Smart Ways To Attract Hummingbirds To Your DIY Mason Jar Feeder

If you're trying to attract hummingbirds to your garden or yard, turning an old Mason jar into a hummingbird feeder can be a simple and effective solution. Whether store-bought or made at home, hummingbird nectar feeders tend to work pretty well and can help bring them to your yard. However, sometimes they don't work quite as well as planned.

If you find that hummingbirds haven't been visiting your feeder, there are a few simple reasons this may be the case. One of the top reasons that it's not working may be because it doesn't have any red on it. Be sure to add red to the lid of your DIY Mason jar feeder if you want it to attract these small birds more easily. You can easily do this with paint or red fingernail polish.

Hummingbirds are attracted to the color since it serves as a signal that there is food nearby. Many red flowers are great sources of nectar for them. By adding a splash of red to the feeder, it's more likely that hummingbirds will take note of your Mason jar feeder and realize there's food inside.

Aside from making improvements to the hummingbird feeder itself, there are other possibilities why your jar might not be attracting the interest you want it to. One of the reasons is that you haven't carefully determined the best place to put your hummingbird feeder. Some locations will work better than others for attracting hummingbirds.

Generally, you'll want to put the hummingbird feeder in an area that is about 10 to 15 feet from good hiding places and that is clearly visible to both you and hummingbirds. However, while you'll want to be able to watch these small birds when they visit, avoid placing them too close to windows since this could cause them to fly into the glass.

Another important thing to consider is how clean the Mason jar feeder is. If it gets too dirty, it won't attract hummingbirds as well. Old nectar can grow mold and bacteria and may be dangerous for hummingbirds. Be sure to change it regularly to ensure the feeder continues doing a good job at attracting them. Clean the feeder regularly, but try to avoid the mistakes most people make when cleaning them. Be sure to clean it safely by using either hot water or diluted vinegar and avoid harsher cleaners.

In addition to making these changes to your Mason jar feeder and its placement, you can also increase your chances of attracting hummingbirds in other ways. While putting up one hummingbird feeder is a great first step for attracting them to your yard and garden, you can add several different feeders to get better results. This also helps to prevent one hummingbird from getting territorial and taking all of the food for itself.

To attract more hummingbirds, also be sure to plant flowers that they like and pollinate, such as bee balm, hummingbird sage, and any tubular flowers that are red or orange. Hummingbirds will be happy to feed from the nectar of these plants if given the opportunity, so consider growing them to attract more to the area. Remember that adding perching plants and shrubs can also be a great idea since it will give hummingbirds a place to perch and hide. You might also want to make an easy DIY swing for your yard to give them a place to perch as well.