For anyone that lives in an area where hummingbirds are native and want to see more of them in and around their property, there are a number of things they can do to encourage this behavior. Some of the best ways are listed below.
Ensure flowers are constantly blooming
When deciding what plants and flowers to plant in your yard, make sure that you choose ones that bloom during different times of the year. For instance, you could opt for a hanging basket full of fuschias that flower early, some sort of Salvia species for midsummer, and a later blooming trumpet creeper for the end of summer. If you want more specific advice then speak to an expert at your local garden center, as they will be able to tell you exactly what flowers to use in your yard and when each of them will bloom. With flowers continuously blooming in your yard, it will give hummingbirds reason to be around, especially later on in the year when flower production is down on normal levels.
Replace old feeders
Although your first action should always be to try and restore a feeder back to life, you should also know when not to waste your time and go ahead and buy a replacement instead. When doing so, make sure that you do not go cheap, and instead purchase feeders that are made from either heavy plastic or durable glass. No matter the material, just make sure that they are designed in a way where they are easy to fill and that easy to take apart so that they can be easily cleaned. Doing this will encourage more hummingbirds to visit the feeders to quench their thirst.
Do not remove spider webs
Believe it or not, hummingbirds actually use spider webs as their main construction material when building their nest. The reason for this is because its strength helps to keep the next together whilst also keeping it attached to the branch that it is built on. However, it is not just the material that hummingbirds are interested in, they also like to eat the many insects that get stuck on spider webs. These insects act as an important source of protein for these birds so they want to eat as many of them as possible. So by spider webs in your yard, you will be sure to attract many hummingbirds into it.
Add a mister to the hose
This is a small attachment that you add to any regular garden hose that has pinhole openings in it and sprays out a fine mist out into the air. Just like most birds, hummingbirds, love to bathe regularly where there is a good supply of water available. With a mister you will see them flying back and forth through the spray up to the point where they are completely soaked. At this point they will fly off and dry out on a nearby perch. Misters can be purchased from any good hardware store.
