For the Birds!

The Phoenix desert is known for a large variety of hummingbirds. While we have one or two that frequent a nearby tree, we wanted to bring them in a bit closer. To keep this new hobby frugal, we acquired a used hummingbird feeder, and researched a homemade hummingbird nectar recipe. It's too easy not to share!

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar

1. Bring to a boil 4 parts water to 1 part sugar.
2. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring until all sugar is dissolved. *It is important to maintain the 4:1 ratio for the health of the birds (and to avoid attracting other animals and insects).
3. Pour the cooled nectar into your feeder!

I was surprised to learn that the nectar does not need to be red. Adding food coloring can actually harm the birds. As long as your feeder has some element of red (which can be as simple as a ribbon tied to the end), the hummingbirds will find it.

More than one site used a temperature chart to determine the frequency of replacing the nectar and cleaning the feeder in order to keep the birds healthy and prevent fermentation, mold, and/or attraction of insects:

High temperatures		Change nectar after
71-75		6 days
76-80		5 days
81-84		4 days
85-88		3 days
89-92		2 days
93+		change daily

Chart Credit: http://www.wildbirdshop.com/Birding/humfeed.html