Backyard birding is a wonderful hobby, that for some like me, turns into an obsession! Too many feeders, too many bird baths to fill and clean all the time.

Keeping bird feeders filled can get expensive, especially when using premium foods.  Every birdfeeder is equipped with a squirrel baffle…I’ve learned the hard way! When warmer weather approaches and it’s time to put out hummingbird feeders, I know it will only cost pennies to create the nectar hummingbirds adore.

Last season I did a test with commercial red nectar and plain old sugar water…the sugar water mix won! One hummingbird feeder was filled with red nectar, while the other had the home made version.  Three times as many hummingbirds went for the sugar water. It convinced me immediately to make my own nectar .

The recipe: 1 cup table sugar to 4 parts water. Could it be any easier? No need to boil the water (bacteria is spread through the birds’ bills at the feeders) but in doing so it dissolves the sugar quicker. I use 1 cup of boiling water until sugar is completely dissolved, then add 3 cups of cold water.  There is no cooling time and nectar is ready to go in feeders!

If you do decide to try the recipe, NEVER add anything else to the mixture as it will harm, or even kill hummingbirds.