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Numerous things can be done to attract hummingbirds to your garden. Some easy adjustments can be made to make your garden hummingbird friendly, so that you are rewarded with the presence of feeding and nesting hummingbirds alongwith their young ones.

The diet of hummingbirds consists of insects, flower nectar or artificial sugar water. Thus, artificial sugar water solution can be kept in your garden to attract them. The hummingbirds do not have any sense of smell and they rely on sites to find their source of food. If you are making a first attempt to feed the birds, you can hang or plant some red flowers near the feeder. The hummingbirds will be attracted to these red flowers and will easily find the feeders.

The hummingbirds are attracted to the red color, so any feeder having red on it will attract the birds. If your feeder doesn’t have the red color, an artificial red flower can be tied to the feeder and stay away from using the red food coloring in the sugar water which is harmful to them. You must also remember that the hummingbirds are very territorial. Male hummers may show their dominance by hovering or chasing away the other hummers from their feeders. So you can add other hummingbird feeders to your garden and thereby attract more of these birds.

You should use the standard sugar water solution for feeding the hummingbirds. Make this solution at home which you can store in the refrigerator for a week. Avoid using honey or sugar substitutes for feeding the birds which can harm them, as honey promotes a fatal fungal disease and sores in the mouth of hummingbirds. Placing the feeder in a shady and cool spot will prevent the nectar’s spoilage.

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.

Planting some of the favorite plants of hummingbirds will also attract them to your garden. Some of these plants include honeysuckles, petunias, trumpet vine, fuchsias, lilacs, bee balm, geraniums, manzanita, azaleas, butterfly busch, mimosa, columbine, salvia and Indian paintbrush. You can ask your local nursery or garden store for the other plants which grow well in your area. Do not use pesticides on these plants as they can sicken or kill the hummers, if ingested.

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