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According to some studies done on captive birds, feeding hummingbirds a higher concentration can be harmful to the birds.
That is on captive birds!
Caged birds that feed on a high doses of nectar on a regular basis.
Birds stuck in a caged area where they aren't flying around exercising and burning up calories like hummingbird in the natural world.
If we ate steak and potatoes everyday and sat around, it wouldn't be good for us either!
But, hummingbirds in the wild don't eat the same everyday and they don't eat at our feeders all day long either.
They fly around from flower to flower and eat insects in between.
I'm not suggesting you offer a 50% mix when feeding hummingbirds. That will be harmful to your birds.
If nothing else, your hummers may die of thirst, because they wouldn't be feeding as much if they are at your feeders all the time.
During migration, I do in fact juice things up to a 3 part water to 1 part sugar mixture.
This gives the birds that added boost and helps to pack on some needed weight after a long trip North and before the long voyage South.
Much like the marathon runner that eats pasta before a race.
Temporary doses of 1/3 will not harm the birds and I never see the hummers sitting at my feeders all day, do you?
A hummer must double its weight from .10 of an ounce to .20 of an ounce and I want to help the little guys to get there and back.
That still doesn't come close to the nectar content in Monarda that climbs to 50%.
As you may know by now, more birds die of starvation during migration then from all other tragedies.
And what about the times when flowers offer little to the hummers?
Weather plays a big part on nectar production. Too hot or to cold. Maybe to much moisture or to little. All effect the nectar production of flowers.
Weather also plays a roll in the amount of insects available for the little guys.
Plant plenty of flowers that attract these tiny packages of protein for your hummers.
You may even strategically place some rotting fruit to attract gnats and fruit flies.
Watching hummers feed on insects is entertaining as well.
That being said, feeding hummingbirds a 4 to 1 mixture is a good thing. It's pretty close to what Mother Nature provides and is a nice number to measure and deal with.
On average, hummers need to eat every 15 minutes or starve to death.
Your nectar water offers all the sugar needed to survive, but for migration, a bit extra helps them add weight and give them that boost they need.
Feeding hummingbirds sugar water isn't science, but there is a bit of science to add.
There may be some debates over sugar.
According to the American sugar producers, beet sugar and cane sugar have the same chemical make-up.
That's right, the same number of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon atoms make up the molecular structure in beet and cane sugar. They produce glucose and fructose and that equals ........ sucrose!
Not all regions sell cane sugar, as beet sugar is now the number one sugar produced in North America.
Sucrose is the nectar found in flowers.
When feeding hummingbirds, be sure to use pure cane or beet sugar (sucrose).
Honey, molasses, raw sugars and artificial sweeteners are a big no, no.
Feeding hummingbirds artificial sweeteners provide zero food value.
Honey, raw sugars and molasses have impurities and bacteria that cause harm to hummers.
Another note on feeding hummingbirds sugar.
Stay away from powdered sugar as well.
Powdered sugar contains corn starch. Corn starch is a thickener and will gum up the plumbing of a delicate bird.
What about feeding hummingbirds the so called instant nectar found in packages?
While this may seem like a convenient way to offer nectar water, it may cause more harm then we realize.
Many formulas say they add vitamins and minerals that hummers may need.
Feeding hummingbirds get these trace elements from nature and offering them more or to much can do more harm.
Red dye #40, MMMM, MMMM
Boy that sounds appealing doesn't it?
Something I really want to offer birds.
Makes you question why companies produce these products huh?
They sure don't have the birds well being at heart.
Boiling water serves a couple of purposes.
Many of us live in the city or suburbia and have chlorine and fluorides in our water. Boiling the water rids it of these chemicals and kills off any remaining bacteria.
Boiling water also helps to melt the sugar. Make sure to let it boil for a minute or so and cool down to room temperature before you fill your feeders.
You don't want to melt your feeders and you surely don't want to burn the tongue on feeding hummingbirds.
Once a hummer dips its tongue in the nectar water, it is no longer sterile so boiling your water wont prevent contamination all together.
Feeding hummingbirds need clean feeders and clean feeders is a responsibility we must accept.
Cleaning feeders should be done every 3 to 5 days and possibly more often in real hot weather.
Sugar water can go bad in a hurry.
Cloudy water is a sure sign of "it's time to clean the feeder and put in fresh sugar water".
Clean it before mold starts to grow.
Mold and bacteria will kill your precious little birds.
Just a few moments out of your daily routine is all it takes to clean and fill your feeders.
You may make it part of your routine during hummer season.
Ants, if not public enemy number one, they are a close second.
Ants secrete "Folic acid" when they drown. The same chemical that puts the sting into their bite. A deadly chemical that can kill a hummer and humans.
