I never take mine down for the Winter. Just kept a supply of liquid in it. Guess that I'll check it again tomorrow.
The missus just said she wanted to get the feeders out by the weekend!! Looking forward to seeing our little friends back from their long journey!!
I hadn't put my feeder out yet, but I was outside this morning and saw a hummer checking out the area I've kept it in past years! I need to make up some nectar and get those guys fed!
I mix Sugar and Water together, they love it. 1 part sugar, 4 parts water, boil it, then let it cool. Super easy.
1st visitor shortly after sunrise but I'm concerned because HE came to a red rose and not the feeders, I have 5 out I stopped using color this year and I'm wondering if that is why he bypassed the feeders
I believe they are highly attracted to the color red... a couple drops of red food coloring in mix helps
I know people are trying to cut out the food coloring, I have tried a red transparent plastic sheet wrapped around the exterior of the food reservoir in the past and it seemed to work. .
True.. there's not much left in the world today that doesn't carry certain risks.. including food coloring. great idea there
http://www.hummingbirds.net/dye.html Red dye is TOTALLY UNNECESSARY to attract hummingbirds. Reports of informal experiments using side by side feeders, one with red syrup and one with plain, suggested that the birds do not like the taste of red dye. Natural flower nectar is clear, not red. Hummingbirds don't look at nectar anyway, they look for flowers of the right shape and color, and nearly all hummingbird feeders are red plastic. For the ones that aren't, tie on some red ribbon or surveyor's tape if the birds need help finding them.