RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Kingshrimp (Guest Post)
(08/24/2008)
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Well I have always had hummingbirds and stopped using red dye. I have not had one bird this year. Have some red on feeders but still no birds. I still am trying and feeding using no red food coloring but my friend uses the food coloring and has them fighting over the feeder. Who really knows?
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By njjan (Guest Post)
(08/19/2008)
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The red water makes absolutely no difference. We have always used plain unboiled water and white sugar/ Just a reminder, the sugar water is for energy only, they get their nutrition other ways. Also, I've noticed that our feeders with perches are most more popular. They don't expend precious energy hovering and tend to hang around the feeder a few extra seconds.
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Michel Emond (Guest Post)
(08/04/2008)
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I use the same formula but without the red I do not attract the birds. But by mixing the juices of strawberries and raspberries to the mixture they have been coming in droves. A pleasure to watch.
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Ray the hummer watcher (Guest Post)
(07/17/2008)
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I ran across this pretty quickly doing a search to see what is recommended about replacing some of the sugar with corn syrup.
I haven't found a credible answer yet, but some postings here concern me.
Do not use food coloring. Even if the jury is still out about the efect on the birds, it does absolutely nothing to make them want to use the feeder or the food you make. Why risk it?
Boiling the water is not optional. It either needs done or it doesn't depending on your supply.
It is unneeded to disolve the small concentration of sugar. But if there is danger of pathogens or mold it must be done.
Know your water and know your sugar.
Boiling flashes off chlorine, which may or may not be harmful, but many other chemicals can be concentrated by boiling. This danger is real for you as well as the birds you like to watch.
As a rule well water should be safe.
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By BK (Guest Post)
(05/29/2008)
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Obviously you don't need dyes, And the FDA will tell you just about anything. Then recant their statement and says its gonna kill you. Like everyone has said either boil the water to extract chlorine or let stand 24 hrs thats what I do. And no red dyes.
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Elizabeth (Guest Post)
(05/29/2008)
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I have used for years the 4 to 1 and it works great ,I put a little bit of red kool aid in my water to color it and it seems to work fine .....
I so love to watch these little birds they are great and fun to watch...
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Re: How to make protein food for hummingbirds
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Post By Tonya (Guest Post)
(05/09/2008)
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I have a baby hummingbird in my care. Does anyone know how to make a "bug", protein mixture?
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By debbie (Guest Post)
(05/03/2008)
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NO RED DYE buy a red feeder
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Bonita (Guest Post)
(05/01/2008)
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I read this on Wikipedia:
Other things to avoid using in feeders include artificial sweeteners and non-nutritive sweeteners such as saccharin (Sweet'N Low), aspartame (Equal), sucralose (Splenda), and stevia. Though hummingbirds might drink feeder solutions containing these sugar substitutes, they will be starved of the calories they need to sustain their metabolism.
So I would suggest sticking to plain white sugar, or better yet plant a hummingbird friendly garden. If your friend wants the hummers near a window how about a hanging basket full of fuchsias?""
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By JO YOUNT (Guest Post)
(05/01/2008)
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Any one have information about using stevia or other natural sweeteners (I know honey is not good). I fill a feeder for a friend who feels that if white sugar is bad for her, it can't be so good for hummers either. Thanks!
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Stephanie (Guest Post)
(04/22/2008)
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Last year, I didn't boil my water and it didn't seem to cause any issues. However I read that the reason you boil the water is to reduce the amount of chlorine which is harmful to hummingbirds. I am going to start boiling it this year as our water is very chlorinated.
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By jim (Guest Post)
(04/18/2008)
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I would think that even using just plain sugar without the color would be detrimental to the health of h. birds. I contains none of the trace minerals and vitamins that natural nectar contains. so, wouldn't it be better to use a pre-made mix? I want to attract h.birds, not kill them.
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hummingbird food
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Post By Marigold Mama (Guest Post)
(04/09/2008)
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I have always, ALWAYS, been told and read that hummingbird food mixture is 4 to 1. That would be 1C of water to 1/4 cup of sugar. For larger amounts 4 to 1 could mean 4C of water to 1C sugar. Too much sugar KILLS and/or ROTS their beaks.
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Bird killer (Guest Post)
(09/16/2007)
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Before I read this wed site I made some humming bird juice and put about 10 drops of red "dye" in it. "No pun intended." A few days later I found my cat gnawing on one of their precious little bodies. I felt terrible two more died later that week I figured that it was the dye and so I stopped using it.
