As animal lovers, we really enjoy the visit of birds! Surrounding our apartment unit are a few trees that birds frequent, and their melodious chirps are always uplifting. I decided that a bird feeder would sit nicely amongst my “garden”, and, since we often see birds, a feeder would be greatly used.
We went to the store to purchase a feeder, and decided that our first feeder would be for hummingbirds (nothing against the other beautiful birds). We picked out a standard red feeder, and went to purchase the hummingbird nectar… until we turned the bottle over and read the ingredients! Who knew that the store-bought “nectar” for these tiny creatures contains high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners among other foreign chemicals and preservatives, all which have no nutritional value and can, in fact, be harmful to the birds?
So, I decided to make my own nectar following tips from different sources online. An important part of the hummingbird diet is sugar from flower nectar. Water and sugar (usually sucrose/cane sugar) are the only constituents common to all natural nectar that these birds feed from.
2 simple ingredients:
Water
Cane Sugar—Sugar must be used. Honey and molasses are very heavy on the tiny bird’s system and will quickly ferment, becoming toxic to the birds. Artificial sweeteners have no nutritional value and are foreign chemicals to the bird’s delicate system.
**No dye- Unnecessary and potentially harmful to the birds.
Rule: 4 parts water, 1 part sugar
My feeder takes two cups, making my portions:
2 cups water
½ c sugar (cane sugar)
Directions:
2. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Pour the hot mixture into a glass bowl and set in refrigerator to cool. You can also just wait until the pot has cooled down and place the pot in fridge.
4. Once the mixture is completely cool, fill hummingbird feeder with your nectar and watch those sweet little birds enjoy!
Keep it safe: You do not want to give the birds fermented nectar! Avoid fermentation by placing the feeder in a shady area, away from the heat of direct sunlight. Hummingbirds prefer feeders in the shade anyway. Make sure bird feeders are cleaned every 3-5 days (or less if the water become cloudy). According to the National Audubon Society, cleaning should be done by rinsing with one part white vinegar to four parts water.
Unused hummingbird nectar can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
I hope that you are graced with seeing these sweet beings find nourishment from your homemade nectar!
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