Getting Ready for the Ruby Throats

It is April and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird northern migration is in full swing.  Although no new 2014 sightings have been recorded in West Virginia this year, several have been made in northern Virginia and it won't be long before we begin seeing the early arrivals.  I have seen Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds in my yard as early as April 1, but that was one of my regulars (Rube) and he was always one of the first to arrive.  Most of my hummers show up later in the month and some don't arrive until early in the month of May.  I want to be ready for them, especially the "early birds" because they will be fighting some chilly weather and will need some serious calories to get through the cold nights.
I have already put up a couple of feeders and am watching them closely.  I think it is a great idea to go ahead and put the feeders up BEFORE, rather than AFTER the first hummer is sighted, simply because I may miss a bird or two and they will go hungry if I am negligent.  There are very few insects and virtually no natural nectar available for food in my area in early April, therefore it is CRUCIAL that we get our feeders up early for them.  
In earlier blogs I have listed some "Do's and Don'ts" relative to feeding hummingbirds and you may or may not want to glimpse back and take a quick read.  For those of you who don't care to do the research right now, I am going to list a few things I do and/or don't do with my hummingbird feeders.
Here is a Short List:
1. Mix your nectar using 4 parts water to 1 part table sugar.  Bring it to a boil on the stove to kill any bacteria and to help make the nectar a viable solution.  Let it cool off before pouring it into the feeder.  I know... you already knew that... lol.  If you make your nectar any stronger that this 4:1 mixture you run the possibility of causing dehydration in your hummers. Hummingbirds love clean, clear nectar that is mixed 4:1 and that is the only recipe/formula you ever need to use. 
2. NEVER use HONEY in your feeder.  Honey will not provide the calories that the hummingbirds need to sustain life and could cause their death within a short time if they fill up on Honey Nectar.  Look it up on Google if you have any doubts about what I am telling you.
3. Never use FOOD COLORING in your nectar.  Red Food Coloring (especially #7) has been shown to cause cancer in some lab animals and the jury is still out on the #40 red food coloring.  Modern hummingbird feeders are red and there is simply no reason to color the nectar.  I know it is pretty, but why take a chance with the health of the hummingbird.  If you want more RED on your feeder simply add a red DOME or a red ANT MOAT, both of which are both colorful AND functional.  Please do not use red food coloring in your feeder.

In previous blogs I have discussed which colors attract bees, yellow jackets, and other insects.  Check it out if you are having a lot of bees and other insects on your feeder.  You might be surprised what you find out.

If you have any questions and would like to bounce it off of me, feel free to shoot me an email at wsikes1@gmail.com.