How long will it take for birds to
find a new feeder?
It depends on the type of
feeder and the feeder location.
It could take hours or weeks.
Birds may take longer to find
window feeders and other feeders
very close the house.
Try getting the birds'
attention by putting some aluminum
foil on top of the feeder.
Why did the birds
stop coming to my feeder?
The birds may have stopped
coming to your feeder because there
is a lot of natural food readily
available.
Some birds switch to feeding
primarily on insects during certain
parts of the year.
There could be a problem with
your seed or feeder.
Try completely emptying the
feeder and cleaning it in a bucket
of hot soapy water with a little
disinfectant, such as bleach, added.
The feeder location could
also be a problem, if birds don't
feel safe, they will avoid your
feeder.
Try relocating the feeder
away from shrubs or brush that could
hide cats.
How close to a
window can I place a bird feeder?
Birds will come right to your
window, but it may take them a
little longer to get used to the
idea, so be patient.
A window feeder will break up
the reflection in the window, so you
shouldn't have to worry about birds
flying into the window and hurting
themselves (birds fly into windows
because they see the reflection of
the woods in the window and think
they can fly in that direction).
What time of year
should you feed birds?
Birds need the food you put
out most during the cold winter
months.
You can stop feeding them in
the spring, once a reliable supply
of natural food is available, but
many people continue to feed birds
year around.
Providing bird food will not
keep birds from migrating on time.
Migration coincides with
changes in the length of days, not
the abundance of food.
How do you make
hummingbird nectar?
Hummingbird food or nectar is
made by mixing sugar and boiling
water, at a ratio of 1/4 sugar to 1
cup of water.
This sugar water concoction
can ferment or get moldy and become
harmful to the hummingbirds.
For this reason, hummingbird
feeders should be cleaned at least
once a week and preferably twice a
week.
There is no need to add red
food coloring to hummingbird food.
The red on your hummingbird
feeder will attract them.
Should you stop
feeding humming birds after Labor
Day?
No.
There is no evidence that
feeding humming birds will keep them
from migrating.
The feeders can help
hummingbirds prepare for their long
migration.
Leave your hummingbird
feeders out until the hummers stop
coming.
Why do birds need
grit? Birds don't have teeth.
Dirt, sand and other coarse
materials they eat gathers in their
crop and helps grind up their food.
Adding grit to your feeder
can be helpful.
Can birds choke on
peanut butter? There is no evidence
that birds can choke on peanut
butter.
However, you can make it
easier for them to eat peanut butter
by mixing it with lard, cornmeal or
grit.
Will suet spoil in
the summertime?
In warm weather, raw fat suet
can melt and go rancid.
It is safer to use
commercially rendered suet cakes
during warm weather.
There are "no melt" suet
cakes available on the market,
designed specifically for warm
weather use.
If you live in a very warm
and humid region, you may want to
avoid suet altogether during the
summer.
A mixture of one part peanut
butter to five parts corn meal is a
good alternative.
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