There’s not much to know when it comes to how to mix hummingbird food. There are only two simple ingredients and the homemade hummingbird nectar can be made in just a few minutes.
You never again have to make a quick trip to the store because your out of hummingbird nectar. And you can save yourself a little money and get the enjoyment and satisfaction of having hummingbirds feed on the nectar that you have made yourself.
The 2 ingredients that you will need for the hummingbird nectar food recipe are white granulated table sugar, the same sugar you put on your breakfast cereal, and tap water.
Don’t add any other ingredients. Other ingredients that people have added will only cause your sugar to ferment sooner and have to be changed or will be bad for the hummingbirds.
No brown sugar , no honey, no sugar substitutes and no red food coloring. Just sugar and water with a ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.
How to mix hummingbird food instructions:
1.-Pour the sugar and water into a pan and stir to dissolve the sugar, while bringing the mixture to a boil.
2.-Boil for 2 minutes and take from the heat.
3.-Let the mixture cool, then add the homemade hummingbird food to your hummingbird feeder.
Now you know all there is to how to mix hummingbird food. The only other thing you need to know is how to keep your nectar fresh and how to keep your feeder clean.
How to mix hummingbird food and keep your nectar fresh:
The key to keeping fresh nectar in your feeder is simple. Just change it before it goes bad. How do you know if it’s going bad? Watch your nectar and when it starts to get cloudy it’s time to change it. How long before your nectar goes bad will be determined by the outside temperature. Here is the how to mix hummingbird food chart that will give you a general idea of how many days your nectar will keep based on the outside temperature.
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
Also, if you can find a shady spot out of the sun to hang your hummingbird feeder, the nectar will last longer.
How to clean your feeder:
To keep your feeder clean, every time you change the nectar, be sure to rinse it out with hot water several times. And then about once a week rinse it out with a white vinegar, water solution. Use a solution consisting of 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water to rinse it. Then rinse out the vinegar solution with plain water.
If you find mold in your feeder, you can soak it in a bleach water solution for an hour(10% bleach to water ratio). The bleach will kill the mold and sterilize your feeder. Then rinse out the bleach water several times with running water to remove all traces of the bleach.
You may also need to brush the feeder with special hummingbird feeder brushes to remove the dead mold. They come in shapes and sizes especially suited to get into all the little nooks and crannies where mold might be hiding.
At times like these you will wish you had a feeder that’s easy to take apart and easy to clean. Same yourself some anguish in the long run and get a good feeder now.
Now that your homemade hummingbird nectar recipe is done, you will need to get a feeder that is easy to take apart and clean, and one that will also protect your hummingbird food recipe 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 an inexpensive feeder but has all the features that make it the best hummingbird feeder you can buy.
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 be your best choice.
Trap-It Ant Moat for Hummingbird Feeders, Red
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.
Enjoy your hummingbirds and I hope you enjoyed this article on how to mix hummingbird food and I hope you give the hummingbird nectar food recipe a try.
For more articles on how to mix hummingbird food click this link: how to mix hummingbird food articles
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