I change mine once a week and I get them from May til October.

It can depend on whether your feeder is in the sun or the shade and how hot and humid your area is. I can get away with once a week with the ones I have in the shade but anything in the sun usually needs changing about every 5 days around here just to be on the safe side. You could also up the enticement factor with some flowers - Raspberry Wine monarda is the number 1 attractant in my yard over and above any of the feeders.

When the nights are still cool like they are now, I don't let them go more than 3 days. With the heat and humidity of Summer, no more than 2 days.

Sweeten your nectar more. They need more sugar.

I change mine about every 5 days as well. I just posted about Feeder Fresh, a new product that is supposed to keep the nectar fresher for longer. It says it uses a micronutrient that is naturally occurring in the hummingbird's diet (copper sulfate), but I'm not sure about it after some preliminary research. Has anyone heard of it?

I agree with ctnchpr. Change it much oftener when it's hot. Above 90 or so you need to change it every day.

When I first started feeding them years ago, I didn't understand many things about their feeding habits. When they first migrate, they are there all of the time..then when the girls are sitting on eggs, you will see them less...when good nectar plants are blooming you will see them less..when it's brutally hot, you will see them more at dusk and dawn, when it's cold or rainy and the flowers close up, you will see them more....when the babies hatch, they need protein, so they are getting insects and at the feeders less...it comes and goes in cycles, but always keep your feeders fresh, and you will get to know their cycles. Then if you're lucky...they will nest twice, and do it all over again! But even once, you should see mom bringing the young to the feeders late summer, and they all are in another feeding frenzy getting ready to migrate again.

Donna, thanks for summarizing your knowledge of why they come and go. A year ago I was so disappointed not to see 6 or 8 of them at the feeders in May the way they had been in July and August. This year I knew better what to expect, but it's really great to hear from someone who's been watching them for a long time.

How long have you been feeding them? I really hope you will share a lot more of what you do-- what kind of plants you have for them, just things you've seen and learned. I would love to learn everything about them, and I've read everything I could find, but to hear directly from someone who has done it for years-- I know there are lots of people who would welcome that.

I've already learned a lot from you in just a couple of posts. I really hope you post often.

Geez...thanks so much!
I've been feeding them here for over 20 years, but only seriously for about 10...the first 10 there wasn't a lot of info, and I winged it. Now I'm retired and have a lot more time to watch them!
As you feed them year after year, you will notice that you will get more and more! I read somewhere that the young always return to within a few miles of where they hatch to breed the next year, so maybe that's why.
I have gotten so I can recognize a few of them..one has a very distinct bend in her beak, 1 is fat (really fat) and just a little different marking than the others..I look for them every year.
As for plants..just google hummingbird plants and you will get tons of plants. For a beginner, I would suggest Monarda(bee balm)..it is a perennial almost everywhere and gets bigger patches every year. The leaves are also what Earl Grey tea comes from, so great for us, too! I usually buy hanging baskets of fuchsia and petunia every year, too. As for vines, they like honeysuckle and morning glory a lot. Supposed to love trumpet vines, but my 15+ year old vines only get a couple blooms on them..I think I'm way too far north..maybe they like southern states better?
I have a very large vegetable garden, and the females especially come bug hunting when their young have hatched, so that's a bonus for me!
Good luck! And thanks for the praise! I get a lot of enjoyment from them!

I know this is a year old thread but I found this chart online that gives the temps during the day and how long to change the food.....71-75 degrees-6days....76-80 5 days.....81-84 4......85-88 3....89-92 2....93+ daily.....hope this helps, I love this chart! takes the guessing out of it!