Hummingbird Nectar - Artzy Foodie

Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

This homemade hummingbird nectar will keep your hummingbirds healthy, happy, and coming back for more! This 2 ingredient recipe, that replicates the sucrose content of nectar producing flowers, takes just 10 minutes!

When to look for hummingbirds to arrive

Where I live, in the midwest, hummingbirds arrive late April to early May. In the northern US, look for them to arrive mid May to early June. The coastal areas, south Texas, Arizona, Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America enjoy hummingbirds year round.

How to attract hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are attracted to red, but don’t use any food coloring. It could be harmful to them. Attract them with some red flowers nearby or get a feeder with with red accents.

Offering a consistent source of food will also attract hummingbirds. Keep your feeder clean and full, and plant flowers nearby that bloom at different times.

For more tips on attracting hummingbirds, visit The Ultimate Guide For Attracting Hummingbirds.

How to make hummingbird nectar

This super easy recipe replicates the sucrose content of nectar producing flowers. In a saucepan, mix together 1 part pure white cane sugar and 4 parts water. Boil, cool, and fill your feeder.

According to the hummingbird society, it is best for the hummingbirds if pure white cane sugar is used, although beet sugar would be an acceptable alternative. Regular sugar has small amounts of molasses, which is toxic to hummingbirds.

Store the remaining nectar in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

When to put your feeder out

It’s best to have your feeder filled earlier rather than later. If they don’t find food, they’ll move on, however, once they locate your feeder they will visit each year.

When to change out the nectar

The warmer the weather, the more often you will need to change the nectar. In cooler temperatures, you could change it once a week, but when it gets above 60-70 degrees it will need to be changed every 3-4 days.

How to keep insects away

There are several ways to help keep insects away from your feeder:

• choose a no insect feeder
• avoid yellow feeders as wasps and bees are attracted to yellow
• keep the feeder clean
• keep the feeder in a shaded area
• hang your feeder from an insect moat

When to remove the feeder

There is a myth that says if you leave the feeder out in the Fall the birds will not migrate south. The truth is, hummingbirds instinctively know when to migrate and having the feeder available in the Fall ensures that they will have food sources available for refueling on their journey.

It’s best to keep the feeder available for 1-2 weeks after the last bird has been seen.

By keeping your feeder full of fresh nectar, you should be able to enjoy watching those adorable little hummingbirds until mid October when they migrate south.

If you like this post, subscribe to Artzy Foodie to get all the latest tasty goodness straight to your inbox! And, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates!

Print Recipe 3.74 from 57 votes

Hummingbird Nectar

Homemade nectar to keep your hummingbirds healthy and happy! Cook Time10 minutes minsTotal Time10 minutes mins 4 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup pure white cane sugar or beet sugar
• 4 cups water

Instructions

• In a saucepan dissolve the sugar into the water
• Bring to boil
• Remove from heat and allow to cool
• Fill feeder and store remaining nectar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks

Nutrition

Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Sodium: 13mg | Sugar: 49g | Calcium: 8mg Course: Main CourseCuisine: AmericanKeyword(s): Hummingbird Food, Hummingbird Nectar Recipe Author: Niki Medlin Did you try this recipe?Tag @artzyfoodie and hashtag it #artzyfoodie!