Creating a Hummingbird Habitat
by Donald Ray Burger
Attorney at Law

In my experience, proper placement of Perky-Pet Brand hummingbird feeders alone will attract hummers to your garden. What do I mean by "proper placement?"

In the beginning (before the hummers add your garden to their "must stop" list) the feeder must be placed where it can easily be seen on hummingbird flight paths. A metal "shepherd's hook" (sold by Walmart, K Mart, Target, etc.) will provide you with the ability to hang a feeder almost anywhere. After the hummers have found your garden, I recommend placing the feeders under or near trees or shrubs. Hummers like to perch in a protected area before flying to the feeder. Also, mold problems are reduced if the feeder hangs in the shade.

I like to hang feeders from a branch of an oak tree. Use "S" hooks and chain to adjust the height so you can easily remove the feeder for refilling.

I like to put my feeders at between five and six feet high. That provides optimal viewing height and is well out or range of cats.

Hummers are very territorial. They seem to spend as much time "fighting" each other as they do feeding. If you have a particularly bad hummer who is preventing the others from feeding, the solution is to put up a second feeder which is sufficiently far away so that the bully cannot guard both feeders at the same time.

If feeders alone will attract hummers, why mess with plants? Because hummers do not live by sugar-water alone. Real flowers provide nectar and insects that are present around the nectar. Hummers need both.

As an added benefit, many of the plants I recommend for hummers do double duty by attracting butterflies to your garden. And the beauty these plant provide will be appreciated by the two-footed visitors to your garden.

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