Why Do Hummingbirds Like My Crapemyrtles?

Q: I had hummingbirds last summer flying near the trunks of my crapemyrtles, like they were feeding on them. Flowers were gone at the time but they loved the tree bark. 

A: They were eating crapemyrtle aphids. These insects have a population explosion in late summer each year. Hummingbirds don’t only consume flower nectar: they also need protein and aphids are perfectly suited for that. Sometimes you may see hummingbirds hovering over your lawn eating midges and other small insects.