Making this homemade hummingbird nectar recipe couldn’t be easier – seriously! It’s so easy to make, that it’s a GREAT project to have the kids can help you do. □ Why Make Homemade Hummingbird Food Instead of Buying it Want to watch other amazing winged friends too? Check out How To Make Homemade Bird Seed Ornaments! NOTE: If you live in a region that is colder than North Carolina’s climate, I recommend waiting to make DIY hummingbird nectar until you start to see the grass turning green, small flowers starting to come up from the ground, and the overnight temperatures staying above freezing. And it means that hummingbird season is starting!Īs soon as I see azaleas and the forsythia bushes blooming in my yard (usually around late April or very early May), I know it’s time to start making homemade hummingbird food, since there’s not much else for them to feed on at that point.Īfterall, once the warm weather starts arriving and the flowers start blooming, the hummingbirds are close behind! I cannot tell you just how much I love spring! Everything starts coming alive again, there’s a fresh smell in the air, and I love the budding trees and blooming flowers. The birds like to perch on branches, says Bless This Mess.Make Homemade Hummingbird Food Once Spring Arrives To attract birds, place feeders in quiet areas of your yard around tree branches. In the northern part of the country, feeders can be placed from early May to September while in the middle of the country, April through October. Where and when should I put hummingbird feeders in my yard?Īs hummingbirds migrate, your location dictates when you should place hummingbird food in your yard.Īccording to Bless This Mess, if you live in the southern part of the U.S., February through November is an optimal time to place the feeders in your yard. Extra hummingbird food can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, according to. The Smithsonian, however, says, "Do not add red dye," and goes on to explain, "Red dye or coloring isn’t necessary to attract hummingbirds and could be harmful to the birds." Plus, most hummingbird feeders are already red so it could be unnecessary to dye the nectar.īird watching for beginners: 10 great places to earn your wings How long does hummingbird food last?Īccording to the Smithsonian, hummingbird feeders should be changed every other day and cleaned to ensure no harmful mold growth takes place. Some people like to add red dye to the nectar because the color can attract hummingbirds to the feeder. Confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) should also not be used as it can contain cornstarch, according to the Smithsonian. Unprocessed sugars, raw sugars, honey and corn syrup, however, can be harmful to hummingbirds and should not be used as a substitute for granulated sugar when making hummingbird food. Tap water is safe to use and does not need to be boiled to create the nectar, according to the Smithsonian. Video: See the nectar made by experts at the Smithsonian National Zoo Mix the sugar and water mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved and then transfer the liquid to a hummingbird feeder. Making hummingbird food only requires two simple ingredients which you likely already have in your kitchen.Īccording to the Smithsonian, when making this nectar you should use four parts water to one part sugar, meaning four cups of water to one cup of sugar. How do birds keep warm in winter?: Here's how birds keep warm amid frigid winter temperatures.īirds aren't real – or are they?: Here's what you need to know about the viral conspiracy theory How to make hummingbird food These small birds can also be fed right from your backyard with a recipe that requires two simple ingredients. Hummingbirds, however, have also been known to feed on small insects or sap wells created by woodpeckers. While these small and beautiful birds are restricted to North and South America, they can be found in a wide range of environments from the tropics to deserts below sea level, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.Īlthough they tend to stick to tropical environments, 17 species are known in the United States, especially near the Mexican border, though most areas of the country have one or two species.Īccording to the Smithsonian National Zoo, the birds, known for their colorful feathers and long beaks, typically feed on flowers. There are more than 300 species of hummingbirds in the world. Watch Video: A sweet man and a baby hummingbird are best friendsĬorrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this story included an incorrect ratio for water to sugar in hummingbird food.
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