Everyone enjoys the quick flight of the hummingbird. Watching this creature go from flower to flower or stopping at a feeder gives anyone a thrill. It doesn't take you long to notice they are in high gear. To maintain themselves, hummingbirds must feed every 10 minutes or so during the day. You say then, do they rest? Well, a hummingbird has the ability to slow down their metabolism to conserve energy. This trance is called torpor. The heartbeat slows from 1260 beats per minute to only 50. A hummingbird may remain in this condition overnight. This ability to become torpor is a great survival technique. But, feed they must to remain alive.

So, how can you invite these visitors to your garden?

You first must know what they eat. Hummingbirds need nectar or sugar water and insects provide a great source of protein. Your visitors seeking nectar from your flowers also capture many insects such as spiders, tiny flying insects, and those insects that feed on your flowers.

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common species east of the Mississippi. They come to feeders of sugar water through late fall. So, keep your feeder up and full through that time of year.

Hanging baskets of fuchsia, petunia, geraniums, and begonia all appeal to hummingbirds. While window boxes of catmint, impatiens, nasturtium, rosemary and geranium will bring them in close. If you want to watch them feed on flower beds consider butterfly bush, trumpet creeper, delphinium, bee balm, salvia, sage, garden phlox, and weigila. There are many highly attractive choices for your garden.

The color red is often an attractant and is used most often on feeders. Color is the word to remember along with deep throated floral displays. White is really not an attraction for hummingbirds. So choose plants that hummingbirds prefer and keep that feeder of sugar water close by. This combination will bring you hours of smiles and stories to share. Hummingbirds...invite them to your garden!

CARING FOR YOUR HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER

To make nectar, mix the above ingredients in a pan and over low heat bring the mixture to a boil. Boil for two minutes. Boiling reduces chlorine or fluorine levels and kills bacteria. Do not over boil as this will make the mixture stronger. After the solution cools you can fill the feeder. Extra can be stored in the refrigerator and used later.

Clean your feeder every three days in hot weather and in cooler weather you can go six to seven days. Empty the contents and rinse with warm water. Then add some vinegar and maybe some rice grains. Then shake vigorously to remove any mold. Or, you can use a firm brush to get mold out. Rinse again with warm water until the vinegar smell is gone. You are now ready to refill your feeder. I suggest you pour only a small amount of mixture into the feeder. This way you will not waste any when it is time to clean it again.

Feeding hummingbirds requires you to pay attention to the needs of your visitors and follow good sanitation methods. The rewards will be an amazing flying show by your guests. Enjoy!