How do I make a homemade nectar for hummingbirds?
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4cups water
1cup superfine sugar
3 -5drops red food coloring (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Store remaining nectar in the refrigerator.
Some folks don't like the idea of adding red food coloring. Seems to be a personal preference. But it does make it easier to tell when a feeder is empty.
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/hummingbird-nectar-recipe
One part sugar to four part water
And don’t add red food colorings. Change out the water every two days if it has not been drunk; one or two times a day if the hummingbirds are really impressed with your feeders. ☺️
I literally just made some!
http://www.wildbirdshop.com/Birding/humfeed.html
Mix a cup of sugar into 4 cups of water until dissolved, let cool completely and fill feeder. You don't need any coloring, you feeder is most. likely already red or brightly colored.
I add 2 parts water to one part sugar in a small pot, let it heat up until the sugar is dissolved, then let it cool. Add the cooled sugar water to your hummingbird feeder and refrigerate the rest.
DO NOT use the red dye that you find in the stores along side the bird feeders. It is not good for the hummingbirds. Boil 4 cups of water, take off heat and stir in and dissolve the 1 cup of sugar in the water, stirring all the while. Let it cool, pour into feeder. Any left over store in refrig up to a week. Allow to come to room temp before adding to feeder. So easy and the little hummers love it.
The food you make for hummingbirds should be freshly made each time you refill..4 parts boiling water to 1 part plain white sugar with no food colouring and nothing to sicken the birds. Be certain to bring the liquid to a boil before cooling. The 'feeder' should be *cleaned and disinfected properly before refilling. Make the amount you need for 4 days, keep in in the fridge. Anything not used should be thrown out and a new batch cooked up while you clean the feeder. The sweet liquid supports the growth of deadly bacteria and this could kill the tiny critters.
*Cleaning: I use a mixture of Dawn & OxiClean in very hot water to soak my feeders, scrub the holes with a fine brush and rinse carefully before refilling.
You can freeze your nectar, and it will also keep in the fridge for 5 or so days. :)
You could freeze it in a mason jar (to avoid contamination from plastics) leaving about an inch air space at the top. Make sure it is thawed well before putting out for your little friends. It also keeps well in the refrigerator.
No red or other colored nectars. If you are making more than the five days' worth that can be kept in the fridge, freeze it, of course. I suggest freezing it in one or two day amounts, if you have room. It will thaw from one day to the next, and save time in making nectar so often. In sealed containers, the nectar should last in the freezer for three months. After thawing, be sure to shake the jar to keep the sugar distributed. Happy hummingbirds😇
Add 1/4 cup of sugar in 1 cup of hot - almost boiling - water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.