hummingbird food

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I need to make my own humming bird food . I thought it was just sugar water but can't remember now. please help thanks

-- becky (Joel681@webtv.net), July 12, 2000

Answers

1 to 4.

1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup of water.

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), July 12, 2000.


Yup, 1 to 4. Some "experts" say you can go as low as 1 to 7. Dont exceed 1 to 4 as you run the risk of damaging their little livers and a stronger mixture does not bring an increased number of birds as some claim.

-- William in WI (thetoebes@webtv.net), July 12, 2000.

"My" hummers love this mixture. An added point, do not add red food coloring. It is not necessary to attract them and is not supposed to be good for them. Aren't they a joy to watch? I have a feeder right outside my living room window and I can sit inside and watch them. They get used to you after a while.

-- barbara (barbaraj@mis.net), July 12, 2000.

I had one by the kitchen window and an aggressive male hummer kept attacking all the others! So, I put another one off of the back of the house...now, he flys back and forth all day keeping all of the others away...what a hoot.

-- JimR (jroberts1@cas.org), July 12, 2000.

We use 1cup sugar to 4 cups water also, but we bring it to a boil, boil for 1 minute, then let cool. We store it in the fridge. Does anyone else boil theirs'? Pop insists that it is necessary - not sure why.

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), July 12, 2000.


My mother mixes 1 cup granulated sugar or succerat to 3 cups of water, and brigns slowly just to a boil, then cools. She believes that boiling makes the sugar particles stay suspended in the water longer, and prevents clogging. Mom hangs her feeder over red and yellow plants, thinking the color attracts the birds to her feeder. I think they just like the nector!!

-- Marty (mrs.puck@excite.com), July 12, 2000.

I boil mine too. I've read it helps keep the bacteria count down. In fact, I made some today and am letting it cool to refill my feeder. Yes, those males can be aggressive, but isn't that so with any specie including human!!!!!!! They are certainly cheap entertainment.

-- barbara (barbaraj@mis.net), July 12, 2000.

In hot weather make sure you change the sugar water every couple of days because if you don't it will ferment and birds will get sick or die! They are beautiful to watch! I have two feeders hanging outside my home office front winder so when I'm working at my computer I can watch them drink, fight, and play!

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 15, 2000.

Hello,

I looked up humingbird food on google.com and got your site thanks. Do you all boil it or not. Are you sure the red dye doesn't help them find it.

-- Sam (is3997@aol.com), May 23, 2001.


I mix my hummingbird sugar water slightly stronger than 1 to 4 early in the spring. I feel the little hummers need a little more energy! Then I mix just 1 to 4 for the rest of the season. No, I do not boil it. Just mix the sugar with very hot water to dissolve thoroughly. I think the red food coloring is necessary if you use a clear feeder. My problem is keeping the yellow jackets away from the feeders!! I love honey bees, paper wasps and bumblebees, but those yellow jackets have a bad attitude!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), May 23, 2001.


(I'm an ex-Audubon president and have had some training on this, folks...) The proper ratio is one part (refined white) sugar to four parts water- NEVER stronger, it's too much. An easy way is to measure the volume by level cupfuls... The best way to make it is to drop the sugar into hot water, then bring it to a boil a minute or two- this helps assure a bacteria and fungus-free mix, killing spores and bacteria that might otherwise survive and harm the hummingbirds. And =never= use honey.

In most cases, we'd advise against using food coloring- if your feeder doesn't have red or yellow, you can paint or paste a red or yellow spot (with a hole) around the feeder hole, or paint the tip red (or use a red plastic bit around the end). Though many say the red dye is safe for people and critters, the fact is a hummingbird's metabolism is so much higher than a human's we really don't know for sure, so I avoid using it.

If you have lots of yellowjackets or other critters getting at your nectar, there are feeders with little plastic "cages" surrounding the feeder tip that keep yellowjackets from sipping nectar.

If you have fights over your feeder, remember these critters can get very territorial. We keep a feeder out in front, another in the back of the house. They still have occasional runs at each other, though they never seem to harm each other.

Place your feeders where the hummingbirds will not be subject to being preyed on by cats or other predators, and preferably not in front of reflectorized windows, as they can harm themselves flying into the glass. In some areas of the US, you will keep feeders out all year, in others (Rubythroat country) only from Spring until they migrate out in the winter.

Feeders are especially helpful in areas that are drought-stricken and where the flowers that provide nectar have died back. At those times, your feeder will really be helpful- the rest of the time, hummingbirds will use your feeder as supplemental food srouces only (and some will also catch and eat small insects).

Enjoy the world's smallest feathered friends! José

-- José Kirchner (jose.k@usa.net), June 24, 2001.


I wouldn't assume the large aggressive hummingbirds protecting the feeder from the others is male. We have a nest nearby and unless the male is the caretaker of the chicks I think I am safe to assume the large aggressive hummingbird at my feeder is a female with the strong instinct to give her birds the best (including their own feeder).

Also, boiling kills the bacteria from the sugar and water. However, make sure it cools down before you put it out for the birds. (There is a small amounts of bacteria in both the water and sugar that doesn't affect humans, but does affect the birds.)

Never use red food dye, it gives the birds throat cancer.

If your feeder is in direct sunlight change the water at least every few weeks and clean the feeder with hot water and a small amount of vinegar, not dishwashing soap.

If your feeder water becomes cloudy change it immediately, dangerous molds are growing in it, making your birds sick.

-- jennifer (jenniferrisch@hotmail.com), July 01, 2001.


hello I read somewhere that sucrose(sugar) was bad for the hummingbird and it is recommended that glucose(a simpler and easier to digest sugar was better for their digestive system??has anyone heard this?

-- (justinesagar@hotmail.com), August 09, 2001.

Yes, those males can be aggressive, but isn't that so with any specie including human!!!!!!! They are certainly cheap entertainment. --Barbara

Barbara, I'm glad you find us entertaining!

By the way (trying to hold my aggression in check), are you sure it's the Male hummers who do all that aggressive stuff? I know that rufous hummers are the most aggressive around here. I don't know how to tell if they're males--they won't hold still long enough for me to get a close look at their little cloacas :)

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), August 09, 2001.


Someone told me my sugar and water did not contain enough nourishment and that something needed to be added. Anyone have any idea if that's true and, if so, what is it?

-- Kay Cofield (calmedia@earthlink.net), August 17, 2001.


Found a recipe, the same as described here, on WWW.APPLESFORHEALTH.COM, a unique site for 'apple lovers' as there are recipes too.

-- John (SparkyWatts@worldnet.att.net), September 12, 2001.

From a research article.

"Analysis of the nectar from 124 plant species showed that it is composed of a combination of sucrose (table sugar), glucose and fructose. None of the nectars contained only glucose or only fructose. When we gave hummingbirds a choice between feeders containing sucrose and those with only glucose or only fructose, they preferred the sucrose."

-- rob (rob@ourverybest.com), September 22, 2001.


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