Hummingbird Food - Make or Buy Hummingbird Feeder Food?

Like many gardeners we have our share of hummingbird feeders around the yard, and so along with trying to grow plants that will attract the hummingbirds we have to find a source of hummingbird food or nectar to add to the feeder fairly often (more than once a week). We know that making hummingbird food is straightforward enough using one of the many hummingbird food recipes, but using one of the recipes can be more than a little work to keep the nectar on hand when you expect to be changing the food out once or twice a week in the heat of the summer.

The most common hummingbird food recipe is to make a solution of one part sugar to four parts water (one cup of water is a good starting point), prefereably using cane sugar (the white granulated type is fine.) Boil the solution and then let it cool and then store it in the refrigerator.

Commercial hummingbird food mixes will sometimes use other sweeteners, like hibiscus flowers instead of cane sugar. The liquid mixes can sometimes be more convenient and easier to measure out, and will mix without boiling, which really simplifies the job.

Hummingbird Nectar - two 24 oz cans - Clear $14.95 Store: Duncraft Hummingbird Nectar - Large 10 oz. $3.73 Store: Arbico Organics Best-1 8 Ounce Hummingbird Instant Nectar $7.49 Store: Shopping Warehouse Perky Pet 8 Ounce Clear Instant Hummingbird Nectar $7.49 Store: Shopping Warehouse Nectar Brush Set $8.95 Store: Duncraft Hummingbird & Oriole Feeder Cleaner $9.95 Store: Duncraft Opus Clear Instant Hummingbird Food $7.99 Store: Shopping Warehouse Bird House & Bird Feeder Cleaner $21.95 Store: Duncraft

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There is some small controversy about adding red food coloring to the “nectar mix” and some suggestion that it may weaken the eggs of the hummingbirds, but it’s hard to find a definitive source to cite for this information. Most birders agree that the red coloring on the feeder itself is adequate to attract the hummingbirds, so I tend to go the safe route and not make or buy hummingbird food that has red coloring added.

One critical step most backyard birders will overlook is the need for cleaning hummingbird feeders. The food will not last more than 3-5 days in hot weather, and it’s best to clean the feeder when changing the food. The job of cleaning the feeder is simplified by a good choice of feeder designs that disassemble easily and can be brushed. You can clean it with soap and water, or a diluted mixture of ammonia and water, but the critical step is to RINSE and RINSE AGAIN.