Hummingbird honey is so cheap and easy to make, you don't have to go and buy it at the store. All you need is a little sugar and water; no need for food coloring, which could be dangerous for these fast fliers. In just a few minutes, you'll have your meal ready to hang outside the window.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Making Honey
Step 1. Mix sugar and water using 1 part sugar and 4 parts water
Only you know how much you have to make; taking into account the size of the feeder and how fast the birds go through it. Making honey will take a lot of time. Here is a simple graph to make the calculations easier:
- 1 cup sugar and 4 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar and 3 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar and 2 cups water
Step 2. Mix sugar and water together
Bring to a boil and then cool while continuing to stir as it cools. The sugar must be completely dissolved until it becomes sugar water. Don't let the mixture stay hot - doing so can change the water-to-sugar ratio through evaporation.
Don't use sugar substitutes/other than sugar - Your hummingbird doesn't need to go on a diet. They burn so much energy every day, flapping their wings at a very high speed, therefore, the sugar is needed. Use only plain and white sugar - not brown sugar, not a sugar substitute, and certainly not gelatin
Step 3. Allow the sugar solution to cool
Cover the pot and allow the solution to come to room temperature. If you put it in the feeder while it's still warm or hot, the sugar may crystallize.
Part 2 of 3: Filling, Replacing and Cleaning the Feeder
Step 1. Fill in your hummingbird feeder and save the rest
Most experts recommend only filling it about half full - it'll take a bit more effort on your part, but it will reduce the chances of the place getting moldy. However, if you have a large number of hummingbirds, you may find it difficult to do this. Fill the space to the brim if this is the case.
Take an empty, clean 2 liter bottle for storing honey and store the bottle in the refrigerator. This will continue for about a week, during which time the honey should be cool and dry
Step 2. Replace the hummingbird honey every few days
Do it more often if you notice mold or fermentation. In general, damage to honey is caused by outdoor temperatures. Here's a quick overview of how it works:
- Temperature: 71-75°F (23-25°C); change every 6 days
- Temperature: 76-80°F (25-27°C); change every 5 days
- Temperature: 81-84°F (27-29°C); change every 4 days
- Temperature: 85-88°F (29-31°C); change every 3 days
- Temperature: 89-92°F (31-33°C); change every 2 days
- Temperature: 93°F+ (33°C+); change every day
Step 3. Clean the hummingbird feeder with vinegar and hot water
Do this each time before you add a new hummingbird honey to the feeder. Old honey will mold, causing white threads and sometimes black, moldy spots, so make sure you get rid of them.
- Sometimes, you just need to wash them in hot water, if you take them separately and diligently. However, do this only if no mold appears. Most feeders will soon break down for just this reason.
- If you use vinegar, make sure the vinegar smell goes away before you replace the honey. Finish by rinsing with hot water.
Part 3 of 3: Feeder Problem
Step 1. Place your feeder in a shady place
You definitely don't want your honey to ferment and get dark spots in the blink of an eye, so put it in the shade. Heat and sunlight make honey condition worse. Also make sure it is out of reach of cats.
By the window may be the best place for you and your surveillance (of hummingbirds). Don't worry about shy hummingbirds. They may feel unsure at first about your feeder (like us who are unsure of new foods), but they will quickly believe in what you make. And you at the window is no threat to them - they can come out and fly around you any day of the week noticing your presence
Step 2. Keep the ants away from the honey
Ants like sugar water and hummingbirds don't like ants. They will not drink from a feeder that is contaminated with ants on top or contains dead ants floating on honey. You can keep them away by using an ant repellent (some feeders come pre-installed with this).
Some people put vaseline around the feeder or use Tanglefoot. The latter can potentially contaminate honey. Tanglefoot not only kills ants, it can also be harmful to hummingbirds. If you go this way, then you have to be very, very careful
Step 3. Place red tape around your feeder in case the hummingbirds don't come
Hummingbirds are attracted to red - perhaps because their favorite color is bright colors. If the hummingbirds can't find your feeder, place a red scattering on it. This will catch the eye and arouse their curiosity.
It doesn't have to be ribbon - red tape, paint, or even red nail polish can work as well. Just make sure the object won't contaminate the honey and is weather-resistant, no matter what changes you make
Step 4. Learn more about how to attract hummingbirds to your home page
Although hummingbirds are quite territorial, they put on the sort of show that often pays off. People have been trying to attract hummingbirds to their yard for centuries and it has become an art in itself. Here are some other things you can do to attract hummingbirds:
- Also place a mister (a bird bath in the shape of a pond) in your garden. Hummingbirds love to "bathe" after eating.
- Place multiple feeders throughout your yard. Sometimes, alpha hummingbirds will scare small birds away.
- Place your feeder next to brightly colored flowers. Hummingbirds will have a hard time resisting your delicious "honey".
Tips
- Make sure you cool the water or the sugar will crystallize in the feeder.
- Filtered water is better than tap. Hummingbirds' high metabolic rate makes them more susceptible to droppings.
