I don't have any ants, and then I do get ants, they invaded my space.

[R1D2]

I have a mimosa tree in my yard, they go crazy and fight over it.

They do like the magnolia trees, here in the south.
An I say killing a few ant isn't a bad thing. Especially fire ants.

[Jeeves]

I kill the ants that come inside the house in spite of bleach along the doorsills. Ants outside, i leave alone as much as possible.

Meanwhile, the hummingbird feeder was trashed - presumably by racoons, since they're the naughty, if highly entertaining*, visitors who do most damage - and i bought a short-term substitute at the dollar store. Two for $1.50, actually. They're very small, clear with a red bottom part and no perch. With sugar-water in, they seem to be acceptable to hummers. Have to fill them every three days, but that's all right; they'll be cleaner.

*Right now, there is a drama on the back porch. A baby raccoon wandered in there - this is probably their first foray - and doesn't know the way back. When i went out to see about the ruckus, came right up to me, hollering for help. I directed him, with a broom, to the open door, but instead of exiting, he climbed up on top of it. Where he still is, curled up in a ball, eyes squeezed shut, pretending to be asleep. How's momma going to find him? ?

[KilljoyKlown]

Well back to only one hummer now. This little guy stands guard over the feeder all the time now. He has successfully defended his claim to the feeder. It's going down slowly now. Whenever I go to the window and look this guy is just about always visible perched somewhere.