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My two favorite creatures in the summer are hummingbirds and fireflies. I have loved both since I was a little girl. The first thing I did when my husband and I moved into our first apartment was by a hummingbird feeder. We lived in California at the time, and I had multiple hummingbirds feeding at a time for most of the year.
For years now, I have been making this easy homemade hummingbird food recipe, and it is great for attracting hummingbirds.
Most store-bought hummingbird food is red, and if you scroll through the ingredients, about 90% of it is dye and preservatives. Hummingbirds don’t need either one.
You can also purchase organic hummingbird food that just contains sugar and water, which is perfect! But, it is pricey.
The solution is to make this homemade hummingbird food at home anytime.
Be sure to stay tuned after the instructions for some important chemist tips on preventing bacteria growth and keeping other insects away.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of H20 (Regular tap water is perfect)
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar
Directions:
- Boil the water in a saucepan. Once boiling, add in the sugar. Stir until dissolved.
- Allow to boil for 3- 4 minutes (this is important to eliminate bacteria susceptibility). Yes, boiling 3-4 minutes creates a sticky, simple syrup. This creates the perfect nectar for hummingbirds. You can boil for 2-3 minutes if preferred, just NO less than 2 minutes for bacteria aspect.
- Remove from heat and allow to sit until room temperature.
- Add to hummingbird feeder!
Storing This Homemade Hummingbird Food Recipe
Store any leftovers in refrigerator for 2 weeks. Make sure the solution stays cool! You don’t want any bacteria to grow in this homemade food before pouring it into feeder.
Chemist Tips on Hummingbird Food
In the sun, warm sugar water can grow bacteria very easily. Sugar can also ferment in hot weather, so keep an eye on your feeder. If the mixture looks cloudy or milky, clean it out immediately.
The first thing to do is make sure you feeder is more in the shade. I started doing this a few years ago, and more hummingbirds came to the feeder. I have had the best luck keeping it tucked way in the trees like the picture below. I will also keep it near the honeysuckle or roses since they love to feed off the nectar from those plants too (for more tips on attracting pollinators, check out this post).
Clean out the hummingbird feeder every few days. Scrub with warm water and a little dish soap. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry before filling with more hummingbird food.
Best Temperatures for Hummingbird Feeders
Since bacteria increases with higher temperatures here is a good rule of thumb for cleaning out your feeder:
- 60-70 degrees – every week is good
- 70-80 degrees – every 3 days
- 80-85 degrees – every 2 days
- Above 85 degrees – every day is best when temperatures are hot like this!
I have tested it out in my area which is 100 degrees in the summer, and it is essential to clean it out every day.
Keeping The Bees Away From Hummingbird Feeders
In addition to keeping bacteria away, bees are also a problem with hummingbird feeders. Cleaning it out every few days helps with this along with making sure you wipe the outside of the feeder after filling. Make sure there is no residue on the outside.
I also bought a new feeder which is made to keep bees away and attract more birds. Over the last ten years, I have tried out dozens of different feeders, and the ones with smaller flowers seem to attract less bees. I also like this one with smaller flowers!
Keeping Away Ants from Hummingbird Feeders
Ants also cause issues for many hummingbird feeders. It is difficult to keep them away, but the best option is making sure the feeder is clean on the outside. Ants will be attracted to sticky residue on the outside portion of the feeder. If there isn’t residue, ants won’t find their way in. Also, like we mention above, cleaning out your feeder often in hot weather will discourage ants from getting in the feeder.
Is this the same as store-bought hummingbird food?
Yes, this is the exact same. Most hummingbird food is clear now at the store, so this will be the same.
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