what I found in the garage

I've had a mouse problem again in the garage and have been setting traps.

Yesterday evening when I went out to check the traps, I heard a loud buzzing. Thought it was some kind of large bee or wasp. Looked around and a humming bird had flown into the garage! He flew around a bit, then landed. He didn't seem to mind me being just a few feet from him. I'm always amazed at how tiny they are.

I went out to feed the horses, then back to the garage. I was surprised that he was still there.

Got in the truck and drove over to Home Depot and bought a feeder. Mixed up some juice and hung it close to where he was perched. He had his feathers all fluffed out and looked like he planned on staying.

I've been pulling the dog food at night and when I went out about 9:00 last night he was still there.

He was still there this morning when I put the dog food out.

If he's not in the garage when I get home, I'll move the feeder to the yard. Hope he hangs around. They are so much fun to watch.

Even if you move it to the yard without his being there....they will find it....and fast. I love my hummingbirds. I hang a feeder under the eave on my front porch every summer....literally attracks dozens of them. They come back every year. They are amazing to watch......fight like crazy to defend that feeder! Usually the males dive bomb the others and the fight is on!! I sit out there of an evening and those things will fly by so close you think they are going to crash into your ear! I"ve had them actually land on my outstretched finger and just sit there. Amazing little creatures with magnificient colors.

Nancy,

Neat story. Hope it stays.

I have only seen them a few times in my life, they don't seem plentiful here.

Have only ever seen one once at our farm. A couple years ago... walked into our rust garden and it was buzzing around the big iron pot with flowers planted in it. Like you, I first thought it was a really large bee.

They fly into the farm shop occasionally. If I am there to witness the entry, I stand a good chance of chasing them back out of the 24' x 18' door. However, if they have been inside awhile they will only stay near the ceiling. They will not lower their flight plan the foot needed to exit the huge door.

I have chased them to exhaustion (takes about fifteen minutes) until they do a slow decent down a wall. Then walked over, picked it up and took it outside and set it on the feeder perch. It drank for about 30 seconds then flew.

They are pretty amazing birds.

Those are cool, I get them here when some of the flowers bloom, like the rhododendron. I have some other perennial or what you call it, (comes up every year) that has small flowers, near the garage door, its about a 4 foot tall stalk, groups of pink flowers, blooms mid July and is kind of the last to do so. I cannot even recall where or how it got there, might have started off as one, as I recall. I nurtured it for years, turned into a nice thicket for years, smells like lilac, when you come into the driveway, the area smells so nice, chipmunks undermined the root area, 'chucks topped it off last year, gets the powder mold or mildew in the shaded areas, but persists on. I'd have to dig up a photo of it in bloom. I guess the point of me telling this is there is some insect that must be a moth or something, that looks kind of like a crayfish with its tail, but flutters just like a humming bird, a little smaller, and both like this plant, the insect, fooled me for awhile, it has some long appendage on the head for gathering nectar, hopefully the darned thing comes up this year, thinned out but maybe I can bring it back or find out what it is and replant same etc. It produces a "tic-tac" shaped and sized pod at the end of the season, with a black seed inside, I have saved some, ought to plant them and see what happens !

We have 'hundreds' of them....It's fun to watch them eat/fight(hummingbird wars) at the feeder outside the kitchen window.There is one or two that make a nest in the shop.It is so much fum/wonderous/interesting to watch the babies grow.When it is time,the mother calls the babies out...The eggs are like beans-so small.

Hummingbird Clearwing moth ?

Moth.

Get a feeder. If there are any around, they'll find it. Make sure it has red on it. They are very attracted to red.

No need to buy the premixed nectar. You can make it yourself. 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.

We have so many at the farm that during the summer, I mix up a gallon at a time and put it in the frig.

I've had them take a drink out of the feeder while I was hanging it. One time my thumb happened to be over a feed port and it tried to push my thumb out of the way with its bill.

I"ve also had hummers get inside a garage. I happened to have a piece of plywood with red paint on it and that was what attracted them. They would fly at the red paint as if it was food. Although I was able to use a fish net to catch them, I thought afterwards that I could just place a red sign down near the door to attract them back out. I"ll try that next time, if it happens again.

thats it !

Thanks. I think I will do that. Our 13 year old wanted me to buy a feeder last year - so it is a plan.

It is <a href="http://s200.photobucket.com/user/jameslloydhowell/media/Hummingbirds/VID00014.mp4.html">about that time of year</a> again.

I have noticed the same thing, I hang a feeder in the doorway and when they feed they leave

I have trouble with them getting in the garage and not being able to find their way out. They try to fly up thinking the white ceiling is the sky. If I don't get them out they will die in there.

Hollyhock?
Hummers love them. Mom used to have a bunch around the back of the old house - But they put down roots that allowed water to flow into the doug out "Michigan basement." Dad wasn't too thrilled.

We get a few every summer.

From what I've heard (going to try it this summer), the garage door release usually has a red knob on it - that attracts them in. Going to either remove that knob or paint it a nice shade of gray. See if that helps.

Our issue is the dog. He sees them come in and then waits until they wear themselves out. And then its snack time.

we feed them here, every spring one will fly around and look in the windows till we put the feeder up

I had 2 hang around all winter. Were great to watch and Dad sure loved watching them when I was away.

Leonard