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Hummingbird
Feeders
If you want a hassle
free, fun hummingbird project for your kids, you've got to buy a
feeder first. No working with wire and old soda bottles. Ease of
cleaning will determine the best one for you. You or your child
will spend quite a bit of time cleaning and filling a feeder during
hummer season. You don't want it to be a chore.
You don't have to shell
out for instant food mix, though. If you can boil water, you can
make hummer food. You'll want four parts hot water to one part regular
white sugar. Just stir until the sugar dissolves and store the excess
in the refrigerator. Keep red coloring or other additives out of
the mix. The red color of the feeder attracts the birds just fine.
Hang it in early spring.
You might want to plop a potted plant with red flowers near the
feeder, to act as a signpost and give the little birds a place to
sit.
Ripe fruit placed near
the feeder can attract fruit flies - which ordinarily would seem
like a bad thing. But, hummingbirds get half their diet from small
insects. They'll drink from the feeder and then snatch up the yummy
bugs.
Rinse the feeder with
clean water every time you fill it. Don't use soap! Once a month,
a weak bleach solution, rinsed well, will sterilize the feeder and
keep your birds happy. They'll expect it back next spring when they
return.
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