If you make hummingbird food, the hummingbirds will come.
That’s about how simple it is to attract hummingbirds to your backyard. Make hummingbird food using the simple formula in this article, put it in a red feeder, hang it where the hummingbirds can see it and if there are any hummingbirds in your area it won’t take you long to find out.
If you have what they like it won’t take them long to find it.
It reminds me of a time many years ago when I decided to plant a small hummingbird garden to see if I could attract some hummingbirds. I bought a honeysuckle vine to plant along a fence in the backyard. I was in a hurry to grow a garden, so I bought the biggest one I could find. The vine I found was about 4 feet tall and even had blooms on it. I just got home from the nursery and took the potted honeysuckle vine out of the car and set it on the ground in the backyard, then went inside to get something. I got back about 5 minutes later….. and like magic, there was already a hummingbird feeding on the blooms!
You can’t imagine how excited I was to see a hummingbird so soon. That was just the start of many hummingbird vines and many hummingbird plants that ended up residing in my backyard.
So make hummingbird food and put up a feeder and you too will enjoy that magical moment when for the first time a hummingbird appears, seemingly out of nowhere.
The recipe for making hummingbird food
1. Put 4 parts water and 1 part sugar (white granulated table sugar) in a pan and bring to a boil. Stir the homemade hummingbird nectar until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for about 2 minutes.
2. Take from heat and let cool.
3. Fill feeder and store any leftover nectar in the refrigerator.
The 4 to 1 ratio will closely match the flower nectar that hummingbirds normally feed on. Boiling for 2 minutes is enough to release any chlorine from the water and kill any impurities that might be in the sugar. Boiling any longer will start to change the 4 to 1 ratio and make a sweeter nectar. The hummingbirds will like it but it will also become more attractive to bees and wasps. Any excess nectar can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and used when you need it later. Make hummingbird food and they will come ….. Keep the nectar fresh and your feeder clean and they will keep on coming.
How to be sure the hummingbird nectar stays fresh and doesn’t start to ferment
You will have to change it every now and then. How often you will have to change it will depend on the weather. The cooler the temperature, the longer your hummingbird food sugar will last without fermenting. Below is a temperature chart to give you an idea as to how long you can expect your hummingbird food to last before needing changing. If the temperature stays around 71 to 75 degrees, for example, your nectar should be ok for about 6 days before needing changed. If the temperature is in the 76 to 80 degree range it will need to be changed after about 5 days.
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
Use these guidelines while keeping an eye on your feeder. If you notice the nectar starting to get cloudy, go ahead and change it. If you wait too long mold will grow in the nectar and on your feeder.
Hummingbird feeder maintenance
Now that you know how to make hummingbird food, you also need to know how to keep your feeder clean so the hummingbirds will keep returning to your feeder.
To help keep your feeder clean, rinse it out with hot water every time you change the nectar. Once a week you should also rinse it out with a vinegar and water solution. One part white vinegar to four parts water.
What to do if your feeder gets moldy
If you forget to change your nectar and mold does start to grow in it, you will have to clean your hummingbird feeder with a bleach water solution. Make a 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of water solution and soak your feeder in it for about an hour to kill the mold and sterilize the feeder.
| You may have to use a small bottle brush to remove any mold that clings to your feeder. Rinse your hummingbird feeder several times with running water to be sure to remove all traces of the bleach water before refilling with your homemade hummingbird nectar. |
You can make your feeder cleaning a lot easier if you first start with a feeder that’s easy to take apart and clean. Here is the perfect hummingbird feeder you should have.
Use a feeder that’s easy to clean
Now that you know how to make hummingbird food, you will need to get a feeder that is easy to take apart and clean, and one that will also protect your hummingbird food from bees ants and wasps.
My favorite choice of hummingbird feeders to use with the make hummingbird food 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.
How to keep ants and other insects out of your feeder
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.
Now you see how easy it is for anyone to make hummingbird food and to attract hummingbirds.
Take care of your feeder and you will be rewarded with lots of hummingbirds to enjoy. I hope you enjoyed this article on make hummingbird food.
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