


Brown sugar is not suitable for hummingbirds. No! Please do not use brown sugar in place of plain white sugar for homemade hummingbird food. Can you use brown sugar for hummingbird food? This reduces waste since hummingbird food has to be changed out frequently, and large batches should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two weeks. If you have a small feeder, you can make hummingbird food by combining just 1/4 cup plain white sugar and 1 cup hot water. The one exception to this rule is during wintertime, when a ratio of 1 part sugar to 3 cups water gives hummingbirds a much-needed boost of energy and helps keep the syrup from freezing. Too much or too little sugar can be harmful to hummingbirds, so avoid deviating from this recipe. This formula can be scaled up or down accordingly, as long as the ratio remains the same. When making your own hummingbird food at home, the ideal ratio of sugar to water is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. The ideal hummingbird food sugar-to-water ratio

Just be sure to wash the feeder thoroughly before your next batch. You can make this recipe as often as needed. Store any unused syrup in a lidded container in the fridge for up to two weeks. As soon as the syrup has cooled, carefully pour it into your hummingbird feeder of choice (using a funnel if needed).Let the syrup cool down to lukewarm or room temperature.(What you end up with is a light simple syrup.) Stir the sugar and hot water in your mixing bowl until the sugar is dissolved.Mixing bowl (preferably with a pouring spout/lip).All that’s needed are two household ingredients and two pieces of equipment. My recipe for hummingbird food is super simple and closely mimics natural flower nectar. Homemade hummingbird food (nectar) recipe
#HOMEMADE HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER HOW TO#
How to keep hummingbird nectar from freezing in winter.When to hang (and take down) a hummingbird feeder.How often should you change a hummingbird feeder?.What’s the best hummingbird feeder to use?.Do you need to add food coloring to hummingbird food?.Can you use brown sugar for hummingbird food?.The ideal hummingbird food sugar-to-water ratio.Homemade hummingbird food (nectar) recipe.Want to know how to make your own and beautify your garden too? Keep reading! Homemade hummingbird food (hummingbird nectar) is inexpensive and so simple to make, and it’s infinitely better than store-bought hummingbird food that’s filled with artificial dyes and preservatives. I also like to hang hummingbird feeders throughout the yard to encourage them to stick around, as well as offer a source of food in early spring or late fall (when most flowers are either not in bloom yet, or have faded for the season).īut instead of buying commercial hummingbird food, I make my own-and it couldn’t be easier. Read next: Foolproof Five: The Best Flowers to Grow for Bees Watching hummingbirds flit from flower to flower in my garden is one of the simple joys in life, and I’m always trying to find ways to invite more of them into my yard.Įvery year, I grow specific varieties of flowers just for them-hummingbirds are attracted to some of the same flowers that bees, wasps, monarchs, and other pollinators love.
