How to Make Hummingbird Food (and Why You Should)
The hummingbird feeder I hung on my porch is one of my unexpected joys in life . I originally hung it because hummingbirds were constantly checking a certain spot – I’m sure the previous owners of my house hung a feeder there – and every summer they come back and demand that I feed them. That’s what I do.
The garden store next to the feeders sells bottles of hummingbird food, both clear and red. (Red flowers are known to attract hummingbirds.) But you don’t need it. It is easier, cheaper and more convenient for birds to do it themselves.
Even the Audubon Society recommends homemade syrup instead of bottles, and they also point out that the color red is not needed. It has been speculated that the red dye might be bad for hummingbirds , and it hasn’t been specifically tested for its long-term effects on hummingbirds anyway.
People must have tried to prepare hummingbird food from all kinds of other substances because the Audubon page does not recommend cooking it with honey, molasses, and artificial sweeteners. Just sugar water . So let’s make some sugar water.
Here’s how to do it:
- Add 1/4 cup sugar to a pint-sized Mason jar or similar container.
- Add 1 cup cold or room temperature water.
- Screw on the lid and shake.
That’s it – no need to heat or add any ingredients. The sugar will dissolve with gentle shaking or stirring. (If you are familiar with making a simple syrup that uses more sugar than water and you need some extra help getting it all dissolved.)
After making the syrup, I bring in a hummingbird feeder and rinse it with hot water. Then I pour in about half of the batch, that is, about half a glass of liquid, and put the rest in the refrigerator for future use. Be sure to wash and refill your feeder twice a week to keep your tiny friends healthy.