Who’s Destroying The Hummingbird Feeder?
By the end of May I dusted off the hummingbird feeders, filled them with the portion of 1/4 cup white sugar to full glass of boiled hot water.
Once all sugar was dissolved and the solution cooled, I hung this one in the usual spot on the back deck for the hummingbirds would be back from the South any day with the temperature is getting warmer.
Within a day the little hummers were drinking from it.
This was my best feeder with the red glass and the hummers liked it.
I looked outside the next morning and saw the feeder empty and the little yellow feeder cups all over the deck. After gathering them up I saw they were broken.
I knew the rascal that had drank the water and torn the yellow cups off. Since this feeder was now useless I bought another one.
The next feeder...
The little hummers were happy enough with this new one. The only problem was the ants were able to get inside. I forgot to bring it in one night and found it empty and the glass cracked next morning. The rascal had struck again!
It was off to the store again and this is the present hummingbird feeder. The rascal bandit tearing them apart to get to the sugared water is causing a bit of expense.
I was a bit disappointed because I couldn’t find one with the colored glass. The upside is it is ant proof.
The hummers like this one too and a female hummer is sitting on the clothes line beside the feeder and keeping guard. Hummingbirds can’t walk on their claws and must find something to curl them around, like the clothes line, to stand upright.
This is the devilish masked bandit who’s been wrecking the feeders. The raccoon came by one late afternoon and I was able to get a photo of him. Usually they do their rounds at night checking to see what’s to eat or drink. They are also notorious for opening the lid of garbage cans with their nimble claws.
The male hummingbird is the pretty one with the red on him. This is a photo of the male at a cheap feeder at the front of the house. The bandit never bothers this one. He has expensive taste. :)
Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada.
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Gorgeous little birds, still looking for a feeder similar to the ones you get, simply to test and see if our sunbirds will be attracted to them.
How surprising to hear the racoon raids the sugary water, I know our naughty monkeys will destroy anything in sight, now learning racoon's go to extreme lengths to get what they want, well candidly shocked!
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The raccoons can be naughty rascals Joan and they are clever. A few years ago I caught one in the act of drinking the water in the hummingbird feeder and shooed him away. He was killed on the road and I thought I was safe this year from their raids. Their little claws are like hands.
It would be nice if your sunbirds would come to this type of feeder.
Rascals they may be, they still look too cute! They sound naughty like monkeys, you cannot put anything out for the birds and they will enjoy it too.
Thanks Pix!!@pixresteemer
It sounds like some good healthy droplets of a Carolina Reaper based hot sauce is in order. I bet the racoons avoid the feeders after a taste of that! 😁
That should keep him away for awhile😭
So lucky to have those little fellows. I haven't seen one in Korea before.
I did once see a large moth I thought was a humming bird. It was flying around like one and is quite similar.
Hi @abitcoinskeptic. I love seeing the little ones. I have seen a moth that looked very much like a hummingbird and here they are called Hummingbird moths.:)
Raccoons are smart too they can figure ways around any obstacles you might put in their way.
They sure are intelligent little bandits @sketch.and.jam. I know a lady who rescued a baby one who’s mother had been killed. It could even open the door to the house. Eventually it went back to the wild but she couldn’t believe now smart it was.
They are good at tearing open holes in the walls too lol.
For sure @sketch.and.jam. They can be destructive.
That bird is beautiful 😍
Thanks for sharing.
Welcome @nojka. Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you liked the hummers.
I would love to have such cute and beautiful little birds around - you can have our sparrows in exchange 😉
You got cool photos of the Hummingbirds, Jo, and of all the different new feeders you had to buy in the last few weeks, or maybe I'd better say days ;)
The Raccoon looks so nice and innocent when he is walking through the grass ... and at night he becomes a bandit, like Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. Hopefully you don't forget to bring the feeder in over night, or he might destroy it again. Maybe then you should buy a cheap feeder which he might not be interested in ;)
Have a great afternoon Jo 😊
!tip
Cheers and !BEER
Yes, unfortunately it’s only been a few days between buying the new feeders. 😱 I’m being extra careful and bring this feeder in at night.
