I've retired my humming bird feeders after realizing that in hot weather cleaning them every day was going to be necessary to prevent black mold. Black mold can be lethal to hummers (and fermented sugar water can cause liver damage.) So, much as I enjoy seeing the little critters buzzing around, I'm swearing off the feeders. It's not as though there's a dearth of flowers around.
This little lady was visiting the fuchsia and the scarlet runner bean blossoms. Do you see her amidst the leaves?
In the future, I'll make a point of having more flowering hanging baskets and pots of flowers on the porch.
6 comments:
At one time, you could purchase hummer food, but I don't know if it was beneficial.
They are quite enthusiastic about both my butterfly bush and my hanging pot of lantana.
I'm usually washing mine out every other day...but it's gotten to be up to 4 days at times. They usually empty the one cup of nectar I've put out in that time, or I do see little black spots in it. Perhaps I should follow your lead...but I have nothing on my balcony with blooms right now, except violets, which they don't have any interest in!
I think the packaged hummer food is just sugar with red food coloring added. All you need is sugar and water.
Lantana is a great idea, Karen--all those little flowers!
Our little male likes to hover outside the family room windows and watch our cats iinside.
Oh, that often? I was cleaning them every other day and I only see a hummingbird now and then.
I haven't had much luck with hanging baskets. They dry out so fast.
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