Making your own hummingbird food is easy and cost-effective, the alternative store products that are pre-made and red in color is harmful to the hummingbirds because it contains Red5, which for the size of these birds can cause cancer & lead to other ailments that is reducing the life expectancy of these fragile creatures.
A simple sugar concoction is a solution to this, while providing the hummingbirds necessary nectar for their dieting needs. Hummingbirds fly up to an average of 30 miles per hour, flutter their wings around 3000 times a minute while their little hearts beat up to 1,200 times per second! Because of their metabolism, hummers must eat between one and three times their body weight DAILY!
Hummingbird nectar recipe ingredients:
* Granulated Pure Cane Sugar
* Water
1 part white granulated cane sugar to 4 parts water
(1/4 cup of sugar to every 1 cup of water)
Directions for making a safe hummingbird nectar recipe:
1. Make sure your feeder is cleaned thoroughly before adding fresh nectar.
2. Boil 1 cup of water.
3. Stir 1/4 cup of white granulated sugar into the 1 cup of boiling water. Boiling water kills any bacteria or mold present.
4. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
5. Let it cool and then fill the feeder.
6. Extra sugar water can be stored in a clean container in the refrigerator for up to 1 to 2 weeks.
Nectar is a very rich growth medium and spoils in 2 – 7 days depending on the temperature and the amount of sun that the feeder receives. Yeasts like to eat it causing fermentation which can harm hummingbirds. Mold and bacteria also can grow in it and can also harm the birds. That is why it is important to keep the feeder clean and the nectar fresh. During the hot summer months it is recommended to clean the feeder and change the hummingbird nectar every couple of days and in cooler temperatures every 7 days.
Do not use brown sugar, powered sugar, maple syrup, honey, artificial sweeteners or any other types of sugar substitute. Only use pure granulated white cane sugar to make hummingbird food. The chemical makeup of other types of sugars is not the same as white cane sugar and can cause illness and death to a hummingbird. They burn enormous amounts of energy for their size and need real sugar.
Order a hummingbird feeder here
