Hummingbird Food Recipe
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The Best Hummingbird Food Recipe
There are at least 300 different types of hummingbirds, making them the second largest species of birds in North America, and more than 15 species live in North America alone.
Wherever you live, there are probably hummingbirds nearby that you can feed.
Hummzinger Highview Feeder
Image Courtesy: via Amazon.com
Contents at a Glance
The Best Homemade
Hummingbird Food Recipe
Recipe for Homemade Hummingbird Nectar:
- Serves: 4 cups
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
- 4 cups boiling water
Instructions
Once your water is boiling, stir in the sugar until dissolved thoroughly. The resulting nectar will be clear.
Refrigerate until cool (approximately 30 minutes to an hour). Clean and refill your hummingbird feeder every 2 days if not eaten sooner by hungry hummingbirds. Store unused portions in the refrigerator for 24 hours maximum.
Aspects 429 Hummzinger Highview Feeder
The Best Hummingbird Feeder
Aspects 429 Hummzinger Highview Feeder
Amazon Price: $14.16 (as of 05/29/2012)
These hummingbird feeders are easy to clean and are dishwasher-safe. The birds particularly like the red color of the feeder, and the feeder itself creates less mess than the tube feeders.
Pyrex Prepware Measuring Cup, Clear with Red Lid and Measurements
Make Hummingbird Food Easily with a Pyrex Measuring Cup
Pyrex Prepware 8-Cup Measuring Cup, Clear with Red Lid and Measurements
Amazon Price: $20.95 (as of 05/29/2012)
This is a good measuring cup that doubles as a mixing bowl for the nectar. The extra volume means no spills as you dissolve the sugar, and there is a convenient pouring spout to fill the feeders easily.
Poster of Hummingbirds at a Feeder
Hummingbird Tips
How to Attract Hummingbirds
- Provide some shelter: Once they get to know you, hummingbirds won't mind coming up onto your deck to get something to eat.Until they feel comfortable it's best to place your feeders near some type of shelter. A shrub or a large grouping of flowers, or even near a wood pile would be suitable so they can see they can hide themselves if necessary.
- Keep it fresh: Clean the feeder thoroughly with every feed in warm water. Scrub it out good to prevent any lingering rancid nectar. To keep the birds coming back, make sure you change out the nectar every other day. Once they start dining at your house 4 or 5 times a day there will be no leftovers.
- Have some colour in the area: It's not necessary to buy a red hummingbird feeder, but it does help. They are attracted to bright colours, so make it easy for them.
- Keep out the pests: After it's filled, use Vaseline (petroleum jelly) around the hanger to keep ants from crawling into the feeder.
- Make sure you can see the feeder: It's fun to watch hummingbirds, so position the feeder where you can see it and the birds can see you.
Glass Hummingbird Feeders
Some of the commercially produced hummingbird nectars contain harmful ingredients -- especially the red dye. That red dye is not necessary to attract these little hummers to your yard if you choose a suitable feeder and/or plant colourful flowers near your hummingbird feeder.
Please don't feed these beautiful little birds anything with red dye!
Tube Style Hummingbird Feeders
...and tube feeder cleaning brush
How Much do Hummingbirds Eat?
They eat 3 to 5 times a day -- and you can almost set your clock by it! The season may start slow with a few leftovers to discard, but once the baby hummingbirds arrive and really start developing an appetite, you will sometimes have to fill the feeder every day.
Different Types of Hummingbird Feeder Supplies
...hanging hook, guard tips, ant guard
Hummingbird Guestbook
Comments Welcome!
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rnhealthinfo
Mar 10, 2012 @ 9:57 am | delete
- We look so forward to the arrival of the hummingbirds too and keep 3-4 feeders strategically placed for perfect viewing. I agree with your favorite feeder, it's ours too!
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bechand
Mar 9, 2012 @ 2:57 pm | delete
- tried the red stuff in the past - never tried this - will do this summer and see if we get more than one (we got only ever one ... one bird, one time ...)
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frugal123
Mar 6, 2012 @ 5:43 am | delete
- Wonderful. We love watching our humming birds.
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WriterJanis
Mar 3, 2012 @ 4:11 am | delete
- I've used store bought nectar before and never knew about the dye issues. We'll make homemade from now on. Thank you for this important information. Blessed!
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gardendoll426
Mar 2, 2012 @ 4:45 pm | delete
- Great lens! I love hummingbirds, they were my grandma's favorite bird. I can't wait to try this recipe in the spring! :)
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