Buying pre-mixed hummingbird food can be an expensive proposition. On the other hand, granulated sugar is cheap, and when mixed with plain water, produces nectar as beneficial to hummingbirds as any commercial mixture.
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Hummingbirds and Their Food
Hummingbirds require disproportionate quantities of nectar and protein to fuel their high metabolic rate. With wing beats up to 90 per second, and a heart that beats as high as 1,200 times per second, hummingbirds must feed almost constantly. Insects provide the protein, and when you see a hummingbird hovering in the air or flying up, down, backward and forward over his territory, he is scooping tiny insects out of the air.
Hummingbirds also need sugar for energy. Their long bills and longer tongues give them access to the nectar-laden depths of flowers, where they stock up on sugar. Hummingbird feeders provide a nectar alternative for the birds, and the best-designed ones provide similar access to a mixture of sugar and water.
Commercial Hummingbird Food
Many hummingbird food products are sold commercially, ranging from dry mixtures to concentrated liquids to ready-to-use nectar substitutes. The product sold commercially, however, is no special secret formula designed for hummingbirds, but rather simple granulated sugar. Some of these products include various additives, in order to differentiate them from the competition, but any additive to a sugar water solution is unnecessary, if not potentially harmful.
Protein additives are not necessary, since hummingbirds will satisfy their protein requirements by eating insects. Some products claim to be bacteria free, but one achieves the same result at home by boiling the water while preparing the nectar mixture. Many commercial products are also colored red.
Some of these are colored with commercial food coloring, which may be harmful to birds. Others are colored with extracts from flowers, such as hibiscus. Again, colored water is completely unnecessary, and should be avoided. Commercial products use red as an attractant to draw birds to the feeder, but the best hummingbird feeders use red-colored nectar reservoirs, which serve the same purpose. Besides, once hummingbirds have found your feeders, color is no longer a factor.
Commercial hummingbird food is also expensive compared to making your own. Prices range from costly to very expensive, whether sold as a dry mix, concentrate or ready-to-use liquid. A 2-liter bottle of pre-mixed nectar, for example, may be priced at $23 from an on line source, with another $12 for shipping and handling. Consider that if you purchase a 4-pound bag of granulated sugar on sale for $2, your cost per cup of sugar is about 22 cents. At this price, you can make 2 liters of nectar at home for less than 50 cents.
Making and Storing Your Own Hummingbird Food
The recipe for hummingbird food is simple: 1 cup of granulated sugar to 4 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil in a clean pot, and add the sugar. Mix the sugar into the boiling water and let it continue to boil for another minute. Put a lid over the mixture to avoid concentrating the sugar while it boils. Let it cool to room temperature.
Store the cooled sugar water mixture in clean plastic fruit juice or other sturdy containers. The plastic bottles used for inexpensive water, such as the typical 16-ounce size, generally are too flimsy. Stored nectar should be kept refrigerated, and will keep for a couple of weeks. If not used within two weeks, toss the nectar and make a fresh supply. Never add coloring to the nectar.
Modified Formula for Desert Hummingbird Feeders
In a desert climate, such as Arizona, modify the sugar mixture during peak hot weather by using almost five cups of water to one cup of sugar. The normal four-to-one recipe is thought to be a little too concentrated for hummingbirds during the hottest weather.
Filling and Re-filling Hummingbird Feeders
Cleanliness is all important. Clean new feeders carefully, fully rinsing all detergent away. Clean and change nectar in feeders after one or two weeks at the most, or if you see any black spots inside the nectar container, or if any insects have managed to get inside the containers.
Discard unused nectar and clean the food container and reservoir thoroughly, using a bottle brush if necessary. Detergent and hot water work well, although if any black algae or mold spots appear inside the container, fill with cold water and a few drops of bleach, which will dissolve the contamination. Then re-clean the container and rinse thoroughly.
If your feeders are not being emptied within two weeks, add less nectar when re-filling. If area flowers are in full bloom, hummingbirds will often prefer the flowers and pay less attention to feeders.
Bees and Hummingbird Feeders
Bees like nectar as much as hummingbirds, and will hang around your feeders annoying you and the hummingbirds. Some feeders come with bee guards, which help, but keeping bees away completely is virtually impossible. One solution that works fairly well is to apply a light coating of Avon’s Skin So Soft around (not on) the feeder holes. This won’t bother the birds as long as it isn’t directly on the holes, but it will discourage bees.
Making Your Own Hummingbird Food is Fun and Saves Money
Hummingbird food is easy to make, and it’s more rewarding to watch your hummingbirds enjoy home-made nectar. It’s also a lot less expensive than buying commercial products.
