Being eaten out of house and home
Last year I put out one hummingbird feeder and was surprised by the response.
A month ago, I purchased two more of the
same kind and we are swamped.
I filled two of the feeders two days ago and they are now both only about one quarter full. I have another gallon of syrup cooking on the stove and the ten pound bag of sugar I bought last month at Costco is almost empty -- a few ounces at best. These feeders hold 48 ounces -- three pints!
I really like the
Perky-Pet 220 The Grand Master 48-Ounce Hummingbird Feeder
Very easy to keep clean and they hold three pints of syrup so you don't have to keep fussing with them. I have used other large feeders but the colors on the Perky-Pet attract the birds a lot better.
The syrup is simply one part sugar to four parts water. Bring to a low boil for ten minutes, put the lid on and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate if you aren't going to use it in a day or two. Toss after ten days in the fridge.
These birds really need their sugar -- their metabolism is so hot that they need a constant source of carbs to just maintain. They also eat a lot of bugs and flower pollen so they do get quite a balanced diet even with all the sugar. Despite having two feeders constantly available (I rotate between the three so one is always indoors, completely taken apart and being cleaned and sanitized), they are also visiting the flowers in the garden.
Posted by DaveH at May 18, 2013 2:29 PM