DIYer Bobby Bell creates stunning hummingbird feeders from Pyrex glass. "What I do is take long tubes [of Corning Ware Pyrex glass] and create different shapes with them," he says. Everything starts out in clear glass from Corning, and then Bobby adds precious metals or metal oxides to create different colors. "That's how we get our shapes and colors into clear glass," he explains. Why is Pyrex glass good for humming birds you may ask? "Pyrex (figure A) is really tough glass," Bobby explains. "It gives added strength for being outdoors, but it also is a benefit to the hummingbird because it doesn't allow the bacteria to start." Bacteria, Bobby continues to explain, can become a problem when the solution of water and sugar is left outside, especially when it's really hot. The temperature for Pyrex at its working point is approximately 1,100 degrees. This is the point where it starts to move. It's different from other glass in that the water-and-sugar solution can get to a consistency of moving honey. "A hummingbird -- to survive -- has to feed every 10, 15 to 20 minutes," Bobby explains. "So they are very close to their food source. They come in and do very short meals, very small meals, but their metabolism is such that they need to constantly eat."
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