Hummingbirds are back and you probably have seen some ariel dog fighting by your feeders. With hummers being so territorial, there have been quite a few questions on how many feeders should people hang in their yard. The answer is, how many hummingbirds do you want to see come to your location. There is no right or wrong number and 1 to 2 usually enough for a small area.

This number of feeders can bring 4 to 8 little red throated (most common) hummers to your yard and this amount of feeders is much easier to maintain. That being said, if the feeders you have up now empty quickly or too much fighting occurs, adding another feeder would be a great idea.

If you do put up additional feeders, positioning them apart is suggested. Placing each feeder 10 to 15 feet apart should be enough, and this could reduce in flight assaults. If folks do not want to add another feeder, placing individual feeders at different heights might work. Placing the feeders in a shaded area and keeping feeders’ clean will attract more hummers too.

I have heard people say ants are getting into the feeders, but its sugar water so this can happen. The best way to stop that is to spray the ground around the feeder with ant killer and this should work. I’m pretty sure we all know the sugar water is a 4 to 1 mix. (4-part water to 1 part sugar) but, I have read that honey water (4-part water to 1 part honey) will not only attract hummingbirds, but it is high protein too.

I have never done the honey mixture and probably won’t either. Some do not like ants in their feeders with sugar water so I can only imagine what the honey water will attract. BUT that honey water solution might be a great idea to put in our feeders before the hummers make that long migration south in September/October.