Make Your Own Hummingbird Food

Hummingbird lovers have an easy solution to save money and provide a healthy energy treat for their friends. Most people already have the ingredients at home:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

Just multiply those if you need larger quantities, for instance, 1 cup sugar with 4 cups of water.

How do you process it and why?

1. A clean feeder

Hummingbirds deserve and require a mold-free container, just like people. Soap and water work for general cleaning. What I have found to work even better is to have extra bottles that I can rotate in, soak with a mild bleach solution, rinse well and refill. The bleach solution kills any molds, which usually wash right out after a day or two of soaking. Friends also tell me that a vinegar solution does the same thing.

2. Clean sugar

If your sugar has been stored in the sugar bowl for coffee, it may have become contaminated, which will increase the likelyhood of molds in the water.

3. Boiled tap or bottled water (not distilled)

Some will argue this one, but unless you really know your tap water, it may contain chlorine or other harmful additives. Afterall, what does chlorine do but kill living organisms? Also, boiling dissolves the sugar more quickly and helps create a light "syrup" effect.

4. Room temperature

Please allow the solution to cool before offering it to our friends. We don't want any burned beaks or tongues, now.

How do you attract hummingbirds to the feeder? No red dye necessary!

Some argue they have more birds with red dye, some argue no difference whatsoever. I won't intentionally feed red dye to my children, nor to my bird friends. Placing flowers, especially trumpet shaped flowers like fuchsia, trumpet vines, morning glories, and honey suckle nearby will do more to attract hummingbirds. Tie red ribbons to or wrap ribbons around your feeder for more red attractant.

A nearby banana peel left open will attract fruit flies, a favorite treat for hummingbirds. Of course, you may not want this near an unscreened window.

A mister which allows dripping off other leaves, bushes or plants will encourage many types of birds, as well as the hummer.

Ideally, providing a perch on your birdfeeder will also give these beauties a chance to rest from their intense flittering.