Ah, hummingbirds! Those tiny, vibrant jewels flitting about our gardens, bringing joy and nostalgia with each flutter of their wings.

For those of us who remember simpler times, attracting these delightful creatures can be a rewarding endeavor. Here are some things you likely weren’t told about luring these little wonders to your yard.

1. Choose the Right Feeder

When choosing feeder styles, look for models designed specifically for hummingbird feeding. Select feeders with red bases or red flower accents, as hummingbirds are attracted to the color red (this also helps you avoid red dye, for which there are some concerns about safety!).

The first thing you can do is choose the right type of feeder that deters bees but still allows hummingbirds to access the nectar inside and keep that feeder clean. The sweet scent of sugar water coating the outside of a feeder is more likely than anything to attract bees and wasps.

Bees and wasps are attracted to the color yellow and red is a hummingbird favorite color. So choose a syrup feeder without the color yellow, even a little yellow will attract them.

2. Fresh Nectar is a Must

Keeping fresh nectar out for your hummers is very important. If the sugar solution sits outside for too many days, especially in hot weather, it will develop mold or go rancid.

Putting fresh food out every couple of days is never a bad thing! Use hummingbird feeders with your own homemade nectar solution: four parts water to one part sugar.

Don’t use red dye, as there are concerns regarding the safety of red food coloring. Replace the solution every 3-5 days.

You may need to replace the sugar water more frequently during hot weather. The ratio of sugar to water for hummingbirds is one part sugar to four parts water.

That’s ¼ cup of sugar to one cup of water in a homemade mix, or 80% water and 20% sucrose in a commercial mix. Some people will mix a higher ratio of sugar into their water, mistakenly believing it will be sweeter and attract more hummingbirds.

But this can actually make the nectar thicker, like a syrup.

3. Plant Native Flowers

Plant plenty of native flowers with tubular blooms like honeysuckle, trumpet vine, bee balm, and sage. Supplement feeders with fresh edible flowers like nasturtium, fuchsia, and impatiens to provide more nutrients.

Second, plant native flowers that bloom in shades of red, pink, or orange. Hummingbirds are particularly drawn to tubular flowers that they can hover over while sipping nectar.

Good choices for New Mexico gardens include bee balm, cardinal flower, and trumpet honeysuckle. Choose flowers that have bright colors like orange or red, and offer plenty of nectar in tubular or trumpet-shaped flowers.

Hummingbirds need bugs, so plant native species that attract plenty of insect life too.

4. Create a Water Feature

First, provide a source of fresh water. Hummingbirds are attracted to moving water, so consider installing a small fountain or waterfall.

You can also simply hang a birdbath in your yard and change the water regularly. Provide a water feature like a mister or fountain for bathing and drinking.

Avoid pesticides that could impact hummingbird food sources. Keep feeders clean, change the nectar regularly, and use only white granulated sugar for homemade nectar.

Having water in your garden will also help provide hummingbirds with a beneficial habitat. So, consider adding a water feature, such as a wildlife pond, to give hummingbirds somewhere to bathe, increase beneficial insect numbers, and benefit a range of other wildlife in your space.

5. Provide Shelter

But as mysterious and ethereal as they seem, they too need a place to rest and raise a family. Most hummingbirds build their nests safe in the shelter of trees, shrubs, or bushes.

Plant some shrubs or small trees in your yard to provide shelter for the hummingbirds. The birds will use these as perches and nesting sites.

You can create a backyard oasis that attracts these fascinating creatures by following these simple tips. Skip the crafting and rely on the plants in your garden to provide for the hummingbirds’ needs.

Native shrubs and trees in a variety of sizes are best for offering hummingbirds the foliage cover that helps them feel safe!

6. Keep Feeders Clean

To prevent spoilage, change the nectar every 2-3 days, or even more frequently in hot weather. Rinse feeders thoroughly before refilling.

When it’s time to clean the feeder, use a water and vinegar solution periodically to fully disinfect the feeders. First, make sure your feeders are sparkling clean.

During the summer, this might mean putting out a clean feeder every day. Fresh sugar water solution spoils rapidly in the heat, causing mold and bacteria that can kill hummingbirds.

If the nectar is cloudy, it’s spoiled–take it down immediately! If you want to provide sugar water to hummingbirds, you must do so safely!

Feeding hummingbirds is a big responsibility, as feeders are susceptible to bacteria and mold growth. You absolutely must keep the feeder clean!

7. Avoid Insecticides

So, if you want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, make sure your yard is a friendly place for spiders and the other insects that hummingbirds rely on. Avoid using insecticides, which are dangerous for hummingbirds and kill off the bugs they eat.

The good news is that if you plant a hummingbird-friendly garden, you will often encounter other pollinators, too. We always recommend that you don’t use insecticides if you are growing a hummingbird garden because this could affect the hummingbirds negatively.

It also lowers the availability of the insects that make up a large part of their diet. Getting rid of other pollinators just to enjoy hummingbirds is not a good strategy at all.

Avoid using pesticides of any kind. Of course, they are harmful to the bees, but they’re also harmful to the hummingbirds and the insects they rely on for a significant part of their diet.

8. Offer a Variety of Feeders

Ultimately, there are no significant differences between these types of feeders when it comes to attracting hummingbirds! The saucer feeder may be less noticeable, so an inverted feeder may attract more hummingbirds.

But that is not a hard and fast rule.

9. Timing is Everything

Timing is very important when trying to attract hummingbirds. Make sure to have your hummingbird feeders placed (and hummingbird flowers planted, if possible) early enough to catch them as they make their annual spring migration.

Bear in mind that the hummingbirds do not travel together during their migration and will not all arrive at the same time. They migrate independently, and the timing of their migration will depend on their gender and a range of other factors.

The weather in a given year can also influence, at least to a degree, the timing of hummingbird arrivals. In a particularly cold year, with poorer weather conditions, the migration may be slightly later than in a typical year.

10. Patience Pays Off

Have you ever seen the people who manage to feed hummingbirds right from their hands? With patience and practice, this can be you!

Hand feeders are useful for this kind of feeding. Here are a few of my favorites and a few details about each of them!

Getting hummingbirds to visit

Spec	What our writers say
Feeder color	Red base or red flowers; skip yellow that draws bees
Nectar mix	1 part white sugar to 4 parts water; thicker syrup is a mistake
Change interval	Every 2-3 days, or every couple of days in heat
Spoiled nectar	If it is cloudy, take it down immediately
Flowers	Native tubular blooms in red, pink, or orange
Water	Moving water: fountain, waterfall, mister, or a pond
Shelter	Shrubs and small trees for perches and nest cover
Insecticides	Skip them; hummingbirds need the insects
Timing	Have feeders and flowers out early for spring migration

Keep reading

• 9 Proven Ways to Keep Hummingbirds in Your Yard All Season
• 11 Simple Changes That Turned My Empty Backyard into a Hummingbird Paradise
• Turn Your Backyard Into a Hummingbird Paradise With These 13 Irresistible Secrets