I have over fifty beehives on my place and well over two hundred within flying distance and three humingbird feeders that are visited constantly. Just make sure that your bird feeders have a deep nozzle on them as the bees will devour any sugar you put out if it's shallow enough for them to drink. Also, I don't think the birds are scared of bees. They work different flowers because of anatomy as I said above. The birds will collect nectar from trumpet shaped blooms while the bees need a flatter flower that they can access.

I don't know which they like better, since I've never put up a feeder. But I do know that with flowers alone, you can attract regular visits from the hummingbirds! Each year, there are more flowers growing in the gardens than the last. Once the Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) goes into full bloom, the hummers will visit the flowers regularly until they are ready to leave in the fall. After the Bee Balm, the Lobelia cardinalis blooms, and then the Salvia splendens and coccinea, and the Cardinal climber. These are all hummingbird favorites. The flowers seem to be visited about every 15-20 mintues. Often I'll see 2 hummers, tussling and chasing each other around the flowers and yard. Last summer, there were 2 females fighting over the Lobelia cardinalis, and a male flew into the fracas, probably the mate of one of the females. Three hummingbirds were the most I've seen at one time. I have a very native and natural backyard, so their needs for habitat and insects are satisfied as well. It also helps that a couple of the neighbors have nice gardens too.

It is humid, windy and very rainy here in Southern CT but my hummer is still here - feeding every half hour! Also have a chicadee who thinks she is a hummer and tries the feeder every now and then..fun to watch. Other friends still have theirs also. Amazing how intelligent these little ones are..with some uncanny ability to know just when to leave. I have tried to get a hummer for years before they started to come about 3 years ago. This is the first year I have had any luck having one stay. Thanks for all the tips from everyone - next year I plan to have a lot more plants - and will try to winter some of my gardenmeister fushia and maroon salvia - they seem to really like these plants. I am enjoying every second watching my hummer and hope it flys safely and comes back next year. I just wonder when they will leave... Carol

Last Sept was the first time we had ever seen "swarms" of hummingbirds on our feeders. We have 7 feeders and the 3 that hang in front of our sunroom windows would be completely full--a hummer at EACH opening -- with others hovering above waiting their turn!! It was a sight to behold! At the same time, some would be zooming across the yard to the other feeders that would have 1 or 2 on each of them. All feeders are in our small backyard. The 3 feeders at the windows are about 20 ft apart. We estimated 30 hummers but it was only an estimate. They would zoom over the roof, then back into the yard, then into the trees. We would sit in our lawn furniture facing the windows and just watch the show. My sister would make it a point to come by as soon as she got off work so we could watch together. Needless to say, we are just counting the days until Sept to see if it happens again! I have had 3 hummingbirds for awhile this summer. Can't wait to see what Sept will bring.