3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Feed the Hummingbirds in Your Yard

Hummingbirds are some of the most majestic creatures on this planet. These tiny birds fly around, fluttering their wings at a rapid pace. They eat the nectar from various flowers throughout their journey. Hummingbird season in North America comes at different times of the year, so depending on where you live you might see them in March, or until summer, or autumn. During this time you may think that having a hummingbird feeder will bring them to your yard so that you can witness the majesticity of hummingbirds. Unfortunately, there are several reasons why you shouldn’t feed the hummingbirds in your yard. Let’s take a look at these reasons below.

3. Impacts on Their Natural Behavior

Everything in this world is a life cycle, which means that if one thing is disrupted everything else underneath will also be disrupted. Hummingbirds are natural foragers. This means that they hunt for the flowers that will provide food for them. When you have a feeder, hummingbirds may no longer seek out pollinating flowers. This will have a harmful effect on the ecosystem.

2. Bad Maintenance of Feeder

Maintaining a hummingbird feeder takes hard work. you can’t just have the hummingbird feeder without cleaning and maintaining it. When you don’t clean a hummingbird feeder, this creates an invitation for bacteria and fungi to scatter throughout the feeder. This will eventually harm the hummingbirds that eat from there. Bad maintenance can have adverse effects on hummingbirds — it can lead them to have infections or worse.

1. Harmful to Their Death

The red nectar that you put into feeders is extremely harmful to hummingbirds and other creatures. The red dye, scientists have found, can be harmful to animals. The sugar water that is found in the feeders can create a whole host of problems for hummingbirds, including digestive problems. Moreover, the sugar water in the feeders does not adequately provide the important nutrients hummingbirds need to survive. In turn, hummingbirds have depleted energy that can cause problems later on in their lives.

Fantastic Alternatives

Instead of having a feeder, you can always make sure that your yard is attractive to hummingbirds. When you plant flowers or other types of plants that hummingbirds like, you’ll naturally attract them. Some plants you can have in your yard include columbines, trumpet vines, bee balms, and salvia.