An electronic component mounting method for mounting electronic components using a surface mounting apparatus including a base, a plurality of feeders holding a plurality of electronic components, a component feeding device with a plurality of attaching portions to which the feeders are to be mounted, a transport device for conveying a board onto the base, and a component mounting device for mounting the electronic components on the board conveyed onto the base from the feeders attached to the component feeding device, the electronic component mounting method comprising: a removing step of removing a first feeder holding first electronic components, out of the electronic components held by a respective plurality of the feeders attached to the component feeding device, from the attaching portion when there is a reason for removing the first feeder from the attaching portion; a first mounting step of mounting the electronic components other than the first electronic component, out of the electronic components to be mounted on the board, on the board by the component mounting device when the first feeder is removed from the attaching portion; a first attaching step of attaching the first feeder to another attaching portion, to which no feeder is attached, after the removing step; a second mounting step of mounting the first electronic component on the board from the first feeder attached to the other attaching portion by the component mounting device after the first attaching step; a second attaching step of attaching a second feeder holding the first electronic components to the attaching portion to which no feeder is attached after the first attaching step; and a third mounting step of mounting the first electronic component on the board from the second feeder by the component mounting device after the second attaching step on the condition that the remaining number of the first electronic components held by the first feeder becomes 0, wherein the surface mounting apparatus, in which the plurality of attaching portions of the component feeding device are divided into a first area and a second area, is used, the first area being an optimized area calculated in advance to enable the mounting of the respective electronic components in an optimal state, and the second area being a non-optimized area other than the optimized area, the first feeder is removed from the attaching portion provided in the first area in the removing step; the first feeder is attached to the attaching portion provided in the second area in the first attaching step; and the second feeder is attached to the attaching portion provided in the first area in the second attaching step. a removing step of removing a first feeder holding first electronic components, out of the electronic components held by a respective plurality of the feeders attached to the component feeding device, from the attaching portion when there is a reason for removing the first feeder from the attaching portion; a first mounting step of mounting the electronic components other than the first electronic component, out of the electronic components to be mounted on the board, on the board by the component mounting device when the first feeder is removed from the attaching portion; a first attaching step of attaching the first feeder to another attaching portion, to which no feeder is attached, after the removing step; a second mounting step of mounting the first electronic component on the board from the first feeder attached to the other attaching portion by the component mounting device after the first attaching step; a second attaching step of attaching a second feeder holding the first electronic components to the attaching portion to which no feeder is attached after the first attaching step; and a third mounting step of mounting the first electronic component on the board from the second feeder by the component mounting device after the second attaching step on the condition that the remaining number of the first electronic components held by the first feeder becomes 0, wherein