Donna,
first, I really prefer glass feeders instead of plastic, as stuff tends to grow faster in plastic.
I have two sizes of feeders, one is about half a cup size.
I usually put that one out as soon as the weather starts to warn up, as sometimes you will get one passing through on his way up North. So he may only be around for a day.
I only take them down about the time of the first frost, and even then.. I sometimes put up that 1/2 cup one for a little while longer, so that I can feed any straggler.
when I do put up the 16 oz feeders, I usually do not fill them. I only put in about half.
As said above.. they will not drink old stuff, and in the sun, the syrup can turn off in a hurry.
I have a milk jug in which I mix up a lot of syrup, and then put it in the fridge and refill from there. I usually will swap out an empty feeder for a refilled one early in the morning.. around here, that means about 6 am. or I do it after dark at night. That way the syrup has a chance to come to a warmer temp before the bird comes by for a drink.
I mix my own. they say 4 to 1.. mine live life to the fullest.. I give them a bit better sugar ratio than that :lol
ALWAYS use sugar.. NO substitutes, as they will starve to death while drinking anything else..
I was once blessed.. in fact I can think of three things that I have seen in nature that the average person never gets to see.
But the humming bird blessing was when in Mississippi..
I lived in a heavily wooded area where you could hardly see your neighbour. any flowers had to be grown in pots.
So it was the last place I would expect to see hummers. Yet it seems I was on a migratory trail.
I put out a feeder.. and I got a few. Next year they brought friends.. and friends.. and friends.....
I finally contacted the Hummingbird society. They sent someone out to see. They estimated the count as over 600 hummers at my feeders.. the next year it was over 1,000.
The side porch was about 25 foot by 25 foot and half covered by a roof. I hung the feeders off this roof line.
By now I had 4- 32 oz feeders and 2- 16 oz feeders, and I refilled all of them EACH day.
when I took an empty one down, some of them would still be on it, and a bunch more would follow me to the kitchen door.
When I came back out, they would at once start to feed, even as I was walking out with it.
it was the most amazing and beautiful thing I have ever experienced.
I bought so much sugar at the base Exchange.. I was afraid they would send someone out to see if I had a still :grin
..Joanne
