Did you know that making your own DIY hummingbird food is cheaper, easier, and healthier than buying premade food from the store? Find out how to make hummingbird nectar and what you need to make the process quick and easy.
Here Come Spring and Hummingbirds
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.
Spring seriously makes my soul sing.
As soon as I see azaleas blooming in my yard, I know it's time to start making hummingbird food. Once the warm weather starts arriving and the flowers start blooming, the hummingbirds are close behind!
If you live in a region that is colder than North Carolina's climate, I recommend waiting 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.
Having Hummingbirds In Your Yard is Amazing
If you've never heard the sound of a hummingbird in flight, you seriously need to put out some hummingbird food and experience it.
The best way to enjoy hummingbirds is to set up feeders then sit and read a book outside (or sit on your porch and watch the world)!
Hummingbirds 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 – what a cool experience!
Making Homemade Hummingbird Food is Easy and Inexpensive
Why Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
I used to buy store-bought hummingbird nectar, but I read one time that the red dye is not only unnecessary but possibly harmful to the hummingbirds. From then on I started making my own.
Making food for them is simple, takes little time, and is cheaper than buying it from a store. Plus, it doesn't contain red dye! I do not put red dye in my food because it's unnecessary and can be harmful to the hummingbirds over time.
As long as your feeder had the bright red color on it they should still be attracted to the nectar.
How to Make Homemade Hummingbird Food
To start the process, I clean my hummingbird feeders and get them out and ready for the hummingbirds (see cleaning notes in the recipe).
You will also want to thoroughly clean your hummingbird feeders in between refills to ensure they also do not harbor bacteria or anything else that could harm your hummingbirds.
I have two Best-1 32 oz. Hummingbird Feeders and I love them! They are the best in terms of being easy to use and clean!
Next, you want to simply combine and boil your ingredients: sugar and water (see the ingredient ratio in the recipe). All you are doing is making nectar.
Make sure to boil the water to remove any bacteria or other organisms that could make your hummingbirds sick.
Couldn't be easier!
Want an Extra Boost for Attracting Hummingbirds?
Even though the feeder itself is red, planting hummingbird-friendly plants nearby helps attract the birds.
These birds are attracted to the color red, so pick flowers that have red, pots that are red or stickers – really anything but dye!
We have hummingbird bushes, azaleas, angel-wing begonias (my favorites!), petunias and impatiens, among other flowers in our yard.
Other hummingbird-attracting plants include:
- Bee balm
- Cardinal flower
- Trumpet creeper
- Coral honeysuckle
- Columbine
Important Notes About Your Homemade Hummingbird Nectar
I recommend replacing 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!
- This is a case where more is better – aim to have at least 2 feeders, and you'll be rewarded for your efforts!
- Hummingbirds come back to the same feeders every year, so be sure to follow through and feed those incredible birds!
- Having red plants and flower pots nearby will help attract the birds to your feeders
Important Tools For Making Your Own Hummingbird Food
- Good quality hummingbird feeders that's easy to clean and use
- Hummingbird feeder brushes to make sure it's well-cleaned so the birds don't get sick
Tell us in the comments: Do you have hummingbirds? Do you make your own hummingbird food?
Making Homemade Hummingbird Food is Easier Than You May Think! Give Your Hummingbirds Homemade Hummingbird Nectar and Watch Them Return Year After Year.
Check Out This Video Showing You How to Clean Your Birdfeeder – it's important and easier than you may think!
Watching hummingbirds in your yard is a joy unlike any other. Add red flowers, flowerpots and hummingbird feeders to your yard, make your own DIY hummingbird nectar and start enjoying these tiny birds.
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Ranch Dressing Mix
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 10-20 hummingbirds | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 10 minutes | 15 minutes |
|
|
| | A simple and inexpensive homemade hummingbird food that will bring those incredible birds back year after year!
|
- 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.
- 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.
- Refrigerate any leftover nectar in a sealed container.
Hummingbird feeder cleaning notes:
- I like having two feeders to ensure the hummingbirds always have food.
- When the food gets old, I make a new batch and put it out for the hummingbirds.
- Then I start the washing process of the old food container. I soak everything in warm soapy water, then use a special hummingbird cleaning brush to clean the bottle and lid.
- I also use toothpicks for the tiny holes on both sides of the lid. Make sure your feeder is very clean before allowing to air dry.
- Store for later use.
P.S. Your photos are great!! 🙂
Thank you, Cindy!
Hey Heather. I know you from Bloggers Traffic Community.
I LOVE this!! Hummingbirds are incredibly wonderful little birds! I haven’t seen any in a long time, but I remember seeing them where I used to live, buzzing around a red-blooming vine in the yard. So, I can attest to their being drawn by the color red. I’d love to try feeding them.
Blessings,
Cindy, DIY Bohemian https://diybohemian.com/
Hey Cindy! Thanks for your sweet words! I love hummingbirds too, and the thing is that they are so easy to attract and enjoy! Good luck in your endeavors if you try to attract them to your yard!
Thanks for the hummingbird feeder recipe. I always put mine out to late and I never get any hummingbirds. I’m going to try to remember it this year. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty
We purchased a really pretty red feeder so we wouldn’t need the red dye anymore. Since moving into our new home last summer we haven’t seen may hummingbirds yet but they will find us! Looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday.
I’m looking to move to a small house this year. I would love to attract hummingbirds and have the plants they like and the hummingbird food. This sounds so fun. My sister feeds hummingbirds, they love watching them, and take pictures, too.
I love watching hummingbirds too! My family goes to a place up in the Colorado mountains each year to fish and hike, and that place has a TON of hummingbirds. It’s amazing to just sit and watch them do their thing. Good luck with your move this year, Rosie, and I hope you are able to get those hummingbirds to come to you! 🙂
Thank you, I will use this recipe!
I hope it makes for some happy hummingbirds at your house!
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!