Hummingbird Feeders – how best to feed hummingbirds in Las Vegas, NV

Attracting hummingbirds to your yard in Las Vegas is as easy as putting up a feeder. The hard part is deciding where to put it, what kind to buy, and how to keep it filled.

                When you are deciding where to put it you need to ask yourself several questions. The first is: do you know how brave hummingbirds are? Sometimes people are tempted to put the feeder in a far corner of their yard, thinking the hummingbirds will feel more comfortable feeding away from the activity around the house. Wrong. Hummingbirds are among the tamest birds around. With their quick reaction time and ability to maneuver they feel they have little to fear.

My two  feeders and the hummingbird wind chime on my back patio

                Hummingbirds aren’t shy: Two of my feeders are hanging from my patio cover. Since I have a small patio and yard, if I am outside at all, the birds have to come close to me to feed. That doesn’t stop them from coming in. The ones that spend a great deal of time at my feeder know I am not a threat. I have two, a Costa’s male and an immature male Anna’s, which literally hover right in front of my face. The Anna’s actually came within six inches of my eyes!

                The second questions you need to ask is: do you understand how tiny hummingbirds are? If your feeder is too far away, all you will see is moving spots. You will miss your chance to watch the antics of the birds as they come to feed and fight, unless all you want to watch is dots moving around.

                Keep the feeder close: In another location I had a feeder that hung six inches from my window. This was a great position to watch the birds. Since the window was the type that opened inward with no screen, it also made caring for the feeder easier. So put your feeder as close to your house as you want.

                Handling insect problems: Another problem people encounter with hummingbird feeders is that sweet water attracts ants and bees as well as hummingbirds. Both of these problems are easy to solve if you buy the right kind of feeders. Most feeders today come with a bee guard. That can be in the form of a grill in front of the feeding hole or by making the opening so small the bee can’t get to the sugar.

                Ants are another problem. Some people report they have never had an ant invasion on their feeders. I am not so lucky. In Idaho, where the ants are bigger, I had a feeder completely drained by ants in an hour’s time. In Las Vegas I went most of last summer with no ants on the feeder and then in the fall they came in full force, covering my feeder. When I washed it out, I found gobs of dead ants caking the inside. Yuck!

                Some feeders to look at when buying: There are several feeders available that have built-in ant moats. One is the Audubon made by Woodlink. It is shaped like a flying saucer and has an ant moat in the middle of the feeder. The other is a tall feeder with a cup at the top made by Birdscapes. Both kinds work on the same premise. Ants will not cross water. Fill the moats with water and the scout ant can’t get to the sugar water so – no ants.

                “Nectar:” The feed itself is easy. Just use sugar and water. No food coloring, nothing added at all. I make mine one quart at a time, since I am keeping three feeders going. I use four cups of water and one cup of sugar. Dissolve the sugar completely and then store in a covered container in the refrigerator. That’s it.

                You can mix it stronger or weaker, but I have found if I add more sugar I have more trouble with mold growing in the solution during warm weather. With a 1 to 4 solution I don’t run into that problem as much.

                Keep it fresh: I only put in a few inches of sweet water because during hot weather it’s best to change the feed at least every other day. If the sugar water sits out in the heat too long, it ferments and the birds won’t come to it. If the feed appears cloudy, change it immediately, as it is no longer good. Before  you put in sweet water, be sure you rinse the feeder well. If it’s gotten cloudy, you will need to use diluted vinegar water to rinse, then rinse again with clean water.

                Cooling weather: Remember, you don’t need to quit feeding just because the weather has cooled and most of our hummingbird species have left Las Vegas. The Anna’s hummingbird is with us all winter.

                Bon appétit to the hummers and happy watching to you!