A gallon of sugar water-Warning-Do Not Read While Eating or Drinking

[gritsar]

That's how much sugar water the hummingbirds have gone thru since Thursday afternoon!

Now I'm not only a slave to 2 cats, a puppy and chickens, not to mention the DH, I'm also a slave to a bunch of birds not much bigger than mosquitos!
They're out there fussing right now cuz the feeders are empty. I'm cooling it as fast as I can.

 

[redhen]

how do you make your sugar water?

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

I have butterfly bushes that are now in the 6' tall range. The little suckers swarm and swarm around those. Keeps me from having to fill more feeders. The five feeders and 8 waterers/buckets in the chicken coop keep me busy enough!

 

[gumpsgirl]

No wonder those little buggers can beat their wings so quickly! They get major sugar rushes!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yeah we have the hibiscus bush from H-E-double hockey stix. Over 12 ft. tall and they love it! It's full of blooms right now and they make their nests in it. They still "demand" their sugar water though. They'll come hover right in front of your face if the feeders are empty.
Redhen, I boil 4 cups of water to every cup of sugar. Cool and fill the feeders.

 

[shelleyd2008]

You don't feed them hummingbird feed?

Poor little guys

I think I have some butterfly bush seeds around here somewhere, I'll have to make sure to plant them next year. Those and the hollyhocks

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Nah, sugar water works just as well. Less expensive too. The old type of red food coloring (not dye) turned out to be bad for them. They make it different nowadays, but it's not necessary to color it. They come to the place that the feeders usually hang, even when the feeders are not there.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

We've had hummingbirds attacking our Rose of Sharon bushes for about a month now. They're so fun to watch!

We got a hummingbird feeder with a perch so that they would sit still once in a while.

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

When I lived in KY, I use to go through 50lbs or more of sugar a season....just for the hummers!

 

[maplesky7]

oh... i thought you were referring to my dd's birthday party and all the kool aid they drank today.