Most Hummingbirds are migrant, and visit North America in the warmer seasons. Feeders should be put up in time for their arrival. This will vary greatly depending upon where you are located. In the Florida area they arrive as early as January, and in the Upper Great Lakes they arrive in May. It is important to know the average date they arrive in your specific area to get your feeder up 5-10 days before the average date so they will see your feeder up and take a drink, and possibly stay for the season in your backyard!
If you never seem to be able to attract hummingbirds to your yard, try one or more of these tips, and you should see hummers at your feeder soon! All hummingbird feeders that are purchased these days have red on them somewhere,but if you are in doubt that there is enough red, try tying a red ribbon on the feeder. Another way to attract attention to your feeder is to place it among flowers that hummers like, or hang a basket of flowers nearby. You will find that feeder activity slows as more flowers bloom in your yard. Do not panic! They prefer natural nectar over what we give them in our feeders, so they are still around, and you will see them at your feeders more often, as the blooms start to diminish. If you live in the Eastern part of the United States, you will find you only have one hummingbird that will visit us for the summer, and that is the Ruby-throated. They are very territorial and defend flowers and feeders within their favorite roost spot, so if you want to attract more than one hummer, try putting up 2-3 more feeders out of sight from each other--perhaps on another side of your house.
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