How can I attract hummingbirds?

[Jennie Nash]

When is the best time to attract hummingbirds to my garden with a feeder? I live in SOuthern California, and I see the birds frequently -- but should I wait until spring to try to attract them?

[chyna]

I would think that in your area that feeding hummingbirds would be year round. I know that there are plants that the flower catalogs boast about that attract hummingbirds so maybe some of them and then the feeder would do the trick. Let us know what you find out.

My climate makes hummingbirds a pure seasonal thing so I'm not much help there. :o

[Evelyn]

Hi Jennie:

Yes, you can have feeders up year round in your area. Get a feeder and then you can mix your own solution. It is a 1 part sugar to 3 parts water. Keep an eye on the feeder....you will need to wash it out every week or so because they tend to mold. Atleast in the northwest....maybe you don't have that problem in your area.

Evelyn

[Lisa S]

We have loads of humming birds in our garden. They are very attracted to our butterfly bush.

[CohenCottage]

Ours are attracted to our flowering, native vines on our fence. We have a mixture of carolina and swamp jessamine, as well as crimson honeysuckle and trumpet creeper. The hummingbirds LOVE them. The swamp jessamine is a cultivar that blooms twice a year instead of once like the carolina, so that might be good for you...I believe that they are native in S. Carolina too, but your local extension office would be able to tell you for sure and suggest some other plants to try.

[memmey]

There is garden segment on our local news and they tell us to let them leave the area and leave a llittle out for the ones who stay.
Don't they fly to Mexico or beyond? I think winter is hard on them. I'm sure some have adapted, but here they say let them go. They are hard wired to migrate.

[Whidbey5]

In the late spring and all summer long, hummingbirds are attracted to our hanging flower baskets. Onces the blooms take over (they are mixed and different each year) the birds start to visit. I love to watch them!

When I was growing up we used feeders, but I seem to remember ants being a problem? That seems like a weird thing, but that's certainly what I associate feeders with.

Shelley

[Evelyn]

Jenn I forgot to mention that you heat the water sugar mixture to dissolve the sugar...let it cool.

Whidbey5, I had ants attack my hummingbird feeder last summer. It was those little "sugar" ants. They were also invading my house.

Evelyn

[Whidbey5]

Evelyn, we had ants this summer too. Last summer was our fourth in the house and we had never seen them inside!

[SusiesQs]

This question is right up my alley! Our hummingbirds love our butterfly bushes but love our salvias even more. They are very found of the Sapphire Blue Salvias. I have all color salvias in my yard, red, purple, light blue, sapphire blue, white and pink and the blues are their favorite, but they go to all of them. Go figure. I don't use any feeders. I used to but I got tired of cleaning all of the ants out of them.

They also like our honeysuckle vines... I have some native varieties like Mardis Gras and Coral Honeysuckle--

Currently we don't have any b/c they are gone for the winter but come early Spring they'll be back :) Good luck with them!

Susie