Rascal is definitely a Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. I think he’s high maintenance with only liking the most expensive feeder.😀 Looks so cute though.😊
It is nice having these hummers visit here. Speaking of sparrows...I got a good shot of one on the trail for a later post or save for the Letter S. ;)
Thanks Johann for rehive,tip and beer. Most appreciate your kindness.😉
Have a good night. 🙂
Good morning Jo,
you're very welcome, I enjoyed your post and finally seeing photos to the stories you told me before was great 🙂
Yes, that's a good idea - I have some sparrow photos too ;)
Here it is gray outside, but it's dry.
I wish you a very nice day 🙂
Cheers and !BEER
Would you believe there was frost here last night? I covered my 6 tomato plants as there was a warning of frost. That’s about the extent of my planting, except maybe a few peppers. Usually by the May 2-4 weekend it is safe to plant a garden.
I’m happy you enjoyed the photos to go along with the stories of the masked bandit.🐼
The sun is starting to shine this morning and melting the whiteness of the frost on the grass.
Thanks always for your sweetness and I hope you are having a wonderful day Johann.😊
This year is somehow really strange, not only because of this virus, but maybe because of less traffic on the roads and in the air we have changed the weather too ;)
Of course I believe you, Jo, but frost in June would be more than only unusual here.
We had a dry night and morning, but about half an hour ago it started to rain and I do hope it will stop within the next hour, because I have no raingear with me and want to go home ☔
Today is a not so busy day and I could actually hive a bit more than usual 😉
I hope the sun stays and warms your day, Jo 🙂
Cheers and !BEER
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BEER.Stinking Raccoons. There seems to be nothing that will genuinely stop them. They climb like a monkey and can open anything.
I saw a female hummer on my walk today. I think she was a rufurous throated female, but it's really hard to tell. She was checking the creosote bushes for the last of their blossoms. Not many left...
Thanks for a lovely post, and for taking care of the hummers that went north.
The raccoons are definitely determined to get what they want. This yard is on this one’s evening rounds.
We try to help out the hummers when they come up to see us. Many households on the Island have the feeders out. The lilacs are out now and I notice they have been around the flowers. The rufurous throated hummers are probably the ones here. I think the female has green feathers on her back.
I heard it was good luck and joy to see a hummingbird, Tom. I hope that is what it meant for you.
Such lovely photos! You captured the little hummingbirds and that rascally raccoon so very nice! Kudos!
We have raccoons here, too, but they never bothered the hummingbird feeder. However, squirrels would always get into the bird-seed feeders until my father put a conical-shaped "hood" over them to keep the squirrels out!
Thanks @thekittygirl. I’m happy you liked them. This raccoon loves the sugared water in the feeder. Yes squirrels love to get in bird feeders. A good idea your father had to deter them.
little rogue! We need to put some kind of protection against this bandit :) I know that there are some obstacles for feeders so that cats do not climb into them.
He is a mischievous rogue! There probably are things to do to deter the critter. One could wrap tin around the deck post so he couldn’t climb up so easily to reach the feeder. Right now I’m bringing it in every evening.
What a naught Raccoon costing you time and money next time bring a couple of mouse traps home with you give him a snap on his claws he won't come back anymore..lol 🤣 🤣
That might just work @bigsambucca. 😭
Haha..the animal welfare protection wouldn't like to hear this...lol 🤣
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I figured the bandit was a raccoon. Love your hummingbird pictures, very nice!
Thanks Keith. It means a lot.
Nice Hummingbird Feeder photography.
Thank you @kamrunnahar
Hahaha, the racoon likes sugar water too. Understandable Jo. I so love your beautiful hanging sugar water containers for the very cute hummingbirds. I so wish we had hummingbirds in my garden.
Thanks Angie @angiemitchell. He really wants that sugared water. 😆 I wouldn’t have minded if he didn’t break the feeders.
I've been having raccoon issues, too. Nasty creature! I finally had my daughter put a hook under the eave and install a light chain that is long enough for me to reach the feeder and refill it. I had almost given up on feeding the this year but this seems to be the solution. It's difficult to be smarter than a determined raccoon! Thanks for posting to the #featheredfriends community! Know that you are not alone!
