How do you get hummingbirds to come to your house?

Hummingbirds are beautiful, energetic little birds that can brighten up any backyard. If you want to attract hummingbirds to your home, there are some simple strategies you can use. The keys are providing food, water, shelter, and habitat that will appeal to these busy flyers. Follow these tips to turn your yard into a hummingbird hotspot!

Provide sugar water in feeders

The most important thing you can do to attract hummingbirds is set up feeders with sugar water (also called nectar). Hummingbirds get most of their nutrition from flower nectar, and they are constantly looking for food sources. By offering an artificial nectar feeder, you are providing them with the high-energy food they need to thrive. Here are some tips for setting up effective hummingbird feeders:

• Get a feeder designed specifically for hummingbirds. These have a red base and red flowers around the feeding ports that will attract the birds. The feeder should also be easy to take apart for cleaning.
• Fill the feeder with a 4:1 ratio of water to white granulated sugar only. Do not use any food coloring, honey, artificial sweeteners, or added nutrients which could be harmful to hummingbirds.
• Clean and refill feeders every 2-3 days, more often in hot weather. Change the sugar water completely to prevent mold and bacteria from accumulating.
• Place feeders in a shady spot to keep the nectar cool and fresh. Hummingbirds won’t go to a feeder with fermented nectar.
• Hang multiple feeders around your yard to accommodate more birds. Space them at least 10 feet apart so dominant birds can’t guard them all.

With fresh sugar water readily available, hummingbirds will seek out your feeders and become regular visitors.

Provide running water

In addition to nectar, hummingbirds also need plain water for bathing and drinking. Providing a water feature will make your yard even more attractive. Options for giving hummingbirds water include:

• A mister or dripper over a bird bath creates flowing water that hummingbirds are drawn to.
• Fountains and waterfalls also provide pleasant moving water for hummingbirds to fly through and drink.
• For a simple solution, set out a shallow bowl filled with water and a few small stones for perching.
• Change the water daily to keep it clean and fresh.

The sound and movement of running water is an appealing invitation for hummingbirds to visit your yard.

Have plenty of flowering plants

Hummingbirds seek out blossoms with high-energy nectar they can drink. Having plenty of flowering plants in your yard will provide natural food sources for hummingbirds. Some top plants that attract hummingbirds include:

• Native wildflowers like bee balm, columbine, trumpet vines, and firecracker flowers
• Nectar-rich perennials like fuchsia, coral honeysuckle, impatiens, and petunias
• Trees and shrubs like lilac, crabapple, and trumpet vine

Choose a variety of flower colors and make sure something is blooming from spring through fall. Hummingbirds will remember reliable food sources from year to year and revisit your garden.

Provide small trees and shrubs

Hummingbirds like to perch and rest in between meals. Providing trees and shrubs gives them places to stop and survey your yard. Ideas include:

• Plant willow, maple, oak, and pine trees that hummingbirds can rest in.
• Shrubs like lilac, butterfly bush, and weigela also make nice resting spots.
• Keep your yard at least partly shaded so hummingbirds can get out of the hot sun.
• Avoid pruning trees and shrubs in summer when hummingbirds are nesting and rearing young.

With sheltered perches available, hummingbirds will feel safe and stick around longer to enjoy your yard’s offerings.

Try specialized feeders

In addition to nectar feeders, consider offering specialized feeders to provide hummingbirds with insect food. Some options include:

• Tube-shaped feeders filled with sugar water attract fruit flies that hummingbirds eat.
• Feeders with yellow bee guards entice hummingbirds to nibble trapped insects.
• Mesh bags of overripe fruit hung in your yard draw flies that hummingbirds will feed on.

Feeders that mimic flowers and provide edible insects perfectly complement the hummingbird diet. Use them together with nectar feeders to create a one-stop dining location.

Avoid using pesticides

Hummingbirds are highly sensitive to chemicals and pesticides. Limit your use of these products, especially near areas where hummingbirds will feed. Follow organic gardening practices whenever possible. Read all labels carefully and avoid using anything toxic to pollinators and birds.

Providing a pesticide-free landscape will help hummingbirds thrive and stay healthy.

Put up a nesting site

In addition to attracting hummingbirds to feed in your yard, you can provide nesting sites for them to raise their young. Ideas include:

• Hang a hummingbird house with a small nesting chamber up high in a sheltered spot.
• Leave up dead fronds on plants since hummingbirds use downy fibers to line their tiny nests.
• Allow lichens and moss to grow on your trees and fences since hummingbirds harvest these materials for nests.
• Plant willow trees which provide great nesting sites in their loose, dangling branches.

If hummingbirds successfully nest in your yard, they are even more likely to come back year after year.

Strategically place feeders and plants

Where you locate your feeders and flower gardens will affect how often hummingbirds visit them. Follow these tips:

• Place feeders and flowering plants within easy sightlines from one another so hummingbirds can move efficiently between food sources.
• Position feeders and plants near exterior walls, fences, or trellises since hummingbirds like to fly vertically and perch.
• Hang feeders at least 1-3 feet above the ground and not too close together to reduce territorial fighting.
• Face feeder openings towards nearby tree branches or other perches where hummingbirds wait before approaching.

Optimizing the placement of hummingbird attractions will increase activity and sightings.

Provide habitat variety

Hummingbirds flourish in yards with diverse plantings and habitat. Follow these tips to create an enticing landscape:

• Vary heights of trees, shrubs, and flowers so hummingbirds can fly at different levels.
• Include both woody and herbaceous plants to provide coverage and open space.
• Mix sun-loving and shade-loving plants to give hummingbirds choices.
• Arrange plants in clusters and drifts rather than straight rows for a natural look.
• Allow some dead trees, logs, and leaves to remain since these provide insect habitat.

Hummingbirds appreciate and benefit from layered vegetation and habitat heterogeneity. Don’t be too tidy!

Be patient

It can take a little while for hummingbirds to discover and start using new feeders and plantings. Follow these tips for giving them time to respond:

• Expect a lag between setting up a feeder and seeing the first hummingbird visitors.
• Leave feeders up consistently instead of taking them down when not in use.
• Consider starting flowers from seed in early spring so blooms will be ready for returning hummingbirds.
• Plan landscaping additions at least one season ahead so plants become established.

With persistence and patience, hummingbirds will eventually find and benefit from the habitat you provide.

Avoid artificial treatments

Using artificial treatments like dyes, scents, and flavorings in your yard may actually discourage hummingbirds from visiting. Here is why to avoid these:

• Red dye – Unnecessary in feeders which already have red parts. The dye can clog feeder ports.
• Essential oils – Oils added to nectar may be toxic or irritating to hummingbird skin and bills.
• Sugar substitutes – Artificial sweeteners provide no nutritional value and may be unsafe at feeder concentrations.
• Insect sprays – Negative effects on pollinators; hummingbirds eat insects too!

Keeping your yard as natural as possible will create the healthiest habitat for hummingbirds.

Conclusion

Welcoming hummingbirds to your outdoor space takes a little strategic planning but pays off in the joy of watching these energetic little birds buzzing around your yard. By providing key ingredients like food, water, shelter and nesting materials, you can create an attractive haven. Place these habitat features thoughtfully, include a diversity of plantings, and be patient for the birds to find your yard. Avoid artificial additives and treatments. With the right habitat, hummingbirds will come and reward you with their lively antics and dazzling, irridescent colors.