1. Plant brightly colored, nectar-producing flowers in your garden. You’ll need flowers blooming during migration in the spring and again in late summer and early fall. Hummingbirds favor red, orange, and pink blossoms.

Bee balm	Cardinal flower	Cleome	Shrimp plant	Trumpet honeysuckle
Impatiens	Cypress vine	Pentas	Geraniums	Lilac chaste tree
Petunia	Hibiscus		Salvias	Pineapple sage

2. Put up one or more hummingbird feeders. Choose a type that you can clean every week to prevent a buildup of mold and bacteria. Swish hot water around in it, but don’t use soap, as this can leave a film to cause the feeder to leak. Sometimes it is necessary to change solution in the feeder every 3 days in hot weather or every 7 days in cool weather. Birds will reject “old” solution.

3. Fill the feeder with one part white sugar to 4 parts of water. Bring to slow boil for 2 minutes. Cool before pouring into feeders. Store excess solution in the refrigerator. Don’t add red food coloring to the water because it often contains alcohol. Never use artificial sweeteners or honey.

4. It may take a week or so for a hummingbird to start using a new feeder, especially if they have been feeding from other feeders in the same area. If they continue to feed from only one type, try changing the location of your feeders or taking one down for a while.

5.Separate feeders from each other since hummingbirds are territorial.

6.It won’t hurt to leave feeders up the year around. There may be a few hummingbirds that stay around or pass through in the winter. Leaving a feeder out won’t encourage a hummingbird to stay longer than it should. However, leaving a feeder outside in freezing weather may damage the feeder.

7.Tube type feeders are popular with hummingbirds because they simulate the tube shape of many nectar-producing flowers. However, these feeders may sometimes drip. To minimize dripping, try the following steps:
Most importantly, always fill the feeder completely with cool nectar--so full it runs over when the stopper in put into place. Invert quickly to avoid any air entering the feeder. This creates a vacuum in the feeder that is only broken when the hummingbird drinks.

Hang the feeder in the shade or part shade. The cooler the feeder, the less dripping.

Keep the feeder very clean by washing with hot water and a bottle brush. Don’t use soap. Try periodically using a vinegar rinse to thoroughly clean you feeder. Rinse well with hot water.