Hummingbirds are returning to South Carolina

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. I got a notice from the Bird Alliance reminding us to get out our hummingbird feeders, clean them up, and get ready to put them out full of high energy sugar water. The birds will be arriving any day now and you know they’ll be expecting you to help them fatten up after their thousands of miles' flights home from Mexico and South America. Don’t put feeders out too early and let the solution get old, if you commit to feeding them, commit to making sure feeder solutions are fresh. If you space out your feeders, those bullies may not be as successful at running others away. Hummingbirds also eat insects for protein, vitamins, and minerals, so your pollinator friendly garden is a boon for them, too.