I'm in your area, where are you in Illinois? I'm near the IL/WI border so I'm hoping that I have the same luck as your WI family as my surroundings are similar. My mom gets one hummingbird every summer that visits daily, but while she is right by the city, the Des Plaines river and all of those preserves are just one block away.

I put up a Lantana plant last weekend and a feeder yesterday and I have not (unsurprisingly) seen anything.

Red does attract! More feeders do also. I started feeding hummers over 25 years ago in the country and had a ton of birds. I had too many birds for one feeder and added two more within 18 inches of the first. Feeders were in the shade and used more than 50 oz. per day. Always 30 or more birds at the feeder all summer. I also had a red Trans Am, red company truck, red 4 wheeler, etc. I moved to town after 8 years in the country and did not have as many birds. I did not try to attract birds there either (my life was more complicated). I did put up a feeder, but had several birds take each other to the ground. I never made the comittment to put up more feeders or put red out; and probably didn't change the nectar as I should have. Moved from there to the country about 75 miles north of New Orleans. Not many birds, but I decided to put up more feeders so that one bird could not protect them all. Still no plants to attract birds. I was going to add a few feeders at a time and when I got 20 or so birds, I would just pull all but a couple down so that I could enjoy them on a couple of feeders. That didn't work because as I added feeders I got way too many birds for just a couple of feeders. I ended up with 20 feeders just on the back porch. I believe that I had 6-20 on feeders all day long all summer. On the southward migration I had 75 birds in a 10 foot area of that porch for at least 3 weeks. Those birds all left at the same time (from 75 to zero). Had lots of birds on the way north also, but not quite as many. Been back up in south Arkansas for about 3 years now also 5 miles from my original location (still in country)and have lots of birds. Not the 30 birds all summer long buzzing the feeders, but I had about 45 birds several evenings on their way north. Most any time of the day now you will see 15 or more birds on 8 feeders under my patio. If it rains there are more and in the evenings there are more (30-40). The birds prefer the fartherest feeders (about 30 feet)from where we sit. Four birds were on each of the fartherest 2 feeders when we sat out to drink coffe this morning. I think red attracts. My wife just painted red one of those craft things with "Butts placed here" sign on it. Have a red plastic chair for the grandkid. Plan to paint more stuff red, picnic table, posts to hold flower pots, etc.

I live in SE WI and have had no luck with hummers at the feeder. Only ants and bees. The hummers come to the coral bells and the columbines, but we don't see but 5 or so all summer. I'd like to establish a clientele, so I'm going to try the feeder with the syrup again, and I'm told it's one sugar to two waters with a drop of red food color to attract them.

Water and white granulated table sugar only please 1/4 or 1/3. NO dye or food color please. If you want read paint the feeder red & or add red ribben. Nector is and should be clear.
Thanks
JD

I have discovered that many of the hummer feeders have yellow around the ports. I read that yellow attracts the bees and ants. So I started using all red feeders......no yellow, and haven't had nearly the problem with ants and bees. I get mine at Walmart.

I don't think hummers like a 2-1 mix more than a 3-1 or a 4-1. Although I thought they would during the first 20 or so years of feeding them; I just never tried it. I have tried it recently and they came less often to that feeder with the 2-1 mix. Several studies have shown that the stronger the nectar, the less hummers will come to that feeder. I tried a 3-1 mix a couple of years ago and I seemed to have fewer birds at the feeders. I also read that this would be the results of a strong mix. Lots of people assume that more sugar in the water means more birds; it doesn't. Red ribbon, red chair, etc. would be better for attracting the birds. Clean feeders and changing it regulary will get more birds or keep the ones you have.

Thanks for the input from everyone. I can't really relate when people say they have 30 birds a day! We are thrilled to have one. I am wondering about the effect of the color red alone as far as getting them to come to your house when they don't normally. I think we have done everything else as far as having the right plants, no chemicals, and the 4:1 clear sugar solution in clean feeders changed every other day.

I mean if we put up feeders starting April 1st for like 10 years and never saw a single hummer during spring migration, what are the chances of ever getting them in the spring? If you live in the middle of the suburbs or city with no forest preserves or natural areas nearby, and not even any neighboring properties with many flowers...what chances do you have? Has anyone attracted birds to a yard where they never could get any by "redding up" their yard?

