Decorate Your Hummingbird Feeder Stand To Entice Even More To Your Yard

The hummingbird feeder you hung so optimistically in your garden is deserted. What's going on? After carefully reading reviews to find the very best feeder and hanging it in a sheltered spot near flowering shrubs and away from predators, you just can't work out why it's not bustling with the wee nectar-slurping birds. While passionate backyard hummer spotters likely already know you should tie a red ribbon around your hummingbird feeder, other less common decorative hummingbird attractants may not be so obvious, or there could even be safety concerns. Whether you're simply slathering the feeder stand in bright, non-toxic paint or adorning it with gorgeous silk flowers and brilliant glass beads, most options are perfectly prudent.

First, however, we need to address the flighty bird in the room — the color red and its long-time positive association with hummingbirds. While hummers definitely see colors on the red-yellow spectrum better than other hues, it's actually the promise of nectar that they're attracted to — and, incredibly, have the location locked in their memory — rather than the color. So, what's more important than your choice of hue is making sure that the feeder is always full of nectar —  however you decide to decorate the stand it sits on or hangs on. There is another good reason to go for red, or really any bright hue other than yellow. Lemony shades attract wasps and bees that can pester hungry hummers so much they stop frequenting your feeder. It turns out that probably the easiest way to add some hummer-attracting color to your feeder stand is to paint it, but there are other options, too.

It's safe to paint a bird feeder if you use the right kind of paint. Look for spray or brush-on oil-based or acrylic paints designed for exterior use on the material your bird feeder stand is made of, be that metal, wood, or plastic. Additional bonuses: no or low VOCs, UV protection, and water resistance. A bright red or vibrant orange nail polish works for adding small but bright details to a stand. Either way, to keep your avian visitors safe, allow the paint to dry and cure completely (follow the manufacturer's instructions) before re-mounting your feeder and filling it with nectar.

Other decorations for hummingbird feeders that are impossibly easy to make include covering poles, hooks, and platforms with little, bright do-dads — think plastic strawberry-shaped buttons, red glass charms and beads, or artificial flowers made from silk, wood, or plastic. Glue or wire them on. If you're crafty, cut flowers from a colored cardboard or stiff textile-like felt. Sure, they probably won't last long if they're exposed to the elements, but they're also cheap to replace and relatively Earth-friendly. A more durable option is to cut flower shapes from an opened-out, flattened soda can and paint them in bright colors. Glue the flowers onto the feeder stand, bending the petals upwards to make them look more realistic. Or, if your stand is extra sturdy, mount hanging baskets full of real flowering shrubs from it. Are you a sewer with a hoard of fabric offcuts? Wrap red floral scrap pieces around the pole of your feeder stand.