Orioles, Hummingbirds and other winged friends

"Don't use dyes if you make your own nectar," Melody said. "Now is the time to put it (the food) out, before they circle through the yard. That way they will come back."

"Hummers show up the end of April or the first of May," Melody said. "They are so much fun!" She warned against putting the oriole feeders and the hummingbird feeders close together. Hummers are territorial so it is even best to put their feeders on opposite sides of the house if you have a hummer that is a bully.

One of the most important part of feeding nectar is that you have to keep it fresh. Sometimes it needs to be changed twice a week. Put feeders in shady areas because it will ferment in the heat. Hummers won't come back if the nectar has fermented. You can try to keep the hummingbirds through the summer and into October.

Hummers need to double their weight so they feed a lot. they are amazing little birds, Melody said. Rufus hummingbirds are usually found in western Kansas or in Colorado; Ruby throats are more commonly found here. We even had a Rufus hummer that stayed through the winter, Melody said. Todd, her husband, designed a heater to keep the nectar from freezing.

"Red colors do attract hummers," Melody said, but it is not necessary. She said you can also put a red Christmas bow on the feeder or blue works good too. She said some hummers will come back to the same feeders year after year. They do not need perches on their feeders.

Moving on to birds in general, the nesting season is already under way. Clean your boxes and put them out early. Birds don't live in their houses, they just lay their eggs and raise their babies in the bird houses. Many birds like to build their nests in a hanging basket. Barn swallows eat a lot of mosquitoes. They are messy but they grow fast. Enjoy those babies and then hose the area off after they are gone.

Bats are great mosquito eaters too. Bats like a warm box (so put them facing the sun), an open area and at least 15 feet high. Brown bats are very common here.

Questions about birds flying into windows were answered by Melody, "They see their reflection and it is a territorial thing, typically a nesting thing. Try to put something in the window to keep them from seeing their reflection."

Melody had an array of bird feeders on display for hummers, orioles and all kinds of birds. She said the window feeders are neat because you can see the birds up close. Also, there are ant guards to keep ants out of the nectar, saucers that are easy to fill and clean, feeders for jelly and oranges, etc. You can check their website: wild-bird-house.com for more information on merchandise from the Wild Bird House.