Hummingbird Feeder Perches Bad for Birds?

We have listened to the “perches on hummer feeders are bad and can kill hummingbirds” story. The theory is that hummers would land on a feeder perch in the cool early morning and drink the cold morning temperature nectar from the feeder and this jolt of coldness would cause them to go into torpor,. A torpor is a trance-like state in which body functions slow drastically to economize energy. A torpor is a state several species of hummers practice. Some hummers were witnessed hanging upside down from their perches, while others fell down to the ground and were at the mercy of predators. It has been theorized that the hummers were not moving around and as a result, did not produce enough body heat while sitting to feed, therefore they succumbed to the cold. Consequently perches became a danger should be removed in order to force the birds to hover and produce body heat.

So far there is no scientific grounds to support this theory. Hummingbirds survive in exceedingly cold weather naturally in a state of torpor, so they may be in their natural state on a especially cold morning. Or, while at a feeder, hummingbirds can be stung by bees or wasps, or wounded in the fighting which will happen at busy nectar feeding stations. We have seen birds knock each other totally out of the air. There are several alternative reasons why a hummer may “pass out” at a bird feeder. Our feeders continue to have perches. In our yards, the hummingbird feeders are tiny battle zones. While we know that some hummers will feed peacefully with others this just hasn’t been the case with our personal experience in general. From what we have observed, perches seems to help keep the peace at war like stations. More than one hummer will land on a feeder with perches and eat in an uneasy peace, whereas we have not seen multiple birds hover and be willing to share food. We will keep our perches until there is some evidence which backs up the torpor theory.

Bee & Ant Problems at Hummingbird Feeders

Ants and Crawling Bug Problems

If your hummingbird feeder is being visited by ants and bees and chasing away hummers, you will require some type of ant traps or ant guard. Typically these are small dishes or cups of water to can suspend above the feeder which work as a barrier, creating a moat of water between the wire or hook the feeder is hung by, and the feeder itself. This acts to cut off the ant’s access to the feeder. Ants will make a steady line up to a feeder without an ant trap because feeding port holes are easily accessible to them. Many hummingbird nectar feeders now come with built in ant guards but if your current feeder does not have one, these moat guards they are available as an add-on accessory for existing feeders. It’s a very simple, inexpensive solution to crawling bug trouble. You can shop for a variety of different styles of ant and crawling bug moats here: Hummingbird Feeder Ant Guards

They come in decorative styles such as:

Decorative Ant Water Guard

or the more purely functional styles such as:

Hummingbird Feeder Ant Moat Clear

These water filled moats are very effective in stopping crawling bugs from making a path straight to a feeder. One thing that we do find at our own hummingbird stations is that smaller songbirds - particularly chickadees, titmice and finches - love to hang on the wire and drink from the moats. We’ve found the larger ant cups such as pictured above, as opposed to the smaller built in and cups that come with many styles of feeders, to be an advantage. The smaller songbirds will often drink all of the water from the small cups between nectar changes therefore we sometimes use the extra larger moats. We have plenty of bird baths and water around, but our little birds seem to prefer prefer a drink from something their own size. The photo to the left was taken from our back deck.

Wasps, Bees and Flying Insects

We have found in our own gardens that bees prefer yellow. Now maybe there is some scientific backup to this, we do not know. Maybe it’s complete hooey on our part and only occurring in our backyards. The bees in our backyard annoy our yellow hummingbird nectar feeders quite a bit more than our feeders which are red. They are also more probable to be a bother at a gravity style feeder over a saucer or dish style because the nectar is right up to the feeding port and can be easily accessed by a bee. however, there are all sorts of bee guards for this which can be added to feeders. Bee guards form small cages over the actual feeding port itself which the bee can not climb or reach past. Often these bee guards are yellow, but if the bee lands and only finds yellow plastic within it’s reach, there is nothing of interest so it simply flies away.

