Last updated on May 25th, 2023 at 11:36 pm
How to Make Hummingbird Food from Sugar and Water
by Jane Lake
Bee balm, hollyhock, hibiscus, trumpet honeysuckle, clematis, impatiens, phlox, purple coneflower, roses, cosmos and fuchsias are some of the common flowers that will attract hummingbirds to your garden. But hanging a hummingbird feeder where you can easily see it is probably the best way to observe the hummingbirds in action.
There’s no need to buy expensive nectar – feed the hummingbirds by making your own syrup from the recipe shown here.
Homemade Hummingbird Food
1 part sugar/4 parts water
Boil the water first, then measure and add sugar, at the rate of 1/4 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water.
Let cool and store excess in refrigerator until ready to use.
Do not add food coloring, honey (which ferments), or artificial sweetener, which has no nutritional value.
Cleaning
You should clean your feeder at least once a week, more often if the water gets cloudy.
According to the National Audubon Society, cleaning should be done by rinsing with one part white vinegar to four parts water. If the feeder is dirty, try adding a few grains of dry rice to the vinegar solution to help scrub it clean. Follow the vinegar wash by rinsing three times with clear, warm water before refilling with sugar solution.
If mold develops, you will need to soak the feeder in a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) until the mold is gone. A small bottle brush can be handy to scrub crevices. Once the feeder is clean again, rinse it thoroughly, multiple times, removing all traces of bleach.
How to Make Hummingbird Food – Video
For visual instructions, watch a one-minute video on making homemade nectar.
Keep it Cool
One interesting tip: freeze leftover nectar in ice cube trays; just melt the cubes and bring the nectar close to room temperature for use.
During a heat wave, try popping a few nectar ice cubes directly into your usual feeder; like you, the hummers will appreciate a refreshing cool drink on a hot summer day.
How to Make an Ant Moat
If ants are a problem at your feeder, make a homemade ant moat to keep them away.
You’ll need a spray can cap, wire, and silicone caulking or hot glue. Simply drill or pierce a tiny hole in the middle of the cap, just large enough for the wire. Bend a hook on both ends of the wire and caulk around the hole to seal.
Hang the moat, filled with water, right over the feeder; this prevents ants from getting into your hummingbird food. Top up water as needed to keep the ants away.
Placement of Hummingbird Feeders
Since hummingbirds are territorial, consider hanging two, or more, feeders – at least one in the back yard and one in the front, thus accommodating as many hummingbirds as you can. Juvenile hummingbirds will fight incessantly over territory, a fascinating battle royal to watch, but you can encourage a more friendly hummingbird community by increasing the number of feeders.
Hanging the feeders in a shady spot discourages fermentation and nectar spoilage. I hang mine under the house eaves because of the shade but also because I can more easily enjoy a close-up view of the hummers as they come to visit.
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Make Your Own Hummingbird Feeders
Don’t buy a feeder – serve your homemade nectar in a feeder made from recycled plastic food tubs and plastic bottles.
This is creative recycling project for adults or kids to try.
Children will be especially thrilled when the hummingbirds arrive to use a feeder that they made themselves.
Make a Bottle Feeder
Recycle narrow-necked glass bottles to make your own hummingbird feeders with handy feeder tubes like those shown above from Amazon.
These make great recycling nature projects for scouts, guides or youth groups.
I’ve seen pretty wine bottles, painted with flowers, then made into feeders with these tubes.
Simply wind wire, embellished with beads if you like, around the bottles, creating a wire hanger at the bottom of the bottle. Fill with hummingbird food then insert a feeding tube into the bottle neck to complete the feeder.
Hummingbird Books
Bookmarks: For the hummingbird fan: free printable Hummingbird Bookmarks with sketched pictures.
Hummingbird News
Migration Maps
Hummingbird Migration Map
Track the migration of ruby-throated hummingbirds in North America; add your own first sighting of the season.
World Of Hummingbirds Map
Tracking hummingbirds around the world.
Avian Flu – Are Hummingbirds Affected?
Avian flu is taking a heavy toll throughout North America, with many municipalities advising the removal of backyard bird feeders. Avian flu is highly contagious and has killed millions of wild birds, as well as infecting backyard chicken flocks and poultry farms. While waterfowl, raptors and scavenging birds such as gulls seem particularly vulnerable, song birds aren’t as widely affected. Follow advice for your location from local birding experts and government agencies. For British Columbia, Canada, see this article on “removing bird feeders and baths during avian flu.”
“Sick birds may appear lethargic, unusually ‘fluffed up,’ have nasal discharge, or have excessively watery eyes or swelling of the head and eyelids,” according to the SPCA.
Hummingbirds are at lowest risk for Avian flu because their feeders are species-specific. If you offer a feeder, however, please be vigilant about changing the nectar and cleaning the feeder regularly (as described above) to eliminate fungal infections.
Wing Beat and Senses
The wing beat rate of hummingbirds varies by species, with the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird averaging a wing beat of about 53 per second, seen by the human eye as a blur. The wings move in a figure eight pattern to produce the gravity-defying hover effect for which hummers are famous.
Hummingbirds cannot smell and depend on eyesight to find flowers and food. Inexpensive red hummingbird feeders are readily available and attract the busy little birds without the need for coloring the food; this easy food source will keep them coming throughout the day.
