Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures, and using the right food recipe will help attract dozens of them. However, the best way to attract them is to know what they need.
Hummingbirds are small, delicate birds that require a lot of nutrients from food to maintain their high energy levels. By providing them with plenty of food (nutrients), you will ensure that they are happy, healthy, and plan to stay.
With the right hummingbird food recipe, you can provide them with plenty of food and save money by avoiding store-bought nectar. You will also prevent them from getting unnecessary chemicals and additives that can actually be harmful and are commonly found in store-bought hummingbird nectar.
Avoid Red Dyes:
When preparing hummingbird food, do not add food coloring to the recipe. I know store-bought nectar is red, but it’s a special kind. Regular cooking dye is not needed and may harm hummingbirds.
Most hummingbird feeders are red, so there is no need to add color to the food. If you don’t have a red one on your feeder, you can tie a red ribbon, decorate it with red ornaments, or hang it near bright flowers to attract the attention of your feathered friends.
The best hummingbird food recipes
Here’s a simple but excellent recipe for hummingbird food.
Ingredients
1 part sugar
4 parts water
Directions
Consider using 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. You can refrigerate leftovers for up to two weeks.
Using a medium sized pot, bring the water to a boil. Gradually add sugar, stirring constantly. After adding the sugar, remove the kettle from the heat and continue stirring until the sugar is well mixed.
Let cool completely, then add to the hummingbird feeder.
Do not add red. This is not required when using a hummingbird feeder.
When to Feed Hummingbirds
Aside from what to feed hummingbirds, the next big question is always when to feed them. New hummingbird watchers want to know when to put bird food out to ensure they can get it at the right time. The answer depends on the area you live in.
When you feed them depends on where you live.
Hummingbirds begin their migration across the United States in late February. Southern states along the Gulf Coast can begin installing hummingbird feeders in late February or early March. If they arrive sooner, the later is better.
The Central States should be ready for its arrival in late March or early April. Most northern states should have hummingbird feeders up by late April, no later than the first week of June.
Observe Their Timing
Knowing when to feed hummingbirds in your area takes a few years of monitoring to get the timing right because it will vary from day to day in your area.
Remember, they fly from south to north and hit the Gulf Coast in late February, reaching as far north as Maine by the first week of June. Place your feeders accordingly.
Better late than early. You don’t want them arriving without food and setting up their home in a neighbor’s yard.
When to change your hummingbird’s nectar
Many people fail to realize that if hummingbird nectar is not consumed within a week, it must be replaced.
The sugars in homemade or store-bought nectar can cause bacteria and yeast to grow. This can be harmful and prevent your hummingbirds from coming back.
Change your hummingbird’s food often during warm weather.
During normal temperatures below 70 degrees F, you should change your hummingbird’s food every 7 to 10 days.
If you live in hotter areas where you need to change your food every few days, consider filling your feeder with only one cup of food at a time. This will prevent waste and the need to make a new batch every day.
If it is cloudy, change the hummingbird’s food.
Cloudy hummingbird nectar is a sign that something is wrong. Either it got too hot, contained bacteria, or tiny particles caused an algae bloom.
When the hummingbird food becomes cloudy, you should wash the hummingbird feeder inside and out and refill it with fresh nectar.
How to Stop Ants From Getting to Your Hummingbird Feeder
Ants, bees, and some other insects are known to attack hummingbird feeders. When your hummingbird feeder is infested with insects, you will need to clean it and refill it.
Hummingbirds will not eat food containing ants in or around the feeder for safety reasons, so be sure to do so
However, there are some hummingbird feeders designed to contain ants by incorporating a trench into the design. If your feeder does not have a trench, you can purchase a separate one fairly cheaply. You can choose from a simple umbrella-shaped trough or a more elaborate decorative trough to add more design to your feeder.
Keep your hummingbird food fresh
Hummingbirds require a lot of energy. They will go wherever they need to to get the sugary nectar to generate the energy they desperately need.
If you want to keep hummingbirds close and see them often, you need to make sure you maintain a fresh, reliable supply of hummingbird nectar.
It’s also a good idea to plant flowers that attract hummingbirds so the flowers can refill if your feeder runs out.
