How to Make Hummingbird Food

Hummingbirds expend so much energy beating their wings that they need a high concentration of sugar in their food. In nature, they get their sugar from the nectar of flowers. You can make a solution that is very similar to flower nectar. The sugar found in flowers is similar to the white, granulated sugar we use in our sugar bowls. Follow this easy recipe to fill your feeder with homemade hummingbird nectar.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• One cup boiling water
• A bowl or pan in which to heat the water
• A quarter cup of white, granulated sugar
• A hummingbird feeder

1. Boil one cup of water. You can use a microwave-safe bowl in your microwave or you can use a pot or pan on a stove-top burner. Once the water boils, remove from heat.

2. Add one cup of white, granulated sugar. Stir well.

3. Allow to cool thoroughly.

4. Pour the sugar solution into your hummingbird feeder. Any extra can be stored in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• If you would like to make a bigger batch of hummingbird food, just use four times as much water as sugar.
• During cold migration periods you can increase the amount of sugar to one third cup.
• Never put honey or artificial sweeteners in the hummingbird solution.
• Do not add food coloring to the solution. The artificial coloring is not beneficial to the birds.

[stevenalan]

on 6/19/2009 I’m not sure which is worse, someone that unknowingly publishes inaccurate advise or a foolish bigot. I think the foolish bigot wins! Best wishes from Steve and Russ, a gay couple going on 14 years together, the good Lord willing, and we’re sure she will be.

[oxbomer69]

on 6/10/2009 I am not sure who this person is but they are trying to kill your hummingbirds. Maybe this person is black, thats the only explination I can think of for being so dumb to say one cup of water to one cup of sugar. Anyway, the correct ration is 1 to 4. One part sugar to 4 parts water. It is very cheap and easy to do this a gallon of home made hummingbird nector will only cost about 1 dollar to make at home. To convert this to language blacks will understand its 100 pennies. Maybe the local bank can give you a loan for this if you even have a bank account.

[merrie]

on 8/6/2008 in ingredients list yousaid 1/4 cup and in instructions, you said 1 cup!!