Let's talk about the Hummingbird's and their Migration!

I can't seem to find a feeder that will keep the bees out. I bought one b/c it appeared to have bee guards, but the bees swarmed it anyway, so they were getting in somehow. Do you have any secrets for keeping the bees at bay?

My other question is about the danger of red dye. I believe that I read somewhere that there were two studies. One that indicated that the red dye in some hummer food causes liver damage, and one study that showed that the red dye causes birth defects. I can't seem to find where I read that. Does anyone know if that's true?

The feeder that I use is bee-proof. They check it out but give up after a while. I do get ants inside of them from time to time but I change the water so frequently that this is not really a problem.

I keep a pipe cleaner in the kitchen to clean out the feeder holes. I can run it through the dish washer to disinfect it.

I worry about the red dye so I make up the sugar water myself. It is really, really easy and my family has gotten used to seeing the glass juice bottle in the frig marked with a magic marker. And the meal worm cups.....I'm the weird Mom in the neighborhood! LOL



This message was edited Apr 4, 2010 12:54 PM

The 2 things I really like about my humzinger...it is spillproof and I have never had a bee or bug problem because of the nectar guard tips. I can leave this one out and the raccoons don't mess with it. I do love the cheapie $5 one by First Nature too but the bees and bugs get in it.

I just looked up both of those feeders and they both sound great!

I make my own food too. I noticed though that in every store I've visited, they only sell the red nectar. I thought I'd try to encourage some of the smaller nurseries to sell the kind without dye. Seems to me that one way to compete with Walmart is to sell something that they don't and that is better for the birds. If I could find those studies, I could show them to the stores. The stores could put signs up informing their costumers. If you're someone who buys nectar and you knew that the red stuff was bad, wouldn't you only buy from the store that offers dye free? Maybe I'm worried about nothing. Just wondered if anyone else had heard that the dye was harmful.

Elphaba...I have also heard about dye being harmful to the Hummers. Here is some interesting info http://www.hummingbirds.net/dye.html . Since it has not been proven that it isn't harmful to the birds, I will continue to make my own and save lots of $ too.

Rose, that was very interesting. I think I did hear it from Wild Birds Unlimited, but not 20 years ago. It was more like last year. I tend to agree with the second half against the red dye. It just doesn't seem like a good idea, but I guess I'll let the stores sell whatever they want until proof turns up. Thanks for link.

Egads, forget the hummers, worry about our own health! Red dye #40 is from coal tar?!! Remember Red Dye #2, which was pulled from shelves and M&M candies in the '70s? Turns out maybe it wasn't cancerous. But there is growing evidence that red dye #40 isn't good for us, and yet it's in everything from toothpaste to yoghurt. This is why neither my hummers nor my family get much in the way of processed foods. (Though there are some half eaten chocolate Easter bunnies laying around.)

I found powder nectar mix by Gardensong at True Value that is dye free and also a clear liquid mix by Homestead at Menards. Not sure if these stores are only midwest chains, but hopefully helpful to some that are trying to find it. It's obviously not as cheap as home made, but if you don't have a ton of hummers or time, it is an option.

We don't have Menards here but we do have True Value, and also Tractor Supply. Never thought to check which hummer food they carry since I use sugar water. Thanks for passing along the info, I'm sure it will be helpful for those who don't make their own.

The feeders I have out look very similar to yours, sacarvounis. Lovely new feeder, mcash, let us know how your hummers like it too.

I use $5 First Nature feeders from Walmart. Wide-mouth, easy to clean. The hummers love them. Sugar is so cheap. I just make my own nectar.

I had my first confirmed male Black-chinned at my feeder this afternoon. I could actually see his pretty purple stripe! Very exciting. Hopefully, I'll get some pics soon.

Congratulations Missy!

Those first nature ones are indeed easy to clean and fill. I have a small one of those. I also have the Humzinger, which is easy to clean and fill too, has the built in ant moat, but doesn't hold as much water. That doesn't mater much to me since I don't have lots of HBs.

Last year I got a metal lawn chair and planned on painting it red but haven't done it yet. I need to get going on that soon!!!!

I don't dye my sugar/water mix & my mother didn't either when I was a kid, and the hummers always find the food. In fact, it seems like most hummers are familiar with most models of feeders and know what to look for. They are smart - amazing considering the size of their brain. If the dye serves no purpose, why put it in?
I watched a video on attracting Hummingbirds, the guy that was featured in it barely put enough dye in his sugar-water to barely tint the nectar. He said it wasn't for the birds, it was for himself so he could tell if the feeder was getting low from across the yard - the clear nectar in a clear feeder was hard to see.
I've read that it is suspected that kids that have behavioral problems after eating sweets may be reacting to all the dyes and additives in sweet snack foods as much as they are to the sugar - again, if it serves no purpose, why put it in?

Marketing gimmick!

If I really wanted to tint the water for my benefit, I'd probably crush up some strawberries or sugar beets or something natural. But you're right, most of the feeders all have red on them to attract, so I don't think it is necessary.

I heard that the red dye could be harmful to the hummers at least 20 years ago. I make my own syrup and the birds find it just fine, so do a lot of the finches.;-)

I see one has been spotted close to me...time to put out the feeder.

Early this morning, a hummer came to my yellow flag iris and then bathed in the sprinkler and then drank water that had pooled on the leaves and then ate a spider on a web in the tree above me. Totally cool. Wish it had been bright enough out to take pics.

Coo, totally agree with you. Marketing just doesn't seem like a good enough reason to add poisons to our food, toothpaste or hummer food. I guess the pay off is immediate and the health consequences are way down the road and hard to prove. Still annoying.

We don't have Menards or True Value. I haven't found a single source for dye-free hummer food in this area. Can always order it though. I thought it might be better for the hummers than homemade, but apparently that's not the case, so homemade it is.

holy moly they've already gone past me.

LOL, Mrs. Ed. I'm sure some are still around! Often around here, if you miss them during spring migration, you don't get to see them again until fall. I don't get why more of them don't hang around here all summer. We have flowers! Come back! Come back!

I was thinking the same thing Mrs. Ed! I watched my feeders almost all afternoon on and off yesterday and nothing. Then I see the maps now at lunch and they are in Wisconsin! I guess the wind was so strong they flew right past ;-). Hopefully I caught someone's eye today with two feeders and my red hummingbird spinner. I can't wait to get home to see.

These ones on the maps are just the first wave of early males. There are plenty more to come. :-)

My first one is usually here around the 28th of April. I was just surprised at how quickly it happened. Last I knew, they were in Kentucky.

I know, that burst of warm weather really sent them up fast!

Let take this to a new thread since it's getting a little long. I'll be right back with a link.


Here is the NEW THREAD http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1085739/

This message was edited Apr 5, 2010 3:47 PM

I was looking at the map - Do you folks in Illinois and Indiana actually have anything blooming yet?
Here in Colorado, the Forsythia and Daffodils started blooming just this past week. I'd love to see Hummingbirds, too, - and probably will by the end of the month - but it is just too early here right now.

Forsythia, magnolia, daffodils here.

Hi Guys, This thread is closed. Please continue your conversation on the New Thread here.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1085739/