Long gone are the days of artificial dyes and prepackaged nectar. The dye has been proven to be harmful to our hummingbird friends. There's great news though! Hummingbird nectar/ sugar water is super simple to make: literally two ingredients! The recipe provided below is the correct ratio to match the nectar they would consume from flowers. Mix flowers and homemade nectar into your garden to provide a bounty of resources.
Hummingbirds need several elements for a well rounded diet: nectar from flowers, insects, and, with the growing concern of habitat change, homemade nectar from backyard enthusiasts.
Fill your yard with nectar filled plants like Lobelia, Salvia, Zinnias, Lantana, Agastache, Cuphea, Honeysuckle, Echinacea, and Scabiosa. Remember they particularly love bright colors and cone shaped flowers. Hummingbirds eat every 10-15 minutes and visit anywhere from 1,000-2,000 flowers a day!
Of course, with changing habitat, flowers blooming earlier, and other adversities, it is important to provide a little extra help and nectar for our aerial acrobat friends.
DIY Hummingbird Nectar:
Ingredients:
1/4 C. Refined White Sugar
1 C. Boiling Water
Instructions:
Mix sugar and boiling water until sugar is dissolved
Cool and fill feeder
That's it y'all!
*this is the National Audubon Approved Recipe
Put simply: 1 part sugar to 4 parts clean, boiled water.
Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Important: Don't replace sugar with honey as it can promote fungal growth, don't add red dye as it causes tumors, and clean thoroughly every time you fill to reduce mold growth.
Here's to creating a welcoming and safe space for hummingbirds!
Do you feel inspired to make your own nectar?
Yes!
I've been doing this for years
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