Hummingbirds are beginning to arrive in our area now!

It's time to get hummingbird feeders cleaned and filled.

For the best success make your own nectar with pure cane sugar and boiled water. Mix 4 parts boiled water with 1 part sugar, dissolve and let cool before filling your feeders. (We do offer packaged nectar mixes for convenience.) Do not add any dye to the nectar or use any brown sugar or honey. It's OK to make up extra nectar and store it in a clean container in the fridge.

Watch the nectar in the feeders and if it becomes cloudy or gets full of ants change it immediately. If ants are a real problem install an ant moat above the feeder to block their access to the sugar water. There are several styles of hummingbird feeders that have built in ant moats incorporated into their design.

Remember that male ruby-throated hummingbird that guarded the feeder and chased everyone else away? He was defending his feeding territory of about a quarter of an acre. You may want put another feeder out of sight of this feeder for other hummers.

We hope you can enjoy these jewlls of the backyard as much as we do!

Deb and Jim Parrott

and the staff at Wild Birds Unlimited.