Attract Orioles and Butterflies to Your Garden
Using a similar sugar and water solution, you can easily attract orioles to your backyard as well as hummingbirds. Orioles also like an offering of oranges and nesting materials.
Butterflies appreciate homemade nectar as well as offerings of over-ripe fruit and watering spaces; they’re also attracted to many of the flowers so loved by hummingbirds. See Butterfly Gardening for more information.
Liz Klemens says
I was thinking of using coconut palm sugar, do you think that would be ok? Thanks, Liz
Jane Lake says
I’m unfamiliar with coconut palm sugar, but perhaps someone else will let us know!
walking dead fan says
Hi I am new to this and I just changed my nectar but I am nervous because I think the nectar was too hot. The hummingbird fed a few hours ago and hasn’t come back. Could I have injured it? Thanks for any input!!
Diane says
I will be going away for 3 weeks and my wonderful neighbor is going to keep my hummer feeders filled for me. Will my homemade nectar be OK in the fridge for that long?
Jane Lake says
Yes, I think it will be fine! Have a great trip – and I bet your neighbor will enjoy the hummers’ company while you are away!
Diane says
Thanks so much! You have put my mind at ease. I will miss my “babies”. They are an amazing source of entertainment!
Ken W says
I use TreeTanglefoot on the wire holding up the feeder. It is sold in nurseries as Bird Repellent but it used to be sold to keep crawling insects off of trees by putting a bead of it around the trunk. A little dab will block ants for a long time.
Jane Lake says
That’s a very useful suggestion and one that I haven’t seen before, so thank you so much for sharing it here. I have one feeder where the ants are unbelievably creative. Perhaps this will stop them in their tracks!
Peggy Gilmour says
If you coat the string holding up the feeder with Vaseline the ants will not cross it. We have found it very effective for the past three years and the birds don’t bother with it.
Jane Lake says
Thank you, Peggy. You haven’t had any issues with hummingbirds getting the petroleum jelly on their feathers? This possibility would concern me.
Beverly Thompson says
I have seen my first hummingbirds this year in North Carolina
Jane Lake says
I’m so sorry, Beverly, I missed this comment completely. I hope by now that you’ve had lots of hummer visitors!
Andy says
Hi, I just got my feeder and am wondering if I can use the pure cane sugar? Any information would greatly be appreciated. TY
Susan Bunker says
A hummingbird surprised me on my porch today flying within 3 feet of me! Didn’t know they were even in the area. I’m off to Walmart tonight to buy a feeder . Appreciate all the tips I’ve found here. What is the migratory period you mention? I live in the Chesapeake Bay area.
Jane Lake says
Congratulations on getting your first hummingbird feeder. You’ll love these little visitors! Hummingbirds migrate north in spring, arriving in some parts of the southern states in February and reaching Ontario in May. They start the journey back to Mexico and Central America in the fall, from August through October. The little birds travel alone, rather than in a flock, and during these long, arduous journeys they appreciate a slightly sweeter nectar, made with one part sugar to three parts, rather than four parts, water.
William Baumgardner says
For some reason, the last 2 batches of hummingbird nectar I have made turned cloudy even before I hung the feeder up. I clean it regularly as required, but these 2 batches were cloudy from the git-go. And the nectar I make is done the same way as I have done for 2 years. This is puzzling. I know all about the dirty feeders and mold causing this, but those 2 issues aren’t the cause in this case. Any ideas would be welcome.
Jane Lake says
Sorry for the delay in responding. Does the cloudiness disappear if you let the nectar sit for a while? If so, it could just be tiny air bubbles in the water. I wouldn’t worry about it too much; as long as your water is drinkable and the sugar is the same as always, it shouldn’t be reason for concern. Cloudiness after a couple of days, especially during hot weather, is the beginning of mold and the feeders should be cleaned and refilled with fresh nectar.
Betty says
Loved your site and all the valuable information provided by you & others. There was a person that asked a question about whether it mattered if the feeder was in direct sunlight or not; I did not see an answer to their question; unless I missed it some-how. The said the sugar water rose to slightly over 100 degrees by late afternoon; and wondered if there was an ideal temp. that the little hummers like their nectar. Curious about the answer if you or anyone knows. Thanks so much.
Jane Lake says
Hi, Betty, I’m not sure about the exact temperature, but it’s definitely best to set out a hummingbird feeder in the shade, if possible. If the only option is in direct sun, then be aware that the nectar will need changing more frequently to prevent fermentation and mold. If the nectar gets too hot, then the hummers will likely avoid the feeder in the heat of the day, visiting more frequently in early morning or evening when temperatures are cooler.
One of my friends created shade for her hummingbird feeder by sticking a lady’s summer straw hat on top of the shepherd’s hook that held it. She even attached a red silk flower to the hat to attract their attention. So cute – and very effective!
Susan Montague says
I love the idea of the hat! I’m going to try it
Paul says
Honey bees and hummers eat the same nectur. Bee Keepers use 1 to 1 mixture
Jane Lake says
I did not know that bee keepers feed their bees with nectar. One to one is very strong. I think a ratio of 1 to 3 is the strongest you should go for hummingbirds, at the beginning and end of migration season when their energy levels are high.