By Mary Andersen

Make Your Own Hummingbird Nectar – Feed these Amazing Buzzing Bubbly Creatures

Hummingbirds are some of the most amazing creatures to see in action. It is incredible to watch them flock to the nectar in the zinnia blooms, flapping their wings rapidly and making a buzzing and humming sound as they whiz about in the garden.

Hummingbirds flap their wings very quickly while hovering in mid-air. The larger birds beat their wings around 8-10 times per second, the medium sized birds beat theirs around 20-25 times per second, and the smallest birds can beat their wings up to 100 times each second. They are also the only group of birds that can fly backward.

Hummingbirds feed on nectar, and they prefer a sugar content higher than 10%. They are actually able to determine how much sugar is in the nectar they consume, just the same as bees.

Some people do not realize that nectar is not the only food hummingbirds consume. Because the nectar is a poor source of nutrients for these birds, they rely also on spiders and insects as a protein and vitamin source. This is especially true when they are feeding their young.

If you want to supply nectar to the hummingbirds, you can hang feeders in trees and at other locations and fill them with homemade nectar. They prefer the feeders to be located far enough off the ground to make them less susceptible to predators.

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar

The nectar is essentially nothing more than sugar water. It is important to use only white granulated sugar. Here’s why:

* Powdered types of sugar contain ingredients that contribute to premature fermentation of the nectar solution.

* Raw brown sugar contains iron, and this can be fatal to hummingbirds if enough is consumed.

* Honey, even though it is made from flower nectar, contains sugars that promote the growth of microorganisms and bacteria that can render the nectar toxic.

To make a safe nectar solution for the hummingbirds, simply boil 3 cups of water along with 3/4 cup of granulated white sugar. Allow to cool. Boiling the sugar water first helps prevent undesirable yeasts from developing as well as dangerous bacteria.

Adding red dye to the homemade solution is a controversial issue. These are very small creatures, and a drop or two of food dye that might not hurt a person might have a very different outcome on a tiny bird.

There is even concern over the hummingbird nectars made commercially due to the possibility they may contain dye, artificial ingredients, and harmful preservatives not found in the nectar provided to the hummingbirds naturally.

No studies have been conducted to determine how the food dye and other additives affect the hummingbirds long term, although lab studies on animals indicate these additives have the potential of causing death and disease in some instances.

For the safety of the hummingbirds, it is best to stay as closely in balance with nature as possible and provide them with the simple water and white granulated sugar solution.

If the solution is palatable to the hummingbird, it will flock to the nectar willingly, regardless of its color.

Clean hummingbird feeders each winter and every time you refill them during the feeding season to kill any germs and bacteria that might harm the birds.

Place the feeders strategically around your home in locations where you can enjoy these adorable creatures frequently, such as outside a window or a safe distance from a yard swing or garden bench.