-
Hummingbird water sugar solution that you can whip up in no time
All you need to make this quick hummingbird treat is white granulated table sugar and water. The formula we will use is 4 parts water to 1 part sugar.
The flower nectar that hummingbirds feed on contains about the same percentage of sugar as the nectar that we will be making.
Making the water, sugar solution
Add your water and sugar to a pan and start to boil. Stir the mixture as you’re waiting for the mixture to start boiling, to dissolve the sugar.
The purpose of boiling the hummingbird nectar is to release any chlorine that might be in the water and to kill any bacteria or mold spores that might be in the sugar, which will cause your nectar to ferment and have to be changed sooner.
Boiling for about 2 minutes will be long enough to accomplish this. If you continue to boil the water, you will boil away more of the water and end up with a sweeter nectar. The hummingbirds will like the sweeter nectar, but bees and wasps will also be more attracted to it and may keep your hummingbirds from using the feeder.
If you make more nectar than you can use at one time, you can keep the extra nectar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks before using it up.
Clear nectar will work just fine if you have red on your feeder. There is controversy about whether or not the red dye in food coloring is harmful to the hummingbirds, so be on the safe side and leave it out of your sugar solution. If there is no red on your feeder you can tie strips of red ribbon to the feeder to attract hummingbirds.
How to keep your nectar fresh and your feeder clean
Once your solution is made and your feeder is hung, the next thing you will need to do is to make sure the nectar stays fresh and your feeder stays clean. You will have to put fresh nectar in your feeder every once in a while. Each time you change the nectar, rinse your hummingbird feeder out with hot water to help keep it clean.
The sugar in the nectar will ferment as it ages and mold will grow in the nectar and on your feeder if the nectar isn’t changed often enough.
The chart below will show you how often you will have to change the nectar. The outside temperature will determine how long your hummingbird sugar water will keep before it goes bad.
If you notice your nectar starting to look cloudy, you know it’s time to change it.
How often should you change the nectar
The chart below tells you when you should change the nectar based on the temperature. For example, if the temperature stays in the 71 to 75 degree range, your nectar should be good for about 6 days.The higher the temperature climbs the sooner it will need to be changed.
High temperatures…………Change sugar solution after
71-75……………………………6 days
76-80……………………………5 days
81-84……………………………4 days
85-88……………………………3 days
89-92……………………………2 days
93+………………………………change daily
What to do if the nectar isn’t changed soon enough and your feeder gets mold on it
If your feeder does get moldy you will have to soak it in a mild bleach solution for an hour to kill the mold. Take a gallon of water and add 1/4 cup bleach to soak your feeder in. After it’s done soaking, be sure to rinse your feeder several times with running water to remove all the bleach water before filling with fresh nectar. You may also have to scrub the mold loose from your feeder with small hummingbird feeder brushes.
|
|
After it’s done soaking, be sure to rinse your feeder several times with running water to remove all the bleach water before filling with fresh nectar. You may also have to scrub the mold loose from your feeder with small hummingbird feeder brushes. If you would like to make life easier on yourself when it comes to cleaning your feeder, start out with the right feeder. |
Use a feeder that’s easy to clean
One of my favorite Hummingbird feeders, that I use that’s easy to take apart and clean is 
Aspects 12oz Hummzinger Ultra With Nectar Guard
It’s very 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.
How to protect other feeders from insects
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 a great 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.
Good luck feeding your hummingbirds and I hope you enjoyed this article on hummingbird water sugar solution.
Click the link for more hummingbird water sugar solution articles.
