Make your own hummingbird food!
While hummingbirds eat insects as part of their protein diet, they also enjoy a good
sip of nectar! You can make this hummingbird food by mixing one part regular table
sugar, with four parts water. (Some evidence suggests that long-term consumption
of one part sugar and three parts water may damage the livers of your visiting hummingbirds.
Source: Mark's Hummingbirds) Heat the mixture until
the sugar completely dissolves. Pour it into your hummingbird feeder only after the
sugar water has completely cooled off. Do not add food coloring, artificial sweeteners,
honey, or juice, as these can harm, (or at best, be non-beneficial), to your hummingbirds.
Nectar must be replaced every seven days, and even more often during summertime,
otherwise the nectar will go bad, and the hummingbirds will no longer come to the
feeder. Always clean the inside of the hummingbird feeder with a mild detergent and
rinse it thoroughly to prevent mold and bacteria from building up.
See how to make your own
hummingbird feeders, for more information...
Select a hummingbird by its name: (in alphabetical order)
Select a hummingbird's nest by its name: (in alphabetical