I know that there are problems in the world. Things like global warming, war in the Middle East, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, potential mass starvation if the wheat rust infestation spreads.

These things are trivial. I have a major problem.

After spending huge amounts of time and money (well, OK, 45 minutes and two pesos for some red ribbon and a bit of hardware) my highly sophisticated, cleverly engineered, and beautifully constructed hummingbird feeder is not attracting any hummingbirds.

Oh, they'll come and inspect it, giving some attention to the red streamers underneath, even peek into the nectar tray (formerly a sardine can), but then they fly away. I have put a couple of bright red bottle caps in the nectar tray to simulate flower blossoms, to no avail. The nectar is mixed according to the approved recipe, one part sugar to four parts water, boiled to inhibit mold or bacterial growth and to encourage proper blending.

What should I do to encourage the ungrateful little wretches to partake of my nectar generosity?

tanstaafl.

I have no knowledge whatsoever in this area, so I have no solid suggestions.

I don't know how good a hummingbird's senses are, but could it be possible that they don't like the smell of sardines? I wonder if the can still has some faint odor that they're able to pick up...

That's all I got

You might try the commercially available nectar. It took my wife a long time to find out what they like here up north. We started out with the commercial stuff, it worked. Then tried various homemade versions.

Doug, you might try the commercially available feeders!

I've yet to see one of the simple inverted red bottle feeders (with red cap and tray and yellow flower) fail to attract multiple hummingbirds. They've been in use at two of my parents' homes as well as my mother-in-law's house and cottage, plus my wife's aunt's place. They work every time.

Then again, maybe those Mexican hummingbirds are a lot fussier.

tanstaafl.