hummingbird water

[Esther Knapicius]

I checked, cannot find another thread specific with this subject.

Question???? what do you put in your hummingbird feeders, or how do you prepare the liquid for it.
I have ruled out already the red food coloring as their little bodies do not need that artificial crap.

So given that, what I have faithfully done for years. Is about 2 cups of water with about 3 tablespoons of sugar, bring to boil, cool in fridge, pour in container, and let it freeze then hang it out to melt and drip in the bottom thing. HOWEVER--given recently these hot days, I have to change it more often now, like every 3 days, as it starts to ferment in the heat. today----I totally skipped the boiling issue. shook it hard in the container to mix the sugar and put it out. So thinking if my boiling thing really does matter or not. Last year I did use "natural sugar" not sure about that either. How natural is natural sugar---jury out on that one.

Anyway-----Thoughts.

 

[marlingardener]

We have two feeders and although they are in the shade, I still change the nectar every other day. I make 2 quarts at a time--two cups of white sugar in 8 c. of water, bring to a boil, cool, pour into a lidded pitcher, and keep it in the fridge until needed. I only put about a cup of nectar in each feeder since they never deplete the nectar before I dump it, clean the feeder, and refill. We haven't had any fermentation problem and I sincerely hope we don't ever!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I will go back to the boil method today, make a larger amount and store it. and your right, they only need a cup put in. did move mine to the shade, but some animal was able to grab it from the tree and tore into it, but did not entirely break it. there is another place I might move it to come to think about it where it is shady.

 

[MaryMary]

I read up on making it this spring, and from what I remember, they need a higher sugar content in the spring, since that's before the majority of flowers are blooming.

I don't think the recipe I had said to boil it, just make sure the water was hot enough to fully dissolve the sugar.

I don't remember the ratio of sugar to water for either mixture, though. I didn't get any hummingbirds. I didn't even get any honeybees. All I got was ants.

Agreed that the red crap is unnecessary.

Just curious, Esther, why do you freeze it?

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I freeze it to extend the cold of it, right now its so hot. and its been fermenting like every couple days. moved it to a shaded area, but still hot outside now. will have to change it every two days I guess.