Best Hummingbird food to feed your hummingbirds
Here is an easy to make hummingbird nectar recipe that is the best food for your hummingbird feeder. It is a basic hummingbird feeder solution that is simple and quick to make. The only ingredients that you will need are white table sugar and water. No red food coloring will be used, because food coloring may be harmful to the hummingbirds and it is not necessary. If your hummingbird feeder has red on it, that will be enough to attract the hummingbirds to your feeder.
The hummingbird food sugar water ratio is 1 to 4. You will use 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. This ratio of 4 parts water to 1 part common table sugar will give you a nectar that is close to the actual concentration of sugar found in the flower nectar that hummingbirds feed on. Using any more sugar will make the hummingbird food sweeter and thus more attractive to bees and wasps, which are a common feeder problem. Plus, the more sugar the hummingbird nectar contains, the quicker the hummingbird food will ferment and have to be changed.
For this example we will be using 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. To make a smaller amount of nectar you could use 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of sugar. Any excess hummingbird nectar that you have left over can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Pour the 4 cups of water into a pan and heat it on the stove. Add the sugar and stir as the solution comes to a boil, until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the hummingbird food for 2 minutes to kill any bacteria in the sugar that might cause your hummingbird nectar to ferment quicker. After 2 minutes of boiling remove the nectar from the heat and cool. Boiling any longer will cause more of the water to evaporate and will change the 4 to 1 ratio resulting in a greater concentration of sugar to water.
Once you homemade hummingbird nectar is cool you can fill your feeder. You only need to as add as much nectar as you think your hummingbirds will use, adding any more will just be wasting it. Store the unused hummingbird food in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Click on the link for more articles on the best hummingbird food.
Click on the link for an article on how to clean your hummingbird feeder. This article will also tell you how to determine when it’s time to clean your feeder. If you wait to long to clean the feeder you will end up with a moldy feeder.
Below is a video which will show you how to make the best hummingbird food.
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 homemade hummingbird food 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
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.
One of the main things if you want to be successful in attracting and feeding hummingbirds is to be sure to keep fresh nectar in the feeder and to keep the feeder clean. Click on this link, it will tell you how to know when it’s time to change the hummingbird nectar and how to clean your hummingbird feeder.
I hope you enjoyed this article on the best hummingbird food.
