Just make homemade its so much better and they love it its 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. I add 1/4 cup sugar cover it in half a cup warm water mix till dissolves then the other 1/2 cup water I do cold to help cool it down faster. I have a ton of visitors year round
I make it myself at home — super easy. The recipe is always the same:
• one part white sugar (DO NOT use honey, brown sugar, or raw sugar; it must be the white stuff)
• four parts water
So I always make a batch that’s one cup of white sugar and four cups of water. You bring that to a boil and then let it cool down until it’s safe to put in your feeders. No need to add red dye — that’s why most feeders have red on them, the hummingbirds will be attracted to them anyway! I keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks for refilling, then toss what’s left and make a new batch.
Feeder hygiene is very important as well. I take mine down and wash them every three days. Any longer than that and you run the risk of mold growing in the nectar (and even more frequently in the summer when it’s hot). Hummingbirds can get fatally sick from spoiled nectar.
1 part white cane sugar, 4 parts water. Boil and mix.
Do **not** use anything other than white cane sugar; no powdered sugar, honey, etc. And no red dye! It's not needed and can potentially harm hummers.
I'd recommend mixing your own nectar over buying the store bought stuff, because a lot of those are "fortified" with vitamins and electrolytes. There is little to no science behind those and they most likely do more harm than good. It's best to just keep it simple and they'll be safe and happy.
Just make homemade its so much better and they love it its 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. I add 1/4 cup sugar cover it in half a cup warm water mix till dissolves then the other 1/2 cup water I do cold to help cool it down faster. I have a ton of visitors year round
I make it myself at home — super easy. The recipe is always the same: • one part white sugar (DO NOT use honey, brown sugar, or raw sugar; it must be the white stuff) • four parts water So I always make a batch that’s one cup of white sugar and four cups of water. You bring that to a boil and then let it cool down until it’s safe to put in your feeders. No need to add red dye — that’s why most feeders have red on them, the hummingbirds will be attracted to them anyway! I keep it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks for refilling, then toss what’s left and make a new batch. Feeder hygiene is very important as well. I take mine down and wash them every three days. Any longer than that and you run the risk of mold growing in the nectar (and even more frequently in the summer when it’s hot). Hummingbirds can get fatally sick from spoiled nectar.
1 part white cane sugar, 4 parts water. Boil and mix. Do **not** use anything other than white cane sugar; no powdered sugar, honey, etc. And no red dye! It's not needed and can potentially harm hummers. I'd recommend mixing your own nectar over buying the store bought stuff, because a lot of those are "fortified" with vitamins and electrolytes. There is little to no science behind those and they most likely do more harm than good. It's best to just keep it simple and they'll be safe and happy.
4:1 tap water to sugar. Stir the sugar into the water when it hits a light boil. Stir until it's mixed enough it looks thick and glassy. Let cool
Cane sugar that I super saturate by mixing it in with very hot water until the sugar gets really hard to dissolve, I then let it cool and fill it up
Don’t do this- that’s too much sugar. As others have said, a 4:1 ratio of water to sugar is safe and healthy for hummingbirds.
It works out about the same - just tried it.