Posted by Beth Greenwood on July 20, 2007

Q: We live in the foorhills of the northern Sacramento valley west of Redding. I have been feeding hummingbirds at our house for over twenty years. We now have close to 50 hummingbird that come to our feeders. In addition I have a garden with some food sources, such as hollyhocks and coral bells. We have just sold our house, and the people who bought it want it for a vacation cabin, so no one will be living there; the garden will not be watered, etc. Since I'm currently going through 15 pounds of sugar a week feeding our hummingbirds, I'm worried about them once we move. Should I try to find somone to feed for us, or would it be better to gradually taper off the feeding stations between now and our moving date?

State: California

A: Your thinking on this is very logical Beth - nice to see! Although birds that frequent feeders are not using them as their only food source, in your case they sound more concentrated than normal. Keep in mind that hummingbirds do not feed exclusively on nectar but also eat lots of insects and spiders as well. But, since you have so many birds visiting, and they're eating so much sugar, I guess I'd taper off gradually as you mentioned. This will encourage the birds to forage farther for nectar but I think they'll do just fine. Remember too that those now at your feeders are probably especially well nourished anyway and this will help their transition. Thanks for asking and best of luck in your new home.

John Wiessinger ( July 20, 2007)