Homemade hummingbird feed that’s quick, easy and fun to make
Making your own homemade hummingbird feed can be a fun experience that also saves you money. Homemade hummingbird feed is quick and easy to make and only requires 2 ingredients…..water and ordinary white granulated table sugar.
Homemade hummingbird feed ratio:
To make your homemade hummingbird feed you will combine the water and the sugar at a 4 to 1 ratio of 4parts water to 1 part sugar.
The hummingbirds feed on flower nectar that also has about a 4 to 1 ratio of water to sugar, so your homemade hummingbird feed will be a close match.
Homemade hummingbird feed instructions:
1. Pour the water into a pan on the stove and bring to a boil
2. As the water is heating up, stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved
3. Continue stirring the homemade hummingbird feed and boil for about 2 minutes. Boiling for about 2 minutes is all that is necessary to kill any mold spores in the sugar and to release any chlorine that might be in your tap water.
As a result of boiling the homemade hummingbird feed, it will last longer once it is outdoors in the heat.
4. After your homemade hummingbird feed has cooled you can fill your feeder and if you have any left, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Ok, now that you have made your homemade hummingbird feed and have it in your feeder, your hummingbirds will be happy as long as you keep fresh homemade hummingbird feed in your feeder.
To keep your homemade hummingbird feed fresh, all you have to do is change it once in a while. If you don’t change the homemade hummingbird feed every so often, the sugar will eventually ferment and cause mold to grow in the nectar and contaminate your feeder.
How often you will have to change the homemade hummingbird feed that you have made will be based on the temperature outside. The hotter the temp. the quicker the sugar will start to ferment.
Read the chart below to guide you on how often to change your homemade hummingbird feed .
Chart for changing your hummingbird nectar:
High temperatures…………Change nectar after
71-75……………………………6 days
76-80……………………………5 days
81-84……………………………4 days
85-88……………………………3 days
89-92……………………………2 days
93+………………………………change daily
Hummingbird Feeder maintenance:
If you don’t change your nectar and mold forms, you will have to thoroughly clean and sterilize your hummingbird feeder. If that happens, follow this link and read the article on how to clean and maintain your hummingbird feeder.
If you follow the chart and change the nectar on time, feeder maintenance will be a simple task.
That’s all there is to making homemade hummingbird feed and feeder maintenance. Enjoy your hummingbirds and remember….keep your homemade hummingbird feed fresh!
P.S. If your serious about feeding hummingbirds, this is the feeder you should have…it can’t be beat!
Now that your homemade hummingbird feed is done, you will need to get a feeder that is easy to take apart and clean, and one that will also protect your homemade hummingbird nectar from bees ants and wasps.
My favorite choice of hummingbird feeders to use with the homemade hummingbird nectar recipe is:
Aspects 12oz Hummzinger Ultra With Nectar Guard
It’s inexpensive and has several features that makes it well worth the price.
The HummZinger has patented Nectar guard tips which are flexible membranes attached to the feed ports that prohibit entry from flying insects, but allow Hummingbirds to feed as usual. The HummZinger also has a built in ant moat that will stop crawling insects from getting to the nectar. It also has raised flower ports that divert rain.
This mid-size nectar feeder has a 12 oz. capacity and can be hung or post mounted with hardware provided. It has four feeding ports for hummingbirds and is made of unbreakable polycarbonate. Easy to clean.
For ease of cleaning and protection from bees, wasps and ants, this feeder can’t be beat.
If you already have a hummingbird feeder, and you want to protect it from ants and other crawling insects, the ant moat below will do the job.
Trap-It Ant Moat for Hummingbird Feeders, Red
Product Description
The first and still the best to protect your Hummingbird and Oriole feeder from ants and other crawling insects. Insert between hanger and feeder and fill with water, providing a barrier to crawling pests. Red color to attract hummingbirds.
I hope you enjoyed this article on homemade hummingbird feed.
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