I would like to know what home made nectar best attracts hummingbirds?

Question

We are in in West Palm Beach Florida

Answer 1

I really disagree with the answerer who doesn't like refined sugar. The less refined your sugar is, the more you have to worry about other things growing in it that survived the 'getting the sugar out of the plant it originally came from' process. That is to say, sugar itself is a preservative, especially when it's dry, and this is why jams and jellies work and why such unrefined sugars are saleable to humans, but once you've diluted it, it's fair game for microbes. Since you are leaving this highly nutritious and easily metabolized by most microbes substance out in the warm Florida sun, and since your hummingbirds are *relying* on you, I personally would choose to be better safe than sorry.

If you are feeling all crunchygranola, you can do as I do and grow fuchsias, sages, penstemons and other hummingbird attracting flowers near your feeder, so they can grab some natural food, too. This has the added benefit of making your feeder harder to defend, since there are other potential food-targets in your garden, so you get more hummingbirds this way than if you set up two feeders.

You can 'boost' your sugar to water content from the usual 1 to 4 ratio, but keep in mind that 1 to 4 this is the ratio that hummingbirds will willingly eat but other sugar consumers like bees butterflies, and orioles will be less likely to go for.

(BTW, you *are* changing your feeder out every 4-5 days if they don't eat it all, yes?)

It's known that hummingbirds eat no-see-ums and other small gnats and flying insects, so they get most of their nutrition (as opposed to the also absolutely vital operating energy) out of them, and not what they are eating in your feeder.

If you are ambitious, situate your feeder near the places in your garden where you know the no-see-ums like to gather, or near warm updrafty places, and see if you can see the hummers darting zip zip zip in very short (matter of inches) eating runs for no seeeming reason whatsoever in the air (and not because they are in a spat). Then you are giving them a double snack!

Answer 2

Just regular sugar water. Of course, it is best if you avoid traditional refined sugar, something about the processing the causes the sugar to be bad for the birds (just like people). If you can get "Sugar in the Nude" or some other similar unrefined sugar and mix it about 1 part sugar to 3 or 4 parts water. Do not use red food coloring because, again, slightly harmful to the birds. As long as you feeder has red on it or is red, that will be more than enough to attract them to your bird buffet.

Answer 3

Others have given you good answers - just wanted to add; make sure you clean the feeder regularly to avoid the growth of mold and bacteria, which can cause the birds to become ill. Also true if you mix up a batch of sugar and water, and then store in fridge. It will still go mouldy pretty quickly.

Answer 4

Sugar water. One part sugar to 3 or 4 parts water. Some people add red food coloring, but real birdlovers say not to do that.

Answer 5

for decades i have used faucet water and white sugar. One (a million) cup sugar to 4 (4) cups water. warm water will dissolve the sugar proper in spite of the indisputable fact that it would not must be boiling. replace each and every 3 to 4 days. Honey or maple syrup will regularly advance funky micro organism, get moldy & ferment plus, sturdy grief, intense priced. appreciate your hummers.

Answer 6

Everyone I've talked to says that plain old sugar water does the trick.

Answer 7

sugar water! thats all it takes and they should flock to ya!