Attracting Hummingbirds

Lesson 2: KEEPING BOTH YOU AND YOUR HUMMERS HAPPY

HOW TO MAKE NECTAR

While you can buy commercially prepared nectar, it costs more and may spoil faster than homemade. Homemade nectar simply consists of water and table sugar. Mix four parts spring or tap water to one part white cane sugar. Do not substitute any other sweeteners! Some sweeteners (such as honey) ferment, while hummingbirds simply dislike many other sweeteners. Never use distilled water, as distilling removes nutritious minerals.

Always boil the water and re-measure it before mixing with the sugar. Let the nectar cool before putting it in the feeder. You can store it for a few days in the refrigerator if you like. Do not alter the proportions, as hummers will turn away nectar that has too much sugar. Some people add red food coloring to nectar as a way to attract the birds, but this is unnecessary and potentially harmful.

Attracting hummingbirds to your backyard is a commitment. You must make sure the feeder is full every day, preferably at dawn, and you must change the nectar as soon as it begins to look cloudy (usually in three or four days.) If the nectar becomes dirty, it can ferment, which is dangerous to the birds. More than likely, however, the birds will just stop visiting you and look for better food sources if your nectar gets dirty!

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