Hummingbird Feeders

I think the colors are what's most important...like colorful, flute-like flowers.  I used a beautiful glass one that worked well but leaked (and so was drawing ants).  The best one was red in color, columnar shaped, with little yellow flower-shaped ports for the hummingbirds to perch and/or drink from.  I think I got it at Target.
 
If the food holder is clear, you can use a red mixture to help draw them.

I have two in my porch, one is the basic balloon shape with yellow flowers and a small ring perch for the birds. The other is shaped like a cylinder bottle with a red base and white slits and no perch. I use the same kind of liquid in both and hung them outside last summer. The cylinder one was the one the humming birds seem to like more then the balloon shape one. I tried switching the two to see if it was the location the feeder was in and the hummingbirds still preferred the cylinder shape. I kept one filled throwout the winter for the non-migratory hummers and occasionally saw a few.

I tried a glass hummer feeder that was a round glass ball with a spout that came out of it but instead it just dripped until all the fluid was gone and attracted some lovely ants so I stopped using that one. I also use an ant stopper at the top of the feeder which is a ring you fill with water and it keeps the ants from climbing into the feeders.

Also if you use less of the solution (or powder) in the mixture then the hummers will come back more often, a stronger concentration of the fluid means less trips to the feeder. There are also different flavors of feeder you can use, I always seemed to think they liked the strawberry flavor the most. Keep the feeder in a shaded location, if the liquid is too hot they may not drink it.

I have used both with success.  Had it hanging on one of those cast iron hook thingies.  I finally took it down because as well as ants, it attracted squirrels and drove my 3 dogs insane.  Couldn't see it if I placed it in the front yard, so I rely on flowere to attract the hummingbirds now.

I have seen some at craft fairs that are made out of copper spirals that hold old wine bottles . . .never wanted to spend the $25 buck or so, but they're gorgeous, anyone tried one of those?

Don't use the prepackaged hummingbird food, stick with sugar and water.

Is the red dye used in commercial hummingbird food dangerous for birds? If so, how can we make our own hummingbird food? It#%92s better not to add any colouring, including food colouring, to hummingbird food. Colouring is unnecessary and only serves to introduce chemicals into the bird#%92s diet. It#%92s actually the red dispenser of the feeder that attracts hummingbirds. Once hummingbirds know where the feeder is, they#%92ll have no problem finding it. To make your own hummingbird food, boil one part white sugar to four parts water for five minutes. You can use the solution once it has cooled, storing any excess in the refrigerator. Do not use honey in the mix, since it can make hummingbirds sick. Artificial sweeteners are also harmful, they provide no sustenance for birds. Fill one-third of the container and be sure to change the mixture twice a week. If the weather is very hot you should change it more often (every second day). When you change the mixture, clean the feeder with hot water to remove bacteria. Hummingbirds can become dependent on feeders — be sure to maintain your feeder continually or phase it out gradually.

I've heard that any food coloring is dangerous. The birds are attracted to the flowers, not the container, so there's really no point in adding color. I use plain sugar and water. 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. I had a pretty glass one that had a plug and a small hose with a red tip. That always leaked no matter what I did, so I ended up getting a plain glass one with a wide red plastic bottom, 4 holes on the top side of the red plastic.

The saucers are better because:  they are easier to clean and you can stick something down the very short holes of the lid in order to get the mold growth - which is really bad in April b/c of the pollen.  And b/c they have a small "cup" in the center to put plain water in that helps to keep the ants out.  The ones I have are also top dishwasher safe.  But, I always do an extra rinse if I use the washer, and I prefer to clean by hand because hand cleaning with a FRESH, CLEAN PAPER TOWEL -- NOT your dishrag (don't want to transfer germs to them) - hand cleaning really gets the slime off better.
 
Put them out early and keep them out late for fly-by's going north.  They do go back to the same feeders and same areas from the previous year.  Do NOT add in any food coloring.  Don't buy the store mixes.   Use plain, regular sugar.  1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water.  Do not use distilled water (I do use my filtered water).  Barely heat the water just enough to melt the sugar.  If you make extra, then you will have to get the water a tad hotter, but don't let it all steam away.  Then put the extra in a clean jar (preferably glass if you have it) covered in the fridge. One year, for some odd reason, I had white mold growing in my stored container - so I had to throw it out and make fresh and put in an entirely new container.
 
