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From: john@nmt.edu (John Shipman)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Humming bird feeder  and ...
Message-ID: <1990Jul25.051149.18300@nmt.edu>
Date: 25 Jul 90 05:11:49 GMT
References: <9007250227.AA11682@cds709.noble.com>
Organization: Zoological Data Processing
Lines: 25

Pete Zakel (phz@cadence.com) writes:
+--
| Someone asked about oriole feeders: they are available
| from Perky-Pet, who also make the best hummingbird feeders
| (IMHO)...they have one [nectar] mix that has added vitamins
| and minerals...
+--

I agree that P-P makes decent feeders, but I would vote
against their nectar mix.

It is a very common misconception that hummers will get
malnutrition from depending on sugar.  This may be true for
humans, but the diet of hummers contains a lot of insects,
and this is where they get vitamins, minerals, and protein.
You can safely feed them pure sugar withou worrying about
their diet.

Not only is the Perky-Pet nectar mix much more expensive
than sugar, but I had lots more problems with bees and
fungus when I used it.  Just use sugar 4:1---start with
a cup of sugar and dilute it out to a quart with water.
-- 
John Shipman/Computer Science Department/New Mexico Tech/Socorro, NM 87801
(505)835-5301; john@jupiter.nmt.edu