May | June 2010
Nests are usually found between 12 and 18 feet above the ground. Feeders should be placed this high from the ground just inside the canopy.
Take a wire shaped in an “s” and hang it on a tree branch. Attach a large wire loop to the feeder for easy hanging. Use a pole with a coat hanger hook to hang it, he said.
Put a shallow ceramic bird bath with a water level less than half of an inch at any time five to six feet off the ground in full sun, too.
Feeder etiquette
A sugar solution made of four parts water and one part table sugar is the best mix to put in feeders. The mix should be boiled for a few minutes and then cooled. Never add fruit juice, honey or red dye. Humming- birds get their daily protein from eating gnats and tiny flies, so they really don’t need any extra in the nectar solution.
Feeders should be kept up year round in Georgia. Birds will leave an area where feeders are not main- tained. “A clean feeder is a welcome sight to hum- mingbirds,” Thomas said.
Feeders should be cleaned every two to three days. Insects introduce bacteria to them. This can sicken or kill the birds. To limit this problem, only fill feeders half way and replace solution every other day.
To clean feeders, dump the leftover food. Wash thor- oughly by rinsing three or four times before refilling. If really dirty, place feeders in boiling water for a few minutes. Never use bleach.
“You have to be a good steward with feeders, so be very consistent, and your hummingbirds will reward you with a healthy population and many more birds that return each year,” Thomas said.
Homeplace Garden Nursery Rhododendrons
We have the best selection of varieties for Georgia gardens grown in North Georgia on Georgia Roots.
Japanese Maples
Our large selection of both familiar and uncommon varieties is grown in large containers, mostly 15 to 25 gallon. Root systems on dug or container maples shipped across the continent cannot compare!
Many choice plants for shade! Pieris, Kalmia (we have tested many named varieties and selected the best growers for our climate), specimen Hostas, Ferms, Stewartias, Dwarf Conifers, Fothergilla, and more.
P.O. Box 300 • Commerce, GA 30529 (706) 335-2892 A short distance from I-85 at U.S. 441 on Harden Bridge Rd. 21
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