The best thing to attract them is to add native plants to your yard.  The hummers are first attracted to the flowering plants and they eat alot of the flying insects around for protein.  Then they will go to the sugar water.  Change out the water regularly - every 2cd day when it is really hot.

oh on the dye subject, a little trick we like to use. if you get the cheapy clear plastic ones you can use a red permanent marker to color the clear plastic...then your water looks red but you can in fact leave the dye or food coloring out! we found they are attracted to the feeders more if it is colored than if it isnt.

Really?   Now, the tops of mine are red.  The base is clear, but the tops are red.  So, on that type I think it's enough red.  Mine are a bit pricey, but I think it's worth it for the clean up ability and to keep the ants away.  I got mine at a local Wild Birds Unlimited store.  You can check them out online.
 
When it's busy - during migration - I will put extra out.  And, they always prefer certain "spots" - so that some feeders go dry first.  Boy, they sure are a pleasure to watch.  I love other birds, too, so I guess there are quite a few that are my favorites!

The birds are attracted to the flowers, not the container, so there's really no point in adding color.

Yes, hummingbirds are attracted to flowers...colorful flowers, mostly red or orange tubular ones.  Colorful feeders/containers simulate an actual flower...this is what attracts them, the color. Typically store bought hummingbird food is red - however it is made - it's made the color red for the sole purpose of attracting them...with the red color being seen through clear feeders. So there is definitely a point to color for hummingbirds. []

Plant some red bee balm.  When they blossom you can't keep the hummingbirds away.

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I always bought the stuff because I was once told (for the life of me can't remember by who) that plain sugar is bad for the birds and it should be a certain mixture of something else.  That could be totally wrong but I always felt safer using that stuff over sugar.  Well, I'll have to look into that because I would really not want to feed them anything bad, I have so many in the summer I#%92d hate to think I'm poisoning them all.
 
Good idea on coloring the clear part instead of using dye[]

I have found the plain feeders with perches work best around here. I go through 6 cups of sugar water a day in two feeders! During the first and last part of the season, I fill them twice a day though. We didn't use to have that many, but after Hurricane Katrina went through (and before Rita), I had so many at my feeder that you couldn't see for the blurs. They would come in so exhausted and pass out on the little perches with their beaks in the wells. They feed two, three to a port sometimes by sitting on each others backs. The one on the bottom gets rather squashed!  So I always make sure to buy the ones with perches now.  It is amazing to watch them. I have some video that is simply amazing, but no way to post it.  They'll come feed while it is in my hand as I hang them up.  It is so neat! Enjoy watching them!

I've spoken with hummer specialist and have been to seminars held by the people who are licensed to band them.  They say do NOT add food coloring and do NOT use the store packages.  Only use plain water 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water warmed enough to dissolve the sugar.
 
Food coloruing is artificial and is harmful on their tiny bodies.
 
The hummers get their nutrients from the insects they eat and from the nector from flowers.  They do not need us to add in any other minerals from the pre-packaged mixes. Those things are bad for the hummers.  They really do get nutrition from other sources.
 
Flowers in the yard is the best thing to attract.  If not, then, you don't need but a dab of red or yellow on your feeder.  They will see it.  But, you will not get alot of hummers if you don't have a yard with flowers (preferably long tubular ones - short based ones for butterflys). B/c the flowers attract the hummers and they eat the insects around the flowers.  Then they will go to the feeders.
 
The sugar water is only an added energy boost - they do not need any added extra nutrients in the water. And food colouring is bad for them.
 
They do really need the extra energy most during migration. Of course, I have feeders up all sumer, but in the fall, I make sure to put out extra feeders.  They have to drink alot of sugar water in the fall to put on a whole lot of weight in the form of fat. I would rather them drink than fight in the fall time, so I put the feeders up at different places around my house.  This is when you see them fighting the most - b/c then it is literally life or death to them.  They must bulk up.  When they leave the gulf coast, they have to fly over the Atlantic to get to their grounds in South America.  It is a very, very long flight.  There is nowhere to stop to rest or eat.  Once they take off, they must have enough fat stores from the sugar water to make in all the way to S.A.  If they don't, then they die from exhaustion and fall into the water.  It a really hard trip. 
 
This is why feeders should be put out early, and left out late.  In case you have stragglers or first ones coming in.  They are really hungry from the many miles long trip.  This is why early spring and late fall, you will get the most traffic.  Then in summer, you have the ones that were at your yard before, and you will still see them feeding thruout the day - just not as intense a feeding.  Keep the feeders cleaned and change the sugar water frequently.
 
BTW, there is another formula for butterfly's.  I would have to look it up.  But you put it in a very shallow dish with small gravel and the butterfly's will drink.  It's a much weaker solution, I think, but I don't remember it w/o looking it up.  I plan on doing this summer - haven't in the past.