(Published in print June 28, 2023)
Some say ¼ cup of sugar to a cup of water.
Some say ½ cup of sugar to a cup of water.
Still some say the sweeter, the better–a cup of sugar to a cup of water.
Summer has come, hummingbirds are dive-bombing in your backyard, and the debate is on about the best ways to attract them. Andy Rideout, extension agent for horticulture at the UK Henderson County
Extension Office, recently spoke with the Hendersonian to offer the best tips to quell any disagreements.
Rideout said sweeter is not necessarily better.
“Anything more than half a cup, you’re really wasting sugar at that point,” he said.
Rideout said the ideal mix is ¼ cup of sugar to 1 cup of water. If you want someting stiffer, a ½ cup of sugar mix can work, but don’t go more than that.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, there are more than 360 species of hummingbirds in the world—all in the western hemisphere. In the eastern part of the United States, and in Henderson County, only one hummingbird species exists, the ruby-throated hummingbird, according to the website.
Their wings flap 50 times per second and their hearts beat 1,200 times per minute. To fuel their small, hard-working bodies, they eat nectar from flowers.
Rideout said that finding a feeder that most resembles flowers is another tip to bring more hummingbirds to your backyard. He said coloring the sugar water red, a common practice, does nothing to attract hummingbirds. And the dyes in the water can hurt hummingbirds, he said.
Hummingbirds instinctually remember where they’ve been and fed before, so if you’ve put out a feeder for years—and kept it full—then there’s a good chance the hummingbirds that have fed in your yard in the past will return, Rideout said.
Part of the draw for hummingbird enthusiasts is the bird’s personality. Rideout said—just like people—hummingbirds have attitude, especially when it comes to feeding. If several hummingbirds regularly come to your yard to feed, most likely you’ll witness some aerial battles full of amazing tactical maneuvers as they squabble over food. To break up those fights, put two or three feeders out, Rideout said.
A final piece of advice—and one Rideout has received angry letters about—is to grease the pole on which you hang your feeder with Vaseline. The purpose is to keep the ants away.
Readers reminded Rideout that Vaseline is oil-based and detrimental to the birds’ health. But he’s still confident about greasing only the bottom two inches of the pole because the birds won’t encounter it there.