In regards to the number of feeders and the birds guarding them. If I have two feeders up (plus a ton of nectar flowers) and my family in Wisconsin also has only two feeders up. Why do they have a steady stream of hummers that eat peacefully together side by side in large numbers at the feeders, while I have only two hummers that spend the entire day chasing each other away. I have also noticed that they have primarily males, while I have almost entirely females. Are they less territorial when breeding up north than while migrating back south...which seems counterintuitive??

All of the experts on hummers say that red attracts hummers. I have been out in the country with the red truck or the trans am and here come the hummers (sorry, but nothing to eat). I have had hummers come up to me with a red hat or a red t-shirt on. I've seen hummers go to a red paint can lid. I've never seen them go to much else except maybe a rabbit under the feeder. Just my opinion, but I think if you placed a giant red tarp in your yard, hummers will come. Now you will have to have a feeder nearby for them. Lots of factors involve in more birds. If they like your place, they will be back next year. I had birds at my last place that would come to a location of a feeder that had been down for 3 years. You can not let the nectar spoil or they will go elsewhere. Three hummers would prefer more than one feeder and 6 birds would prefer more than say 3. It is really hot here now and I may have 10-15 birds early morn and maybe more at 7:30-8 PM. During the day there is usually at least one bird on a feeder, but mostly more like 6 or so. I have 8 feeders up and keep them clean with fresh nectar. The last few years before I retired, I didn't have time to mess with the birds much at a different location and had fewer birds. They were vicious over my one feeder and only the strongest would remain. The others would take a spirral ride to the ground. Helped a few up. Only had a few birds at my next residence the first two years and did some research as to how to attract and remembered what I had done 2 previous locations ago. Birds picked up pretty quickly.

Ok, you convinced me! I am keeping my eye out for red umbrellas or a larger red shade canopy, hopefully one on sale :) We are soon approaching the time of year that we regularly have some hummingbirds anyways, so the true test will be the spring migration.

I have been trying to get more plants for them that bloom in spring as well. I know some have said they like bleeding hearts in spring but they aren't very big to attract them from afar. So I started some flowering quince shrubs and am hoping to get a red buckeye for next spring. We do have a huge red weigelia that will be finishing up blooming soon. I don't think it starts blooming soon enough for the spring migration though which around here is April I believe.

I do usually were a bright red hat while gardening as well :)

I think Red does attract them. I've seen them visiting red Japanese Maple leaves in the spring.
But they seem just as happy with Blue Salvia blossems as Red. They also enjoy Red/Orange "firebush"plant and purple honeysuckle and white "Almond bush".
If you're attracting them to a feeder just paint some red blotches on the feeder with paint or nail polish. Once they find the feeder they don't care what color it is.

Hi Everybody!
Molanic, I also live in a suburb of a big city. YES YOU CAN attract hummers to your yard or porch! Here is what my experience has been: a) Definitely have more than one feeder - maybe minimum 3. The more there are, the safer visiting birds feel since, yes, the males are EXTREMELY territorial over their feeder once they claim them (apparently they don't go to kindergarten and learn how to share). b) They like something safe and shady to perch on near the feeder; I've hung a regular wire coat hanger about 2' from the feeders and they like it; then a place to fly away to hide in - trees or tallish branchy not too dense shrubs nearby are terrific, just one will do fine. c) They don't like the feeder if it's placed in too remote/recessed/shrub-hidden/hard to access location; they like to have a speedy escape route! Easy in, easy out. But - they're still scared of people so it can't be too close to where someone might sit on a porch or they'll be too scared to approach it. Some will, but most won't. d) jjdbike is absolutely right about the nectar. NO FOOD COLORING! Doesn't need it. I use 1 part plain ol' white sugar to 4 parts water, that's all. I use a clear rectangular 1 qt. plastic feeder with a red top and red bottom, no yellow 'flowers' on it, pretty plain and simple, AND IT HAS A PERCH ALL AROUND IT so the little birdies can REST while they're eating instead of having to burn energy FLYING WHILE THEY'RE EATING - sheesh! Please Don't get feeders without perches. e) PATIENCE, patience, patience. If you keep the feeders filled & clean (empty, clean & refill them once a week; MOLD GROWS IN THEM NOTORIOUSLY!), The Hummers Will Come. Trust Me. Mine did! :) And if they consistently keep finding the smorgasbord you consistently provide for them, they will return, and others in the area will find it & come too. Happy Humming To You! ~ Susan in Reseda, CA

