Picking The Top Hummingbird Feeders For Your Needs

Because of the way hummingbirds feed, making hummingbird feeders at home for them is quite difficult, thankfully the range of commercial options available on the market are amazing. From inexpensive plastic models, through to intricately designed and polished copper, or hand-blown, hand-painted glass options that are as artistic as they are functional, you really are spoilt for choice.

You will very rarely find wood options. This is because the feeders are designed to be filled with a liquid sugar syrup that provides the same level of sustenance for the birds as nectar from flowers, and wood is awfully hard to clean the sugary residue from.

Plastic or Glass Hummingbird Feeders?

Both types of material work well, but while much of the choice comes down to your own personal aesthetic preference, there are situations where certain material will work better than others.

If you are able to look through the options at Hummingbirds Plus – world’s best hummingbird feeders you will get a good overview of the different styles and be able to work out which type appeals most to you, and fits within your budget.

If you are not sure if you will be able to attract the birds to your garden, then you may like to look at starting off with a very inexpensive plastic one.

Don’t think that just because you live in an apartment you are going to miss out. There are actually models designed to be attached to an exterior window! If you have a planter box, try planting a few plants that attract the birds, then suction the window feeder onto your glass pane and you’ll become an avid bird watcher in no time.

Because of the way hummers feed the feeders do need to be carefully made to ensure feeding tubes are at the right angle for your birds. https://academic.oup.com/auk/article/75/1/100/5223048

Plastic models are generally hardier than any other style, so are great if you have children who like to climb trees and throw balls around. They are also good if you have snow, high winds, or excitable trees that throw hard seeds, cones or nuts around.

You would be mistaken if you think that the plastic models are going to be cheap and tacky looking! While some are quite simple cylinder-based styles, you will also find molded and shaped plastic in a range of beautiful styles.

Of course, if you want a truly exquisite feeder you can’t go past the range of glass models. While the plastic ones tend to be solid red, the glass feeders tend to be shaped and use painted flowers to attract the hummingbirds. Although these are surprisingly solid, being glass they can cause problems if you place them in areas where they are likely to break.

One advantage that glass feeders have over others, other than beauty, is that they are generally more likely to be dishwasher safe. While this obviously isn’t going to be a deal-breaker for most people, not having to handwash sun-baked sugar syrup out of small tubes is a bonus.

My Feeders Bring All The Bees To My Yard

Unfortunately for bird lovers, hummingbirds aren’t the only ones attracted to the sweet nectar you are putting into your bird feeder. Naturally, hummingbirds and bees feed from the same sources – flowers. However, that doesn’t help you when you find your feeder has been completely drained by passing bees – and most beekeepers don’t really want bees living on a diet of pure sugar either (see here).

If this is a problem for you, then you can look at investing in a feeder that has bee guards, as these effectively help to reduce the access bees have. It has also been recommended that you stick to feeders that have beautiful red colors which attract hummingbirds and avoid bright yellow which apparently attracts bees. If you are worried about the bee’s survival during winter or a tough drought you might like to install a separate food station for bees nearby.

Another problem that is often encountered is ants, which is why you will find a lot of feeders come with built-in (or attached) ‘ant moats. These can be filled with water and provide a barrier that means the ants cannot get into your nectar.