PlEASE don't make the same mistake I did :)
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By John (Guest Post)
(09/03/2007)
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Thanks for all the info. We have just started getting some hummers, and also for the tip of NO RED DYE.
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Aimee (Guest Post)
(07/09/2007)
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Hi, Mrs.Rem05,
It is NOT okay to use a red dye in hummingbird food just because it is FDA approved! Red Dye is cancerous causing, especially if a lot of it is used and very often. Think of a hummingbird's size! Just a little bit of the red dye will overpower the little bird's liver...!!!
PLEASE do NOT use red dye!
Aimee
Master Herbalist student
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
We have lots of hummingbirds. I start off the season with a 1 sugar to 4 water, boiled a few minutes to make sure the sugar has changed. Never use honey! Later on, I go to a 1 to 5 ratio as it closest to nature's syrup in flowers. Aren't they amazing little birds! Just love them!
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Laurie (Guest Post)
(09/22/2006)
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Just a funny story about homemade hummingbird "juice" as we call it. My neighbor made some of the hummingbird "juice" and put it into a pitcher and refrigerated it. Her boyfriend drank some and said it was good, just a little bit too sweet. He really didn't like it, he was just trying to be polite. What a laugh they had when he found out what it really was!
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RE: Make Your Own Hummingbird Food
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Post By Sharon L Martin (Guest Post)
(07/18/2006)
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Glad to hear not to add food coloring in feeders for birds. I will pass the word.
Thanks so much
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Request: Make Your Own Food for a Hummingbird Feeder
I would like to make my own mix for my hummingbird feeder. I used to know and have forgotten. Any ideas of sugar and water mixture?
Thanks,
barbo37 from Fairview, MI
Answers:
RE: Make Your Own Food for a Hummingbird Feeder
Homemade Hummingbird Nectar
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups water
- A few drops of red food coloring (optional)
Mix the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it cool before filling your feeder. Once hummers start coming, decrease the solution to about 1 cup sugar to 8 cups water. Hummingbirds can sometimes suffer a fatal liver disorder if they get too much sugar.
Remember to replace the nectar in your hummingbird feeder every 3 days or so - every other day if temperatures are above 60 degrees. Wash the feeder with soap and scalding hot water, then rinse well before refilling. Old nectar and/or a dirty feeder can host hummingbird bacteria. (05/26/2006)
By luv2craft
RE: Make Your Own Food for a Hummingbird Feeder
Never use red food coloring ( or any other color food coloring) It is very bad for the hummingbirds. Some research is being done to see if it causes cancer in the birds, But it can kill them. As long as there is red on the feeder, the food does not need to be red, but if you want it to be then you should buy the mix that they sell in the stores. (05/31/2006)
By Mrs.Rem05
RE: Make Your Own Food for a Hummingbird Feeder
I just bought a new hummingbird feeder and there is a recipe for you to make your own hummingbird food. It says it is ok to use red food coloring as long as it is FDA approved.
I'm am not sure what is true as I have read different things regarding the safety of food coloring and hummingbirds.
I just wanted to pass that on to you. (05/31/2006)
By Mrs.Rem05
RE: Make Your Own Food for a Hummingbird Feeder
Please don't use red coloring in hummingbird feeders. Any red on the feeder will attract the birds. The red food coloring is only to satisfy the humans. It will harm the birds. (06/01/2006)
By Vicka
RE: Make Your Own Food for a Hummingbird Feeder
I make all my hummingbird nectar. it is 4 to 1 ratio - 4 cups of water and one cup of sugar, then boil. Add a little red food coloring. I make a batch almost every day. I have dozens of hummingbirds at my feeders everyday!
good luck. (06/01/2006)
By Barb
RE: Make Your Own Food for a Hummingbird Feeder
We have hummingbirds - there are a few 'regulars' and if I mix 2/3 cup of (warm) water with 1/3 cup of sugar (have used same amount of powered sugar) it seems to disappear in a week. (06/02/2006)
By CNSB
RE: Make Your Own Food for a Hummingbird Feeder
You DO NOT need to boil any water for the mixture. It does dilute in cold water and stirring it. I do this everytime I make the solution. NO PROBLEMS and NO RED DYE! Don't need red. It doesn't bring them to you. As long as you put out feeders and keep them full, you will have tons of hummingbirds. (06/03/2006)
By Beth Jenkins
RE: Make Your Own Food for a Hummingbird Feeder
1 cup sugar to 3 cups of water that has been boiled is what I use and the birds seem to enjoy it. (06/05/2006)
By Mary
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