This is a classic gravity style, or inverted bottle hummingbird feeder which has bee and wasp guards attached:

Inverted Bottle Hummingbird Feeder

If you already own a hummingbird feeder which does not have the attached bee wasp guards, they can be purchased separately:

Hummingbird Feeder Wasp Bee Guards

For us, our favorite hummingbird feeder is the dish, or saucer style. These feature the nectar reservoir below the feeding ports, therefore the nectar isn’t accessible to bees or wasps. The insects simply can not reach far enough into the dish to get to the nectar. Also, the nectar isn’t touching any seams where bees can feed from. This also makes them dripless. Ant guards are frequently built into a dish or saucer style hummingbird feeder.

Aspects HummZinger Fancy

It’s tough to see from the above photo, but there is a small cup at the base of the hanger post which you can fill with water to stop ants from crawling to the nectar. The nectar level is too far down the reservoir for bees to reach. You can shop for a large assortment of saucer, gravity and gorgeous decorative hummingbird feeders at Hummingbird Feeder Store.

A list of hummingbird species which can be found in the United States and their ranges

Allen’s Hummingbird, Selasphorus sasin - Endemic
Distribution: Arizona, coastal California and Channel Islands, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts - Nantucket, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vancouver Island, B.C. Some birds migrate between Baja and coastal California, while others are year-round California residents.

Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna -
Distribution: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and British Columbia (resident on Vancouver Island).

Berylline Hummingbird, Saucerottia beryllina
Distribution: Rare. Chiricahua Mountains of southeast Arizona, and in New Mexico. Winters in Mexico.

Black-chinned Hummingbird, Archilochus alexandri
Distribution: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.

Blue-throated Hummingbird, Lampornis clemenciae
Distribution: Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. Winters in Mexico.

Broad-billed Hummingbird, Cynanthus latirostris
Distribution: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Ontario. Winters in Mexico.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Selasphorus platycercus
Distribution: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Manitoba. Winters in Mexico.

Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Amazilia yucatanensis
Distribution: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Winters in eastern coastal Mexico.

Calliope Hummingbird, Stellula calliope
Distribution: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. Winters in west-central Mexico.

Costa’s Hummingbird, Calypte costae
Distribution: Alaska, Arizona, California, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and British Columbia. Winters in SE California, SW Arizona, NW Sonora, and Baja. Costa’s don’t migrate very long distances, and can be among the first migrant birds to arrive in the spring.

Lucifer Hummingbird, Calothorax lucifer
Distribution: Observed in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters central Mexico.

Magnificent (Rivoli’s) Hummingbird, Heliodoxa fulgensS
Distribution: Observed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Winters in Mexico.

Ruby throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris
Distribution: Distribution: Ruby throats breed throughout eastern to Midwestern North America, from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and winter primarily in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands. A few are reported to remain in the US Gulf states and Outer Banks of North Carolina. The ruby throated hummingbird makes an amazing non-stop crossing of the Gulf to it’s winter home (and back), taking 18-20 hours to make the flight. In the spring arrive at the coast in late February or early March, and follow the development of spring flowers. In fall, males migrate earlier than females, some adult males starting south as early as July. Females usually leave at the end of September in the southeast. Juveniles depart last, after the females, with the last juveniles leaving suddenly at first frost which is usually around mid-October. By mid-November, the ruby throat has usually finished migrating from the United states. We keep our hummingbird feeders out until Early November.

Rufous Hummingbird, Selasphorus rufus
Distribution: Observed in every state and province except Hawaii, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Rufous is the most widely distributed hummingbird in North America. Winters in Mexico and possibly Panama.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Amazilia violiceps
Distribution: Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters in Mexico.

White-eared Hummingbird, Hylocharis leucotis
Distribution: Arizona, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters in mountains of Mexico.

Xantus’s Hummingbird
Xantus’ is a Mexican hummingbird normally found only in Baja California but at one point a nest was found in southern California. However, no chicks fledged. In 1997 a single bird was observed in British Columbia.

