Messages From The Heartland

[loneleeb3]

Dilute the mix and then dump it in with sugar water? Is that what you mean Richard? Do you put red food coloring in the sugar water?

I might switch back to the concentrated mix again. That fruit punch smell is getting on my last nerve.

No, just mix the fruit punch with plain water to water it down some.
OR you can just make sugar water. You don't have to use food coloring. I never do.
The food coloring is more for people than the birds LOL.
Birds don't know from red water they just like the taste of the sugar! LOL
I have used just plain sugar water and have had tons of Humming birds~

[David In Indy]

No, just mix the fruit punch with plain water to water it down some.
OR you can just make sugar water. You don't have to use food coloring. I never do.
The food coloring is more for people than the birds LOL.
Birds don't know from red water they just like the taste of the sugar! LOL
I have used just plain sugar water and have had tons of Humming birds~

My Mom used to do that. She'd mix water and sugar together. I've been buying the special mix at the store - at Wal-Mart mostly. It's called hummingbird "nectar" and it has many vitamins and minerals in it to keep the birds healthy. It comes in a large bottle, much larger than the other bottles of mix, because it is ready to use, with the water already added. The mix I was using previously came in a much smaller bottle, but I had to add water to it. It was very thick and sticky. That was the concentrated mix I accidently spilled on Cody. God that was a real big mess!

[loneleeb3]

My Mom used to do that. She'd mix water and sugar together. I've been buying the special mix at the store - at Wal-Mart mostly. It's called hummingbird "nectar" and it has many vitamins and minerals in it to keep the birds healthy. It comes in a large bottle, much larger than the other bottles of mix, because it is ready to use, with the water already added. The mix I was using previously came in a much smaller bottle, but I had to add water to it. It was very thick and sticky. That was the concentrated mix I accidently spilled on Cody. God that was a real big mess!

Yeah, that stuff is messy!
Poor Cody!
At least it was just a cosmetic tragedy on his part! 
I just opt for the cheaper route! LOL
Also, I had heard that the red dye was harmful to the birds. But who knows it could be an urban (or rural! LOL) legend!

[David In Indy]

Yeah, that stuff is messy!
Poor Cody!
At least it was just a cosmetic tragedy on his part! 
I just opt for the cheaper route! LOL
Also, I had heard that the red dye was harmful to the birds. But who knows it could be an urban (or rural! LOL) legend!

Yeah, I read about that too Richard. The red food coloring can be harmful to the birds. But the red coloring they use in the commercial hummingbird food is safe for them. I read up on it before I bought it because I didn't want to buy something that will hurt them. It defeats the whole purpose.

[loneleeb3]

Yeah, I read about that too Richard. The red food coloring can be harmful to the birds. But the red coloring they use in the commercial hummingbird food is safe for them. I read up on it before I bought it because I didn't want to buy something that will hurt them. It defeats the whole purpose.

Well you are now the resident  ornithologist!! 
I never looked into it LOL! Guess I threw the baby out with the bathwater and just used the plain ole sugar water.
I love wathing the hummers (thats what Elizabeth calls them) 
The feeders also attract bees and the hummingnirds will go after the bees! It's really fun to watch.

[David In Indy]

Well you are now the resident  ornithologist!! 
I never looked into it LOL! Guess I threw the baby out with the bathwater and just used the plain ole sugar water.
I love wathing the hummers (thats what Elizabeth calls them) 
The feeders also attract bees and the hummingnirds will go after the bees! It's really fun to watch.

Or the bees will go after the hummingbirds! It sometimes turns into a full fledged war. A birds and bees war!   

Do you ever find dead bees inside your feeders Richard? I usually find them inside the bottom part of my feeders late in the summer. I can't figure out how they get in there. They enter the feeder and drown. Yuck.

Oh, I don't think there's anything wrong with using sugar water Richard. Lots of people do that. My next door neighbor does the same thing, and she doesn't put any coloring in her feeders either.

[Front-Ranger]

Talk of sticky substances, birds, and bees has drawn the resident blue heeler to come snooping around David's heartland. Hi, guys! How goes it?

[David In Indy]

Talk of sticky substances, birds, and bees has drawn the resident blue heeler to come snooping around David's heartland. Hi, guys! How goes it?

Hey Lee! It's nice to see you here!

[loneleeb3]

Or the bees will go after the hummingbirds! It sometimes turns into a full fledged war. A birds and bees war!   

Do you ever find dead bees inside your feeders Richard? I usually find them inside the bottom part of my feeders late in the summer. I can't figure out how they get in there. They enter the feeder and drown. Yuck.

Oh, I don't think there's anything wrong with using sugar water Richard. Lots of people do that. My next door neighbor does the same thing, and she doesn't put any coloring in her feeders either.

Yes, I get that alot! The yellow jackets seem to find there way in and I have to clean them out!
Nasty! Winds up like a sugary bee paste 

HI Lee!
How are you doing?? 

[injest]

Or the bees will go after the hummingbirds! It sometimes turns into a full fledged war. A birds and bees war!   

Do you ever find dead bees inside your feeders Richard? I usually find them inside the bottom part of my feeders late in the summer. I can't figure out how they get in there. They enter the feeder and drown. Yuck.

Oh, I don't think there's anything wrong with using sugar water Richard. Lots of people do that. My next door neighbor does the same thing, and she doesn't put any coloring in her feeders either.

I always wondered what they were talking about when they said 'birds and the bees'!!