It's that time of year again! We are all getting antsy for some hummingbird action! Unless you live in a rural area, you probably have not seen more than one or two a day for the past few months. Our Ruby-
throats have been busy guarding breeding territories and raising young, but as young birds grow stronger, they venture out into the world and to our feeders. Their moms are free to move around more and some adult males even start their southbound migration as early as July.

The Fourth of July is one of our favorite holidays, but it is also a great reminder on our calendars of when to expect more hummingbirds at our feeders. So make sure you have those feeders clean and filled with fresh nectar, because they'll be here before you know it!

We are often asked how to attract more hummers. Offer them a big "buffet" of both multiple feeders and a good selection of their favorite plants. Don't worry if you don't have a green thumb or a large yard. You can attract hummers to even an apartment balcony or small garden with potted or hanging plants like fuchsia, coral honeysuckle, salvia, turk's cap, bee balm and cigar plant.

Fancy, handmade hummingbird feeders may be beautiful, but most do not attract nearly as many hummers as the good old standbys like the Four Fountains and the Dr. JB's Feeder, or even the various saucer-styles which have revolutionized the market with easy to fill, easy to clean feeders with built-in ant moats that rarely attract bees or wasps. Try to run as many feeders as you can, and it is okay to cluster them. One bird can easily bully one or two feeders, but if you offer five or six (or dozens like some of us), then one bird cannot defend them all and territoriality breaks down. Yes, you really can attract hundreds of birds to your yard if you are truly committed. Make sure to use a nectar mixture of four parts warm water to one part plain, white sugar and change at least twice weekly. Clean any mold or mildew with a mixture of ten parts water to one part plain bleach and rinse well. Do not use soap, as it leaves a residue.