thistlebloom
Garden Master
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2010
- Messages
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- Location
- North Idaho 48th parallel
That's okay Lesa, now that you've established your veracity with the hibiscus I'll believe anything you tell me!lesa said:(And no thistle, I did not get any pictures!)
Our hummers arrived on schedule also. We always have the Rufous here first, then a few days later the Calliope show up.
Det and Momofdrew, the standard formula is a 4 to 1 ratio of water to sugar. I start each season with a quarter cup of sugar dissolved in a cup of boiling water. I put fresh solution in the feeders every 3 days so they don't develop a fungus on their beak.
No food coloring is necessary. As more hummers show up I increase the amount I make.
I was at a job yesterday and the feeders were were super busy with hummers. We stood on the deck and almost got run over by the little flying mites as they zipped around. My hummers are never that numerous. And I plant flowers they like too.....so, I'm not sure what attracts them in larger numbers to one place over the other.
I read somewhere how long lived they are, something like a dozen years or more. They're amazing little creatures!