How to Make Hummingbird Food
Easy, Cheap Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
This hummingbird food recipe is very simple to follow. You likely have these cheap ingredients already in your pantry. It won’t be long before you have these beautiful birds darting around your yard and pollinating your garden with this basic recipe that is non-toxic to the hummingbirds. This is great for beginners in the garden or a project for children, getting you outside and enjoying nature.
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Hummingbirds
While hummingbirds are enjoyable to watch, that might not be the only reason you’re luring them to your yard. They’re great for eating all sorts of small, pesky bugs such as fruit flies, aphids, and mosquitos. Or you may want them around to pollinate your garden. Studies show that the same birds will come back day after day and even year after year. This is wonderful for a gardener who is trying to attract pollinators. Once a hummingbird finds your feeder, they will be coming back for years!
Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Feeders
Keeping and maintaining just a few hummingbird feeders in your yard can attract dozens of these birds. Naturally, nectar is clear, so there is no need to add harmful colors or dyes to your homemade hummingbird food. Although, it is crucial to have a good feeder. Keeping in mind that hummingbirds are attracted to red, it is not true that they will only drink from a red feeder. It will help to eventually have flowers in the yard near your feeders, because hummingbirds really do prefer natural nectar over the homemade.
Preparing the Hummingbird Food
This hummingbird food recipe is made very easily with cheap ingredients, which is wonderful because you will be making it often! These birds eat from dawn to dusk, and you will begin noticing more visitors the longer you have your feeders out. The ingredients include:
- 1 part white sugar
- 4 parts water
It is very important that you don’t try to substitute the white sugar with raw, unprocessed sugars, honey or corn syrup because these can be harmful to the hummingbirds. Because I have very hard tap water, I prefer to use filtered water, but this is going to be dependent on where you live. You should never add coloring or dyes to the homemade hummingbird nectar. It is harmful to the birds and not necessary in order to attract them to your feeder. Boiling the water before adding the sugar can help increase the lifespan of the mixture as well as insure that it is totally combined, although this step can be skipped.
Hummingbird Feeder
Filling the Hummingbird Feeder
Be sure that your hummingbird feeder is very clean before filling it with the hummingbird food. If it is not properly clean, it can harbor bacteria that will multiply very quickly in the heat. I recommend cleaning your feeder with white vinegar and water to avoid any residue that may be left by dish soap. Soaking your feeder in vinegar water between refills is a great way to kill any harmful bacteria. This is not only important for the health of the birds, but can also keep you from having to replace your hummingbird food more often. You will notice some mold beginning to grow inside the feeder if it was not clean enough or left too long between refills.
Placing the Hummingbird Feeder
You want to place your hummingbird feeder out of direct sunlight if possible. This is not crucial, although it will help keep the hummingbird food from spoiling quickly. It is also important the feeder is high enough that it is out of reach of any cats or other predators. It may be beneficial to place the feeder closer to your garden if you are looking for a pollinator. Place the feeder where it is easily accessible because you will want to replace the sugar water every 3-5 days. If the hummingbird food looks cloudy, it likely is bad and will need replacing.
Storing the Hummingbird Food
I typically will make a gallon of this mixture at a time so I can quickly fill my hummingbird feeders through the week. This helps you make sure your feeders are full and fresh so you don’t lose your reputation with your hummingbirds! If you’re going to make the sugar mixture ahead of time, its very important that your container is clean. You should follow the same protocols as you do with the hummingbird feeder. It is best to wash it with vinegar. You can store the food in the fridge for up to two weeks. If it becomes cloudy, it should not be used.
Homemade Hummingbird Food
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Water
- 1 Cup White Sugar
Instructions
- Measure 4 cups of water.
- Optional: Bring water to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Add in 1 cup of sugar.
- Stir until well combined.
- Add mixture to a clean hummingbird feeder.
- Change out mixture and clean the hummingbird feeder evry 3-5 days, or if it appears cloudy.
- Store any extra mixture in the fridge for up to two weeks.
