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How To Keep Hummingbirds Close To Your Feeder With A Dead Branch
By DEBBIE DEROMA
Feeders and flowers are effective ways to attract hummingbirds to your garden, but if you want them to stay longer, you should add a snag or dead branch nearby.
Even though they always seem in motion, hummingbirds appreciate a place to rest, and a dead branch provides a spot to catch their breath and keep their eyes on your feeder.
Snags also provide a visible spot for courtship displays, an open environment for singing, and a good spot for hummingbirds to hunt insects.
If you place an overripe banana near the snag and the feeder, you can lure pests like fruit flies and ants and watch the hummingbirds eat them.
Choose a branch with twigs small enough to accommodate the birds' petite feet. You can either stick it to the ground or anchor it in a large pot with soil, rocks, or concrete.
Create a smaller version by uprightly planting a dead tree branch about 20 to 50 feet away, preferably tall enough for the birds to look down at the feeder.