I live in Rockport on the Texas Coastal Bend. During the fall migration we have thousands, yes thousands, of hummers that come through. So we put on the HummerBird Celebration every September.

OK, to answer your question, yes hummers are really attacted to the color red. But stay away from red dye. Check out http://www.hummingbirds.net/dye.html. If you want to add red, you can use red duck tape on the feeders. For lots of good HB information check out website: http://www.hummingbirds.net/index.html. Regarding whether a red umbrella is the answer to your question, I can't say. However, I imagine more than likely it's your location rather than the lack of red plants. Good luck!

Yes I agree they are attracted to the color red but will use all nectaring blooms available. Also location can make a difference. If you have wooded or you are near a wooded area that greatly increases your chances even if you do nothing. The nearest woods to me is a half mile away, nor are there many big trees near me in the housing developement I live in. In fact Im on a lot but I have made it as hummer friendly as possible with plant and feeder. I have a lot of salvia guaranitica blue ensign and black and blue, also a lot of salvia greggii hybrids along with honeysuckles [not invasive] cuphea david verity and cuphea schumannii, salvia coccinea lady in red , coral nymph, also cardinal flower, coral honeysuckle just to name a few they like.

Indeed, hummers are attracted to red. Evolutionarily, red flowers have evolved to be pollinated by birds because bees primarily see in the ultra-violet spectrum. Thus, blue flowers are more readily pollinated by bees. Red flowers often replenish their nectar in large quantities to be fed upon by birds where as bee pollinated flowers replenish nectar in smaller amounts but more quickly. Red flowers are often tubular shaped to make the nectar available to birds and not to bees. So, hummingbirds naturally check out anything red (plus it contrasts most strongly with green so easily seen by birds) because chances are a red flower will have nectar available to it. But, as others have mentioned, hummers are inquisitive and will check out most flowers and quickly determine which have food and if they don't, they don't waste the energy at those flowers.

BN

I have watched hummers come down to check out non-flowering red objects in the garden like tomatoes, chairs and buckets. I always feel like I should apologize that they aren't food . . .

The plants my hummers seem to like best are salvias ('Black and Blue', pineapple, 'Hot Lips'), scarlet runner beans, and some old-fashioned red flowering coral bells/Heuchera. I don't get early migrating hummingbirds visiting to the best of my knowledge, only nesting ones. I live in a rural area and plant specifically to attract humming birds, but don't put out feeders (either for hummers or seed feeders) since we have bears.

I did not have any coming around for days and I went to the dollar tree and bought some of those red cup that you use on a pinic and tied them to my tree and they showed up a couple days later. Hung them like a bell. Hope this works for you too.

My hummers love the purple flowers on my golden dew drop bush. They definitely like a feeder out in the open and near a tree. We only have 2 or 3 at time. I'd love to see alot more! I only use water and white vinegar to clean my feeder. Don't use bleach. They don't like to feed on a feeder with ants on it. I spray the pole with bug spray. This helps, until it rains or wears off. I wish I could find the article that tells what size test fishing line to use. It is too small for them to climb on!

I'm not a fisherman, but a 3 pound test should hold up the feeder. Don't even know if they make a smaller one, but you might need just large enough to hold the feeder with nectar.

I know for a fact that red does attract hummingbirds. Today I saw a hummingbird come and try to get necture from red cups I had tied to the tree in my yard. It came from across the street and tried four time to get something from four different red cups I had tied up in my tree till it saw the feeders, only to get chased off by a hummingbird that had been hanging around for a few days. I bought some red cups at dollar general, the kind you buy to throw away because I wanted to atract hummingbirds and it worked.