Garden Plants Attractive to Hummingbirds

List of plants for attracting Hummingbirds to your gardens with zone tolerances. Hummers in the United States will visit:

Anise Hyssop Agastache foeniculum Zone 7 - 11
Autumn sage Salvia greggii Zone 7 - 10
Bee Balm Monarda Zone 4 - 8
Bergamot Monarda Zone 4 - 8
Bird of Paradise Caesalpinia gilliesii Zone 8 - 11
Bishop’s Hat Epimedium grandiflorum Zone 4 - 9
Bleeding Heart Dicentra spectabilis Zone 3 - 8
Bottlebush Callistemon citrinus Zone 8 - 10
Butterfly Bush Buddleia Zone 5 - 9
Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa Zone 3 - 10
Cannas Canna Zone 8 - 10
Cape Fuchsia Phygelius capensis Zone 7 - 9
Cape Honeysuckle Tecomaria capensis Zone 8 - 10
Cardinal Climber Ipomoea multifida Zone 6 - 11
Cardinal Flower Lobelia Zone 2 - 8
Chaste tree Vitex agnus-castus Zone 7 - 9
Cleveland sage Salvia clevelandii Zone 8 - 11
Columbines Aquilegia Zone 3 - 9
Comfrey Symphytum Zone 5 - 10
Coral bells Heuchera Zone 3 - 8
Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Zone 4 - 10
Cross Vine Bignonia capreolata Zone 6 - 10
Cypress Vine Ipomoea quamoclit Zone 6 - 11
Daylily Hemerocallis Zone 3 - 8
Delphinium Delphinium Zone 3 - 7
Double Bubblemint Agastache cana Zone 5 - 9
Egyptian Star Penta Zone 9 - 11
Firebush Hamelia patens Zone 8 - 11
Firecracker Plant Russelia equisetiformis Zone 5 - 9
Fireweed Epilobium augustifolium Zone 3 - 9
Flowering Maple Abutilon Zone 9 - 11
Four o’clocks Mirabilis jalapa Zone 8 - 11
Foxglove Digitalis Zone 4 - 8
Fuchsia Fuchsia lycioides Zone 9 - 11
Gay feather Liatris Zone 3 - 8
Giant Hummingbird Mint Agastache barberi Zone 4 - 8
Gladiolus Gladiolus Zone 5 - 8
Glossy Abelia Abelia grandifora Zone 5 - 10
Hollyhocks Alcea rosea Zone 3 - 7
Honeysuckle Lonicera Zone 4 - 10
Horsemint Monarda fistulosa Zone 4 - 8
Hosta Hosta Zone 3 - 8
Impatiens Impatiens Zone 1 - 11
Indian Paintbrush Castilleja Zone 6 - 9
Ipomopsis Ipomopsis Zone 4 - 11
Iris Iris Zone 6 - 9
Jewelweed Impatiens Zone 1 - 11
Kalanchoe Kalanchoe Zone 9 - 11
Lantana Lantana Zone 8 - 11
Larkspur Delphinium Zone 3 - 7
Liatris Liatris Zone 3 - 8
Lilac Syringa vulgaris Zone 3 - 8
Lily of the Nile Agapanthus orientalis Zone 6 - 8
Mexican Cigar Cuphea ignea Zone 9 - 11
Mexican Giant Hyssop Agastache mexicana Zone 8 - 11
Mexican Sage Salvia leucantha Zone 8 - 11
Mexican Sunflower Tithonia rotundifolia Zone 1 - 11
Milkweed, Butterfly Asclepias tuberosa Zone 3 - 10
Milkweed, Mexican Asclepias curassavica Zone 7 - 10
Nasturtiums Tropaeolum Zone 1 - 11
Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana Zone 2 - 9
Pagoda Plant Clerodendrum speciosissimum Zone 10 - 11
Penstemon Penstemon Zone 4 - 7
Penta Penta Zone 9 - 11
Peruvian Lily Alstroemeria psittacina Zone 6 - 8
Phlox Phlox Zone 4 - 8
Pineapple Sage Salvia elegans Zone 9 - 11
Plaintain Lily Hosta Zone 3 - 8
Red Hot Poker Kniphofia uvaria Zone 5 - 11
Red Mint Stachys coccinea Zone 7 - 11
Red Morning Glory Ipomoea coccinea Zone 2 - 11
Red Sage Salvia splendens Zone 1 - 11
Red Star Hibiscus Hibiscus coccineus Zone 6 - 11
Red Yucca Hesperaloe parviflora Zone 5 - 8
Rhododendron Rhododendron Zone 4 - 11
Rose of Sharon Hibiscus syriacus Zone 5 - 9
Salvia Salvia various
Scarlet Runner Bean Phaseolus coccineus Zone 1 - 11
Scarlet Sage Salvia coccinea Zone 1 - 11
Shrimp Plant Justicia brandegeana Zone 9 - 10
Skyrocket Ipomopsis Zone 4 - 11
Snapdragon Antirrhinum majus Zone 1 - 11
Snapdragon Vine Asarina antirrhinifolia Zone 9 - 10
Soapwort Saponaria ocymoides Zone 2 - 9
Sword Lily Gladiolus Zone 5 - 8
Texas Betony Stachys coccinea Zone 7 - 11
Texas Sage Salvia coccinea Zone 1 - 11
Tree Tobacco Nicotiana glauca Zone 1 - 11
Tritoma Kniphofia uvaria Zone 5 - 11
Trumpet vine Campsis radicans Zone 4 - 9
Turk’s Cap Malvaviscus Zone 8 - 12
Yellow Bells Tecoma stans Zone 9 - 11
Zinnia Zinnia Zone 1 - 11

