Leave Hummingbird Feeders Up!

Hummingbirds are feeding like crazy right now, fattening up and getting ready for the big migration back to their wintering grounds in Central and South America. Feeders seem busier than ever with almost frantic activity at our place.

Because of the heat, sugar water is changed every two days, so filling the larger hummingbird feeders is almost pointless. Eighty pounds of sugar were used to feed our local hummer population this season…and that’s a lot of nectar!

If you don’t make your own nectar-give it a try before the season’s over. Hummingbirds really seem to prefer the simple sugar water solution, and it saves money too.

The recipe: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water…that’s it! No red dye necessary. Use plain white table sugar and nothing else as it will harm hummers. You don’t even need to boil the water as microorganisms and bacteria are actually spread through the bird’s beaks on the feeder ports. We boil 1 cup of water, simply to help dissolve the sugar more effectively. And contrary to popular belief, hummingbirds will not “stay” if you leave feeders up – Mother Nature tells them when it’s time to go!