I love watching birds as they come to visit a garden full of flowers. Hummingbirds are my favorite to watch. I just think it’s so cool to watch them flutter about as they enjoy the nectar given by flowers and in hummingbird feeders. If your yard or garden is not attracting hummingbirds, it can be well worth it to learn how to attract hummingbirds to your yard. It’s a little bit of work and more than just putting out a feeder, but it is so worth it!
Most of us know that you can attract hummingbirds to your yard and garden with hummingbird nectar. I wish attracting hummingbirds was as simple as putting out a red hummingbird feeder and calling it good, but it’s not. If you want to have hummingbirds who visit your yard often, you’ll need to be ready to do the work.
How to Attract Hummingbirds
Think of it this way – the hummingbirds are the reward for the work you’ll be putting into your yard! We all like to be rewarded for hard work, don’t we? Not only does taking the time to attract the hummingbirds to you yard give you a great reward, but you’ll also have a fantastic looking garden after!
How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden
Plant a continuous flower garden
Just like planting a vegetable garden, your flower garden should be staggered. Staggering when you plant allows your garden to bloom for as long as possible. Hummingbirds are attracted to flowers so the longer yours grow, the longer you’ll be able to attract them.
Plant new species of flowers, but…
If your garden is lacking in variety, planting a new species of flower can help attract hummingbirds. They prefer long tubular flowers such as trumpet daffodils . You’ll want to make sure what you plant is native to the area though so they grow better.
Plant many different colored flowers
Hummingbirds are attracted to bright colors like red, orange and yellow. As they are flying over your garden, the bright colors attract them and cause them to swing down for a visit. When you’re planting your garden to attract hummingbirds, keep that in mind. Plant many varieties of flowers in bright colors.
Plant flowers of different heights
Like colors, planting flowers of differing heights can help attract hummingbirds to your yard. Again, if they catch the birds attention from the air, they are more likely to stop by to feed.
Learn to deadhead your garden flowers
Have you ever heard of deadheading your garden? It is a method that helps to keep your flowers blooming longer. Basically, once a flower blooms, the plant itself thinks its work is done and does not bloom again. When you deadhead the flower, you pick off the bloom after it has fully bloomed. This tricks the plant into blooming a second time giving you a longer flowering season.
Use surveyor tape to help attract hummingbirds
As I’ve already mentioned, hummingbirds are attracted to bright colors. You can help attract them to your yard by using orange surveyor tape to make your yard brighter for them. Wrap the tape around trees or anywhere you feel may easily be noticed from the air.
Repaint dull hummingbird feeders
If you already have hummingbird feeders hung, make sure the paint has not dulled. If it has, grab a bottle of magenta or red nail polish and repaint them. Make sure the polish is 100% dry before you rehang them. The brighter colors will help to attract humming birds.
Make perches for hummingbirds to rest on
When we think of hummingbirds, we typically think of flittering wings that never stop. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Hummingbirds do rest and you can attract them to your yard by giving them perches or birdhouses to rest on. Use flowers and bushes you already have planted to create perches and add a birdhouse or two for them to use as shelters. You could even make feeders like our milk jug bird feeder for them to use as perches. Be sure to use red tape when you make it so they are attracted to the color!
Add bird baths to your garden
Another way to learn how to attract hummingbirds is to add a water source to your garden. You could add a bird bath such as our upcycled bird bath from terra cotta pots to add both beauty and function to your yard. Having a bird bath gives all birds – not just hummingbirds – a place to cool themselves off on a hot day. Be sure to keep your bird bath full.
Add a mister to your yard
If a bird bath doesn’t strike your fancy, consider getting a garden mister and using it to add a water source to your yard. Hummingbirds will zip back and forth through the mist.
Leave spider webs alone
I am not a fan of spiders, but if you’re wanting to attract hummingbirds, leave their webs alone. Not only do they eat the insects that get caught in the web, but they also use the web itself to help build their nests.
Place your feeders strategically
If you are hanging hummingbird feeders, make sure to be a bit strategic when you hang them. Hanging them near flowers, perches or birdhouses will increase the likelihood that they will attract the hummingbirds you’re looking for.
Help fight bird bullying
Yes, there is such a thing. If you find that you have one hummingbird who is dominating over the others, it’s a rather easy fix. Cluster your feeders together to help. Doing so will ensure that your bully bird is not able to lord over one (or all) of your feeders.
How to Make Homemade Hummingbird Nectar
Fill your feeders with the proper hummingbird nectar
Hummingbirds love a sweet nectar but you want to make sure what you’re putting in your feeders won’t hurt them and won’t taste bad for them. Give them what they want and your hummingbird friends will continue to come back to visit.
To make homemade hummingbird nectar, simply combine 1/4 cup part granulated sugar with 1 cup parts boiling distilled water. Mix well until the sugar is fully dissolved. Allow it to cool before filling your feeders.
While we’re talking about nectar feeders, be sure to keep them full. Empty feeders will not encourage hummingbirds to visit.
Hang your feeders by the calendar
Instead of waiting till spring is in full swing to hang your feeders or removing them at the first sign of fall, keep them out a bit late and hang them a bit early. Doing so will let you catch any early or late migrating birds.
If you’ve tried in the past but have failed to learn how to attract hummingbirds to your yard, keep trying. Use the tips above to prepare your yard or garden and eventually you’ll be successful! Do you have any other tips on how to attract hummingbirds? Leave me a comment because I’d love to hear them!
People in the past have said to not use red food coloring in the nectar as it will harm the birds, in the 50’s and 60’s the red food coloring was bad for people and animals, but the Food and Drug made the companies change their formula to make it safe for all and that’s why you see companies still make the hummingbird nectar with the red color, I don’t mind making mine without, it’s easier an cheaper.
You are correct Mike, homemade is much cheaper 🙂