![]() Disclosure: All products on this page are independently selected. Hummingbirds are attracted to color, but your hummingbird feeder should do a good job at attracting them with its bright colors and designs. Artificial dyes and colors can be harmful to hummingbirds since they cannot digest the chemicals in them. No! You do not need to add food coloring to any homemade hummingbird food. Do you need to add food coloring to hummingbird food? This is one of the few times where using an otherwise good and healthy natural sweetener is not good or healthy at all (when it comes to hummingbirds, that is). Molasses is rich in iron, and iron can be toxic to hummingbirds even in small doses. I also advise against using organic sugar unless it’s pure white in color, since organic sugar may contain small amounts of molasses (giving it that familiar off-white to brownish tint). You should also avoid honey, agave nectar, demerara sugar, caster sugar, confectioners sugar, and “raw” cane sugar-anything that is not 100 percent white refined sugar. ![]() Brown sugar is not suitable for hummingbirds. No! Please do not use brown sugar in place of plain white sugar for homemade hummingbird food. Can you use brown sugar for hummingbird food? This reduces waste since hummingbird food has to be changed out frequently, and large batches should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than two weeks. If you have a small feeder, you can make hummingbird food by combining just 1/4 cup plain white sugar and 1 cup hot water. The one exception to this rule is during wintertime, when a ratio of 1 part sugar to 3 cups water gives hummingbirds a much-needed boost of energy and helps keep the syrup from freezing. Too much or too little sugar can be harmful to hummingbirds, so avoid deviating from this recipe. This formula can be scaled up or down accordingly, as long as the ratio remains the same. When making your own hummingbird food at home, the ideal ratio of sugar to water is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. The ideal hummingbird food sugar-to-water ratio Just be sure to wash the feeder thoroughly before your next batch. You can make this recipe as often as needed. Store any unused syrup in a lidded container in the fridge for up to two weeks. As soon as the syrup has cooled, carefully pour it into your hummingbird feeder of choice (using a funnel if needed).Let the syrup cool down to lukewarm or room temperature.(What you end up with is a light simple syrup.) Stir the sugar and hot water in your mixing bowl until the sugar is dissolved.Mixing bowl (preferably with a pouring spout/lip).All that’s needed are two household ingredients and two pieces of equipment. My recipe for hummingbird food is super simple and closely mimics natural flower nectar. Homemade hummingbird food (nectar) recipe How to keep hummingbird nectar from freezing in winter.When to hang (and take down) a hummingbird feeder.How often should you change a hummingbird feeder?.What’s the best hummingbird feeder to use?.Do you need to add food coloring to hummingbird food?. ![]()
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