How to Make homemade Humming bird nectar

So you love Humming birds and have a great feeder but the birds don't seem to be visiting. It could be your nectar. Humming birds can be pretty picky when it comes to their favorite sauce. Here is a great recipe that brings me dozens of birds a day.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring cups
• Glass mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Sugar
• Water
• Microwave
• Humming bird feeder
• Red food color
• Optional

1. The right equipment.
   Don't use metal.
   I try to stick to all glass and stir with a wooden spoon.
   *Some people have good luck using a plastic mixing bowl. I have better luck with Glass. *

2. 4 to 1
   You need a 4 to 1 water to sugar ratio. Use regular white table sugar.
   Measure out your sugar and add in 4 times the water.(I use 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water but my feeder is pretty big.)
   If your water is heavily chlorinated you might want to use bottled or filtered water.

3. Measure the Sugar and water into a Glass, microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

4. Cook the mixture.
   You will have different times for different amounts. (My mixture I cook 3 to 5 minutes). You want the sugar to dissolve completely. Stir again with wooden spoon.
   *Be careful sugar water can get very hot. Handle with care*

5. Let your mixture cool.
   **You don't want to melt your feeder with super hot sugar water.

6. Color is optional.
   I add a few drops of red food color. This Nectar will work uncolored. My Humming birds seem to be more plentiful if the nectar has been tinted red.

7. Pour into your feeder and go hang your feeder outside. I hang mine right outside my window so I can see the Humming birds easily.

Tips & Warnings

• Use Glass bowls if you have them.
• Use wooden spoons
• Sugar water can get very hot. Be careful.
• Don't use metal. It will make your nectar taste weird and the birds may ignore it.

Resources

• ehow

[cherylscott]

on 7/26/2009 Sweet. 5s.