A carefully planned garden can provide hummingbirds with a nectar source throughout the year. Remember to plant a variety of flowers that bloom at different times of the year. One male hummingbird requires the amount of nectar in 1,000 blossoms every day to maintain its body weight. Please donât make your hummingbirds ill by using pesticides!
The insects in a hummingbirdâs diet consist of such things as gnats, winged ants, fruit flies, small beetles, weevils, aphids, moths, mosquitoes, leafhoppers and spiders. Most of these are caught on the wing, but some are ingested inadvertently while drinking nectar, or sap.
A supplementary food source of sugar water can be supplied. However, great care should be taken to keep a supply of fresh sugar water in the feeders at all times. In the Florida heat, and humidity, the sugar water must be changed at least every three days to avoid spoilage. Clean the feeders with hot water and vinegar, and rinse thoroughly. Do not use honey, instead of sugar, as it may produce a fungal disease in the nectar. Do not place feeders or flower beds too close to windows. Hummingbirds can travel up to 30 miles per hour and an impact with a window is usually fatal.