5 Ways You Might Be Accidentally Killing MN Hummingbirds

I LOVE watching hummingbirds in the spring and summer months. They're just so small and cute! There's something about them that is so interesting to me.

In fact, I plan on putting my first ever hummingbird feeder outside of my house this year, so I've been doing a little research to find out what I need to do to get prepared.

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I'm glad I looked into it because there are things that you absolutely should NEVER put into your bird feeder because it'll do a lot of harm to the birds and possibly even kill them.

So, if you're planning to put out a hummingbird feeder, or maybe you already have one...you need to check out this list of DON'Ts to make sure you're not harming them.

• Don't add red dye to your feeder, it's not good for the birds. Instead, buy a hummingbird feeder that's red to attract the birds, according to Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. 
• ONLY use refined white sugar, according to The Hummingbird Society. You can't substitute with organic, raw, brown, powdered or artificial sugar.
• Do not use honey or corn syrup in place of sugar.
• You shouldn't leave the water sit out for longer than a day. I needs to be changed out every other day, otherwise mold can grow and harm the birds, according to the Birds Advice website.
• Don't let extra sugar water sit out. It needs to be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Hummingbirds are so beautiful, let's make sure we're doing our part to protect them so they can thrive in Minnesota.