Hummers, Bees, and Essential Oil of Marigold

What a fantastic country we live in! After exhibiting at the High Desert Arts Festival in Eagle Nest, NM, we headed to the Hummingbird Festival in Sedona, AZ, by way of Colorado and Utah! We visited the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, and all points in between! Fabulous scenery! Fabulous people!

Thanks to helpful neighbors, we returned home to find our hummers and orioles fat and sassy. Feeder activity really picks up this time of year as the Ruby-throated hummers begin to fatten up in preparation for the long migration south. Unfortunately, bees are also finding the feeders. We tried numerous remedies to try to keep the bees away, and at long last have found one that works. Soak a cotton pad (similar to a cotton ball only flat, available in the beauty needs section of your favorite store) with Essential Oil of Marigold and place close to the nectar opening.

With our bottle feeders, I punch a hole in the pad and slip it over the feeding tube, positioning it just behind the red tip. With the tube feeders, I place it between the tube and the copper coil that the tube sets in. Be sure to NOT put the oil anyplace that the hummers might get it on their wings or their feet. Hummers have no sense of smell, but the overwhelming concentrated marigold scent tells the bees to stay away. You can order Essential Oil of Marigold from http://www.scentit.com/. The scent fades away, so keep it fresh to keep sending the message to those pesky bees. Bee traps also help keep down the population. I use the traps that you bait with juice, sugar, and raw meat. Bees go in and can't get out. This is a video I took today at the back of the studio.

People ask us if the birds use our feeders. Well, DUH!!! The near window has one bottle feeder, the glass door has 7 of our Onesie's, and the far window has one bottle feeder and two Onesie's. Watch the fighting over positioning and listen to the chatter as they fuss at one another. What fun!

Next weekend we will be at Art in Bayfront Park in Duluth, MN. This will be our first time in that part of the country and we're excited about going!

Hummingbird fact for today: The hummingbird is more than just beautiful. Its physical capabilities put the toughest human being to shame.

The Flock Has Increased

After a few relatively quiet weeks at the feeders, we now have much-increased activity. The most plausible explanation for this is that the first brood of hummers has come off the nests. So we've put out more feeders and we're making 2 gallons of nectar every couple of days. Our Baltimore and Orchard orioles are still around, but they are having to fight the darn sparrows for the jelly.

We'll be heading off to Eagle Nest, NM, and then Sedona, AZ, in just a couple of weeks. Both shows are inside (thank goodness) and provide an excellent road trip. The 2nd Annual Hummingbird Festival in Sedona will be the highlight of the trip. We had a great time last year in the company of so many hummingbird lovers!

Our summer has been relatively quiet, but the fall will keep us hopping for sure. We're ready to hit the road and see some more of this great country. Art in Bayfront Park in Duluth, MN, in mid-August will be new territory for us. And speaking of new territory, Ozarklake feeders can now be found at Wild Birds Unlimited in Hockessin, DE, and Tuscaloosa, AL.

Hummingbird fact for today: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/05/hummingbird-tongue-drinking/ It's VERY informative.