Does anyone feed hummingbirds???

[bradedit]

Every year I feed the hummingbirds, I have 3 hummingbird feeders and I really need to replace the glass tubes and stoppers but have no idea if they sell just those. I have these blown glass hummingbird feeders that I hate not to use because they are beautiful, but the little red stoppers at the end have just gotten gross. Any ideas where I can find these?

My hummingbirds are here and buzzing us.

[pooncat]

Brdeakit I just broke my hummingbird feeder too. It seems those plastic bottles only last about a year or two. I end up buying a whole new feeder. This year I robbed a bottle from another feeder to fix the best one I have!

[Trace30]

My parents have several feeders in their backyard. Do you wash yours? They wash theirs (by hand, I think) at least once a week. I'm pretty sure they've had the same feeders for several years.

Tracy

[bassmount]

Tami, I don't think they do sell just those items, but like pooncat we rob a cheep one to fix the nice ones. My mom and Daddy have several in their yard and like Trace, they wash them by hand only every week. Mom even gets a toothbrush out and cleans the stopper and such.

[bradedit]

I clean my weekly, mine are glass so I use vinegar and uncooked rice to get the yucky stuff out. I use the long q-tips(like you see in a Dr office to clean the feeding tubes). Its just those little red tips that really look like they have had it,(I boiled them trying to make the hole in the end a little smaller).

[bassmount]

Originally posted by bradedit
I clean my weekly, mine are glass so I use vinegar and uncooked rice to get the yucky stuff out. I use the long q-tips(like you see in a Dr office to clean the feeding tubes). Its just those little red tips that really look like they have had it,(I boiled them trying to make the hole in the end a little smaller).

Tami,
I wonder if a hardware store would have just those tiny stoppers? They may not be red, but black, but it may work.

[Trace30]

If the hardware store does have the stoppers, you could spray paint them red. They need to be red to attract the birds, but painting them wouldn't be a big deal, I wouldn't think.

Mom and Dad also have an oriole feeder and the hummingbirds feed on it, too....you should see the orioles trying to feed on the hummingbird feeder! lol!

[Mouse7088]

WOO-HOO...LOVE humming birds. We just bought another "cheapie" last night...I think we'll have 7 feeders up this year..I hang them all on the front porch. I bought this gorgeous feeder last year for like $20, shaped like a bird house, but the bottle goes up inside it and the feeding tube comes out the bottom...PIECE OF CRAP!!!!! The food leaked out everywhere before a bird even had a chance to drink from it. I like my cheapies if it means I can have more feeders..lol! I can't help it, I'm a tightwad

We are also getting ready to plant our Sunflowers in the garden. We're planting "just" what we know we'll use this year and then the rest of the garden will be Sunflowers..last year it was a 1/3...this year will at least be half. The the birdies get fed for a major part of the winter from the seeds DH never wanted to plant them, but last year he "gave in" and this year he's the one looking forward to it. It also looks so nice since the garden it in an open area and you can see it as you drive by...if you're looking of course

[heyitsmesheila]

Go to hummingbirds.net !!!! It's a very cool site... I hung a feeder up but don't have any yet I'm going to hang up another one and see if that helps..... Anyone with any more ideas of how to attract them? I have the red flowers.....[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

[Trace30]

Sheila,

Is your "food" red? My understanding is that you need the red "food" until you get the hummers established...used to coming to your feeder. Then you can make your own clear "food" and they'll still come. Have to make sure it's sweet enough, though, or they might not come back! lol!

Tracy

[tkkmasky]

Did anyone read the Reader's Digest article on hummingbirds? It was called something like "so small, so cute, so MEAN!" LOL. Very interesting article, I learned a lot that I didn't know about the little birds.

I still love them though...........

[bradedit]

I make my own solution, 4 cups water to one cup sugar and boil it for a minute or two. I just bought a "rain drop" feeder yesterday, I have never had problems attracting them, if I don't have alot of red on the feeder(two of them just have the little tips that are red)I put some red ribbon on them, and I have about 8-9 regular hummingbirds.

They sit on the rail of our pool deck when we are swimming, and our picnic table is right beside the feeder and it doesn't bother them at all with us out there. I have this little mister on my birdbath and they seem to love that, they play in it. I have to find the picture of my daughter sitting on our swing(its the kind with a canopy over it)and she is sitting there reading a book and a hummingbird is sitting right on the arm of the swing, it was squeaking at her because the feeder was empty.

I would love to put sunflower seeds out, but everytime we have tried it, the bears come and knock them down and eat all the seeds(and leave way too much bear poop)

[elf64]

do you work around medical care? if so you can ask the folks at the lab to sell/give you a few of the stoppers that is how i replaced mine.if not medical supple stores do carry them some will even give them to you since the do not need to be still sealed in their package for your use.they come in different colors too.you can also buy glass tubing bent at differnt angles but not all med supply stores carry.
happy bird feeding

[heyitsmesheila]

Trace30

yes I have red food..... I change it about once a week right now so it doesn't get yucky.... I wish I could get them to come to my balcony!!! We are on the third floor does that matter?

[heyitsmesheila]

just seeing if this works!