!tip
I’m glad you found a solution to your raccoon problem Melinda. They are smart little rascals. I’ve been bringing this last feeder in for the night. I brought it in early this evening and the hummingbird was fluttering by the window as if looking for it inside the house. They keep an eye on their feeders.
Thanks for the tip!💞
I tried bringing mine indoors at night also, but found that I was bringing in ants and various other bugs. So I bought a tote and put it out on the deck and put the feeders inside the tote at night I ended up with a tote and feeders ful of ants. I filled the bottom of the tote with an inch of water and put the feeders in the middle of that Lake! It solved that problem and the raccoons could not get the tote locks open.
Yeah, they must need to eat a lot before they go to bed at night. I often see them out at the feeder when it is on the verge of being very dark!
Ants and other insects like to get inside and drink the sugared water. I’ve been lucky with this last one. It is suppose to be ant proof and seems to be so far...knock on wood. Ouch! That knock hurt my head. 😄
Hahaha! Later in the summer I have to take mine down because of the hornets it attracts and my daughter is allergic.
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Wow, I would love to have humming birds at my homeplace. !beer
It is a pleasure to see them.@florian-glechner
Great post on Hummers.. Have just started feeding them 4 the first time... A small bird gives me a big thrill... Did you solve the raccoon problem. Had to trap and release 3 last year that ruined my garden...
Thanks @manorvillemike and for the rehive. I bring the feeder in a night. He can get to it easily while the one at the front of the house is harder to get at -that post is covered in tin./aluminium.
The raccoon hasn’t bothered my little garden of a few tomatoes & peppers. I throw out a slice of bread or biscuit before I go to bed and it seems to satisfy him. He even had some left-over garlic bread the other evening.😆 He eats the treat and goes on to the rest of his route.
You have some nice looking Hummer feeders.
It’s hard to find a good one that doesn’t leak. I’ve had them from $2,00 that tended to leak and that will draw the ants.. My better feeder costed about $20 and suppose to be ant proof - so far so good.
Cheeky rascals those Raccoons are they do anything for food no consideration for others...lol 😊
They are mischievous rascals @kohsamui99. I have to keep on the good side of this one and give him a little treat at night so he will go on his way and torment another household.😀
Smart way of looking at it just hope he does go on his way after you have given him his treat 👍
It seems to be working. 😄
Good to hear it will be less costly for you 😊
What a little rascal you have there. I see that it would get rather expensive to keep buying them. At least he leaves some of them alone.
The raccoon is a little rascal alright. As long as I remember to bring the feeder in at night and leave him a biscuit or apple, the little critter will be satisfied and go on to check other places.
Howdy redheadpei! That is such an interesting project, to have those feeders out for them. And now I know racoons like sugar water in case I ever get a feeder like that!
Mornin’ Cowboy! I don’t know how the raccoon knows there is sugared water in the feeder but he will try to drink it. He doesn’t bother the feeder at the front of the house perhaps because there is aluminium around that deck pole and it’s not so easy to climb.
Not only does the feeder help the hummingbirds after their long journey back here from the South but it is nice seeing them come to the feeder. Otherwise it’s hard to spot them as they move so fast. If you get a Hummingbird feeder I would suggest to place it so you can see it from a window or patio door - it’s enjoyable watching them.
That is so interesting. I wonder what critters would try and get that sugar water down here? lol. I wonder if the Humming birds would find our feeder, how in the world do they know where to look?
Mornin’ Cowboy! I think the color red on the feeders attract them. If you have hummingbirds in your area then they would come to a feeder if you hung one up.
It’s 1/4 cup white sugar and fill the rest of the cup with hot water to put in the feeder. Once cooled I put this mixture in the feeder. The hot water sterilizes the sugar for them.
Very interesting redheadpei! I think I'll suggest this to Mrs. J. and see if she wants to try it.
Please let me know if you get hummingbirds coming to the feeder Cowboy. You will enjoy watching them.