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Spring is here! 🙂 As soon as I see azaleas blooming in my yard, I make hummingbird food.
I have two Best-1 32 oz. Hummingbird Feeders and I love them.
Replace the hummingbird food every 7 days, though I sometimes stretch it a little longer. The same hummingbirds travel to the same feeders every year, so I really work to keep the food supply available! If you’ve never heard the sound of a hummingbird in flight, you have to set up feeders then sit and read a book outside! They make a sound unlike anything I’ve ever heard – sort of a miniature helicopter ‘whoop-whoop-whoop’. We’ve also seen male hummingbirds warning off other male hummingbirds, and it’s quite a sight!
I do not put red dye in my food, it’s unnecessary and can be harmful to the hummingbirds over time. The feeder itself is red, and planting hummingbird-friendly plants nearby helps attract the birds. These birds are attracted to the color red, so pick flowers with red, pots that are red or stickers – anything but dye. We have hummingbird bushes, azaleas, angel-wing begonias (my favorites!), petunias and impatiens, among other flowers in our yard.
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup of sugar until it's dissolved, let cool. Use a funnel to pour cooled liquid into hummingbird feeder. Place humminbird feeder outside.
People spend so much money on hummingbird food and it is so easy and cheap to make.
You are so right!
I have additional information regarding the feeding of hummingbirds your readers might want to know: I don’t remember where we found this guide, but the rules for when to change the sugar water depends on the outside temperature. From 71-75° is every 6 days, 76-80° is every 5 days, 81-84° is every 4 days, 85-88° is ever 3 days, 89-92° every 2 days, and 93°+ should be changed every day.
The sugar feeds the bacteria that hummingbirds bring in on their beaks, so it’s essential to change the sugar water according to the schedule above. Of course, you could also watch to see how much the birds drink so you can more accurately guess how much to supply. It isn’t necessary to fill the feeders. We make about 32 oz. (always 1 part sugar to 4 parts water), put the appropriate amount in the feeder (enough to feed the birds according to the outside temperature) and put the rest in the refrigerator. Bring the sugar/water solution to room temperature before filling the feeder.
Be sure to clean the feeder before adding more solution, or it will also become contaminated. Take care of the birds! Thank you, Fonda
Thank you for that additional info, Fonda! It is very helpful, and we really appreciate it!