One of the best things you can do for birds is make food and create a feeding station in your backyard. It will attract beautiful birds, and you will love to hear them chirp all day. Besides that, it is always good to earn some positive karma by feeding the birds.
If you have many hummingbirds in your region, you can create food for them and keep them in the backyard. If you are looking for the best hummingbird food recipe, you have come to the right place. Here is your complete guide.
You must be wondering why I should make hummingbird food and not buy it from the store? Well, the best part about the hummingbird food recipe is that it only requires two ingredients. Besides that, you can easily make the recipe within seconds.
If you have kids at home, you can also teach them something about animal responsibility and care by making this recipe with them. It will be a great family activity as you can use it to bond with your kids. You will attract pretty hummingbirds to the backyard while they learn more about taking care of other beings.
Keep in mind that many people use a red dye because hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. However, we advise you not to do this because it can harm the hummingbird’s health. Instead, you must keep it simple.
The best part about our hummingbird food recipe is that you only require two ingredients. These include granulated sugar and hot water. Yes, that is all you need, and we bet these ingredients are easily available in your pantry and kitchen.
To make the recipe, you must boil the water. After you boil the water, you must remove it from the heat, add the granulated sugar, and stir until the sugar is entirely dissolved. You must let the water cool completely before you pour the water inside the hummingbird feeder.
After you pour the water into the feeder, you must brace yourself for many hummingbirds to visit your backyard. That is because when they realize there is sweet water in the feeder, they will keep visiting your yard frequently.
Yes, we know that the hummingbird food recipe is quite simple, but you can still follow some tips if you want to get the most out of it. These include:
Many people think that using any sugar or sweetener is okay for hummingbirds. However, that couldn't be further from the truth. You must only use white granulated sugar.
That is because if you use processed sugars, corn syrup, honey, or any other sweetener, it will not sit well with the hummingbirds. Such sugars can harm their health and expose them to health risks. That is why it is best you only stick to granulated sugar so that the hummingbirds can stay healthy and happy.
It is not okay to skip this stage no matter what. Boiling is an essential process because it helps the water get rid of any impurities or bacteria that might be lurking in it. If you don't boil the water, the contaminants inside can harm the health of the hummingbirds.
That is why we recommend that you boil the water first and then let it cool before pouring the granulated sugar. It will help you clean the water and offer healthy food to the birds. It is crucial to think about the health of the hummingbirds when offering them any food.
You can create the hummingbird food recipe in bulk and store it in the fridge for two weeks. It will allow you to use the water for two weeks and keep the hummingbirds happy. The longer you leave it in the refrigerator, the higher the chances of mold growing in the mixture.
If you notice mold growth in the water, you must throw it away immediately and create a new batch. Offering such water can harm the health of hummingbirds and leave them feeling worse than before. So, always check the water stored before use.
Many people wonder how often they should change the food in the feeder and clean it. As a general rule of thumb, you can always change the food and clean the food every other day. That is because leaving the water with sugar like this in feeders can encourage mold growth.
Besides that, the water gets dirtier as more hummingbirds come and feed on it. That is why it is up to you to take care of the feeder and clean it regularly. You can also change the feeder whenever the water is finished and requires a refill.
Hummingbirds are migratory birds, which is why they will migrate depending on the season. So, when you put out the feeder will significantly depend on the region you live in. For example, if you live in the Southern region of the United States, you can keep the feeders between February and November.
On the other hand, if you live in the Northern region of the United States, you can keep the feeders out between May and September. So, understanding the migration pattern and the region you live in is crucial to putting out a feeder. After all, it is futile to leave a feeder out when there are no hummingbirds in the area.
Final Words
That was your complete guide to creating the best hummingbird food recipe and utilizing the right tips to offer food to hummingbirds. Once you follow these guidelines, you will attract these beautiful birds to your backyard, and they will love to feed on water from the feeders. You can also keep feeders and water out for other birds in your area as it is always good to take care of all the other beings around.