Hummingbird and Oriole Nectar Feeder Cleaning

Your hummingbird feeders need to be cleaned, and nectar changed every 3-4 days to avoid the sugar water solution from getting spoiled and unhealthy for the birds. You might need to do this more frequently in hotter weather. If you see black flecks inside your feeder take it down and clean it right away. Sugar water is a great breeding ground for mold and bacteria, so take precautions to keep hummingbird and oriole nectar feeders clean! Back speckles in the feeder could be mold, so scrub it out well with a effective bottle brush. If you can not get to the inside the reservoir with a bottle brush, try a light bleach solution with water and agitate the feeder to remove the mold. Rinse very well! Then rinse again just to be sure. Rinse and clean hummingbird nectar feeder every time you change the food.

Using bleach could cause the color on the feeder’s plastic components to fade. We do not use bleach on our feeders parts that are colored, only on the clear reservoir. Alternatively, hot soapy water is used on red parts of nectar feeders. If a plastic feeder is listed as dishwasher safe we put the whole dang thing in the dishwasher, red parts and all.

As an option to bleach, we have heard of people utilizing grains of uncooked rice BBs and even sand as tiny abrasive “scrubbers. to clean with” The method is, using a funnel, put 1/4 c. rice or BBs into the feeder and fill it halfway with warm water. Cover the opening and shake well. We have not tried out this system, but if you do not care to use bleach, it is an alternative.

A cotton swab is your friend and quite helpful in removing dirt or mold stuck in feeder ports., but the easiest solution to throughly cleaning out tiny feeding port holes is specialty small brushes:

Hummingbird Feeder Cleaning Brush

These brushes are also available in complete sets which are handy for bottle style hummer feeders, including brushes convenient for bottle style feeders:

Hummingbird Feeder Cleaning Brush Set

You can shop for a variety of hummingbird feeder cleaning supplies at Hummingbird Feeder Accessories.

This is a simple recipe for making your own hummingbird nectar.

1 Part sugar
4 Parts water
Boil well for a few minutes
Cool & store in refrigerator

Never use honey or artificial sweeteners. Honey ferments rapidly and can make hummers ill.

There is no study to show if red dye is harmful to hummingbirds but we do not use red food coloring in our solution. It has not been proven that it is harmful, but it has also not been shown that it is not.  This is a personal choice and we do it because the effects of dye on hummingbirds is unknown at this time. If there is a chance, why take it? The red parts of a feeder will attract hummingbirds quite effectively on their own. Tying ribbons over the feeder is also a method of attracting hummers to feeders, therefore the dye is moot.