Ants can be managed with proper feeder placement and feeders with ant moats. You can also make your own moats.
Stay away from petroleum jellies and other greases that might get on feeding hummingbirds and other birds as well.
I'm sure you've seen pictures of birds when they are covered with oil from spills.
This isn't to that extreme, but the results will be the same..... dead birds!
Instead, you can hang sprigs of Monarda or other plants in the mint family near your feeders. You may also want to try pure mint oil from a health food store.
Only a dab or two.
Ants don't like the smells and stay away.
Ants also avoid the smell of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and other smelly herbs and spices such as hot pepper.
Hang a mint tea bag with the feeder.
Get creative and make a sachet filled with spices. This should last a few weeks, replace when ants appear.
If you feel creative, you can tie your sachet with some decorative red ribbon.
A little cloth sachet filled with cotton balls sprayed with mint oil will keep ants and wasps at bay.
You can place your sachets on and near your feeders.
As a food item, the plants herbs and mint oil will not harm your feeding hummingbirds.
Are wasps and bees a problem as well?
With the proper feeder like "Aspects Hummzinger Ultra" wasps are no longer an issue.
These feeders have newer feeder port designs to deter wasps and bees.
Well designed feeders also come with perferated "nipple gaurds" that keep insects out, but allow the hummers to still feed.
If you are using other feeders, "Mint Oil" seems to do the trick for me.
Mint is a natural neurtoxin and wasps stay clear of it. Once it gets on them, it kills them dead and right now.
Hang "mint sachets" on and around your feeders.
IT WORKS!
Again, mint is a food item and wont harm the birds.
As with most insects, ants, bees and wasps mainly hunt by smell.
The use of herbs and spices messes with their sense of smell. Some smells they flat out avoid.
What a sigh of relief, knowing you have deterants in your spice cabinit.
Okay, those problems are now minimized, now it's time to
Clean and disinfect your feeders.
The standard for cleaning feeders is a 10% bleach solution. Soaking and washing your feeders in this solution will kill off molds and bacteria. Do this to often and it also brakes down the composition of your less expensive feeders.
Feeding hummingbirds can easily lick up a tiny piece of floating feeder and choke to death.
Soaking in warm soap water is also a good consideration.
When using any kind of chemical, thorough rinsing is mandatory, even the smallest amount of soap or chlorine can do a little bird in.
Audubon suggests using cider vinegar and rice.
Fill the feeder with a water and vinegar solution, toss in a small hand of rice and slosh it around. The vinegar disinfects and the abrasive rice scrapes off the mold. Rinse and no harm done because vinegar is a food item and evaporates.
Pipe cleaners are ideal for keeping the feeder ports clean.
Feeding hummingbirds need things clean and can easily dirty up the ports.
Some folks keep a couple of extra feeders on hand to minimize the rush on cleaning. Simply fill and replace and the other feeders get cleaned at your leisure.
While you're at it, consider a source of water
There is no need to fill a feeder full when you throw most of it out a few days later.
Don't waste it, put in less or get a smaller feeder.
Making nectar for your feeding hummingbirds is easy.
Remember to follow the 4 parts water to 1 part sugar ratio. If you are like me, go 3 to 1 the first few weeks of both migration periods. Your feeding hummingbirds will thank you.
Be sure to make enough to keep a fresh supply on hand.
Whether you have several hummingbirds that keep you and your feeders busy or you just need to keep the feeders cleaned and filled every three to five days.
Keeping a jar of sugar water in the fridge is a good thing.
It will last up to two weeks refrigerated, so make enough to last you a week or two at a time.
If you have several hummers, you may want to keep a couple of spare feeders to set out while you are cleaning your main feeders.
Insects
are a very important part of a hummer's diet. Protein is needed for muscle.
Don't under estimate the need for bugs.
Besides planting nectar flowers, plant some open faced or flat flowers like Zinnias.
Small insects feed on nectar and hummers feed on the insects.
You may want to place some rotting fruit to attract fruit flies. Hummers love fruit flies.
Just because a bird isn't at your feeder every minute doesn't mean they aren't around.
Your flying jewels are wild and feed in the wild most of the time.
When it is nesting season, you may see even less of your lady birds.
Always read and learn from others.
While you're at it, consider a source of water like a
mister or shallow birdbath.
Feeding hummingbirds get most of their water requirements from the nectars, but still need a drink from time to time and a good shower or bath is always high on a birds list.
Hummingbird Feeders
Feeder Placement
Container gardens
Hummingbird Gardens
Flowers for hummingbirds
Migration North is Fast
Hummers take their time Migrating South
Are you feeding hummingbirds? Learn more about these garden jewels here.
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