Want to know a quick, easy, inexpensive way to make your own hummingbird feeder mixture? OK, let’s start with two easy to finding ingredients that every household has, white granulated table sugar and tap water is all you need. You’ve got them both right…… I knew you would.
Hummingbird feeder mixture instructions:
That was easy enough right? Now to see how quick it is to make your own hummingbird feeder mixture.
Stir one part sugar into four parts water and boil for two minutes. That’s all, we’re finished. I told you it was quick and easy! Let it cool then you can add it to your hummingbird feeder.
Don’t add anything else to the hummingbird feeder mixture, just white granulated table sugar and water. Not brown sugar, no honey, no sugar substitutes and no red food coloring.
Honey will ferment too quick and ruin your hummingbird feeder mixture. Sugar substitutes have no calories and thus will provide no energy boost for the hummingbirds. And the controversy surrounding whether or not the dye in red food coloring is harmful to hummingbirds makes it better to just not use red hummingbird nectar at all. Actually read nectar isn’t necessary because the red on your hummingbird feeders is enough red to attract hummingbirds.
Boiling the nectar for about two minutes is long enough to release any chlorine that might be in your water and to kill any impurities that might be in the sugar and cause it to ferment sooner and have to be change sooner.
For parts water to one part sugar will make a 20% sugar nectar solution which is just what flower nectar, that hummingbirds normally feed on contains. Boiling any longer and you will boil way more water and have a sweeter nectar. There’s no need to use a sweeter nectar as it will also attract the bees and wasps more readily.
Feeder maintenance is almost as simple as making your own nectar is. Of all you have to do is change your hummingbird feeder mixture every so often and rinse out your feeder with hot water each time you change it.
Below is a chart that shows how many days your hummingbird feeder mixture will stay fresh according to the outside temperature.
Changing your hummingbird feeder mixture temperature guide:
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
Follow these guidelines and rinse out your feeder with hot water each time you change the nectar and you won’t have much trouble.
Some people will also rinse their feeder out every week or so with a 10% white vinegar and water solution to help clean it.
If your hummingbird hummingbird feeder mixture goes too long without being changed, the nectar will ferment and mold will grow in it. Then you will have to soak your whole feeder in a bleach water solution for an hour, to kill the mold and sterilize your feeder.
Mix 1/4 cup bleach into one gallon of water and soak your feeder. After about an hour, remove your feeder and rinse it out thoroughly with running water several times to remove all traces of the bleach, before filling with fresh nectar.
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You will need some hummingbirds feeder brushes to help remove the mold from all the crooks and crannies of the feeder. To make feeder cleaning quicker and easier, get a feeder that’s easy to take apart and allows easy access to all the internal areas of the feeder. |
Here is a feeder that’s easy to clean and has a lot of other features that make feeding hummingbirds a lot more enjoyable.
Now that your hummingbird feeder mixture 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 feeder mixture 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.
Have fun making your own hummingbird nectar and enjoy your birds. I hope you enjoyed this article on hummingbird feeder mixture.
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