Hummingbirds and the feeders

[Four for Luck]

We have four, two large and two small. For the last few years.
This year they all are are dark brown/black unlike in previous years when they were a more typical ruby throated colors.
Littlest female rules.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Hummer Lovers:
Just a question...in our two (2), Cole's Hummer High Rise Feeders we have a problem of the 'dreaded' Love Bugs getting into the sugar water (through the small feeding ports), ruining the mix because they are floating in it (thereby forcing us to discard the nectar, clean the whole feeders and re-fill...'daily').

Q. Any method(s), that will combat these bugs

"If you feed them...they will come"! Hummingbird Proverb

 

[SlimChicken]

Avid bird watcher here (I've been unsuccessfully trying to see a Kentucky Warbler recently). Big fan of hummingbirds. We run 3 of these.

Lil Sweety Feeders

Lil Sweety Hummingbird Feeders Hum Sweet Hum Hummingbird Feeders

lilsweetyfeeders.com

The "moat" really does drown a lot of insects.

 

[mikelz777]

Maybe this type of feeder with feeding slits rather than holes?

https://www.amazon.com/Hummingbird-...refix=hummingbird+feeder,aps,136&sr=8-23&th=1

 

[Ad Astra]

We've seen a few buzzing around, but no swarms/battles for the feeder that we see in early fall... It's a guess, but the return migration might be more leisurely or spread over more time...

AA

 

[beginish]

Over the weekend, I saw my first one of the year. More of a glimpse than anything, but only a hummer can do the zip in, hover and zip right back out the way it came at that speed.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Maybe this type of feeder with feeding slits rather than holes?

https://www.amazon.com/Hummingbird-Feeder-16-Outdoors-Built/dp/B08ZNNVFYZ/ref=sr_1_23?crid=2H9HR8PUHHFEA&keywords=hummingbird+feeder&qid=1683113911&sprefix=hummingbird+feeder,aps,136&sr=8-23&th=1

Mike:
Thanx for the info...ordered two (2) & should be here by this Saturday.

"The hummingbird competes with the stillness of the air". Chogyam Trungpa

 

[mikelz777]

Mike:
Thanx for the info...ordered two (2) & should be here by this Saturday.

"The hummingbird competes with the stillness of the air". Chogyam Trungpa

I'm not familiar with the bugs you're having problems with but I hope this style works out for you!

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

I'm not familiar with the bugs you're having problems with but I hope this style works out for you!

Mike:
These 'pests' are the scourge and bane to all vehicles on the road during Spring & Summer down here.

"The purpose of [the car wash] is washing the dust of daily life off...[your ride]". Pablo Picasso

 

[mikelz777]

Mike:
These 'pests' are the scourge and bane to all vehicles on the road during Spring & Summer down here. View attachment 1648753

"The purpose of [the car wash] is washing the dust of daily life off...[your ride]". Pablo Picasso

I'm glad I don't have to deal with them. The only pests I've had at my hummingbird feeders were the large black ants and even then it was my fault for not keeping the ant moat filled with water. Sometimes the water disappears a lot faster than I anticipate. The chickadees like to drink out of the ant moat even though there's a bird bath about 3 feet away!

 

[Old Hippie]

Mrs. Hippie puts up a couple of feeders every year. I think our first visitor checked in around April 25th. Usually we get the Rufous variety first, they're larger and faster and many of them are passing through heading farther north. This year the first in was a Calliope. We get the occasional Black-Chinned and over the last few years the Broad-Tails are moving into this area as the climate changes.

The Rufous have been practicing their techniques for attracting the girls. (The females run a little behind and are just showing up now.) Loop-screaming dive-pull out-shake the tail; amusing. I have not yet heard one dancing back and forth in front of a female, so at this point it's been guys being guys. Doing burn-outs and J-skids...

O.H.

 

[Deano]

Didnt get many last year. Lots of Orioles but few hummers. The year before some nested in the lilacs that are near my feeders. Dont know why they didnt come back.

 

[mikelz777]

I envy those of you who get multiple species of hummingbirds and those of you who get many of them at your feeders. Here in MN we get just the ruby throated hummingbirds and I'm lucky if I see more than one hummingbird at a time. If I do it's usually one at the feeder and the other dive bombing it and chasing it away. I may have had as many as three. I was seeing them every couple of minutes and after watching them, they were visiting the feeder and then flying off in three different directions which were the same three directions each time. I've had no sightings yet though I've had my feeder out for 2 weeks now. If history repeats I'm still about a week or so away from my first sighting.

 

[Deano]

Only saw one hummer so far. The Orioles are coming on strong. Went and got another feeder this morning and three more jars of jelly. They were fighting over the lone feeder.

 

[simon1]

I need to get the feeders out of the storage shed. There is one that is hanging out by the flowers next to the front porch.

 

[KW Driver]

I should have more than I've seen so far by now. it's been a wet spring here in the US though. I hope that's the only factor I can see as different. the back porch feeder:

 

[Lockback]

We just got our feeder out a few days ago. Haven't seen a hummingbird yet and judging by our history, we'll see dang few of 'em. I think my face frightens them or something ...

 

[MHBru]

i didnt read through all 28 pages to see if this was already mentioned but Hummingbirds and the Feeders would be a good band name. Right up there with Plush Pile and the Carpettes.

 

[KW Driver]

i didnt read through all 28 pages to see if this was already mentioned but Hummingbirds and the Feeders would be a good band name. Right up there with Plush Pile and the Carpettes.

I always liked Oedipus and the Momma's Boys from PCU.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Mike:
Thanx for the info...ordered two (2) & should be here by this Saturday.

Mike:
With these two (2), new Feeders...my love bug problem is fixed...they won't be
'slipping' into the sugar water anymore.

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time". Papyrus