Content

• Steps
• Advice

We all have to admit that hummingbirds are a strange creature. They seemed to dance in the air, soaring past like tiny cheetahs with wings. Attract these masterpieces by hanging hummingbird food containers. Follow the steps below to keep those little birds in your garden.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Making Nectar for Hummingbirds

1. 

   Create a concentrated sugar solution to attract hummingbirds to your garden. The sugar mixture will encourage the hummingbirds to stay in the garden. High-energy food is very important for hummingbirds in the spring because it helps to replenish the energy stored they use up during migration.
   • Don't buy nectar for hummingbirds. You will spend unnecessary money and hummingbirds are not really benefiting. Hummingbirds absorb the nutrients they need from natural nectar and eat insects, the sugar mix you provide is the hummingbird's fast food (like the coffee we drink) as they fly around and get tired.

2. 

   
   
   Make a solution by mixing 1 part white refined sugar and 4 parts warm water. Stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Cane sugar is a sugar belonging to the carbohydrate family. Sugar is easy to digest and immediately energizes hummingbirds so they can continuously flap their tiny wings.

3. 

   
   
   Boil the sugar water for 1 to 2 minutes. Boiling the mixture will reduce the likelihood of bacteria growing. Boiling sugar water will also remove excess chlorine from tap water (which can harm those little birds). You don't need to boil the solution if you only make small amounts of food for immediate use.
   • If you don't cook the mixture, change the food every 1 to 2 days, otherwise bacteria will grow and harm the hummingbirds.

4. 

   
   
   Do not add coloring products to food. Although red attracts hummingbirds, red is believed to be harmful to hummingbirds. Hummingbird's natural food (nectar) is odorless and transparent, so there is no need to add color to homemade hummingbird foods.

5. 

   Store the hummingbird food until it is used. Keep food in the refrigerator. If you do a lot, you can keep the rest in the refrigerator until the feeding utensils are empty. This will save time when you add more food to the feeding device.

6. 

   Choose the right feeding utensils. Red feeding utensils are best as the red color attracts hummingbirds. You should hang them in a cool place if possible, as the nectar will stay fresher longer in the shade. Hang equipment in the garden if you have one. Hang the tool near the window (but out of reach of the cat) to see these beautiful little birds.
   • Some hummingbird experts suggest that you should only hang feeding equipment near a window if the glass is cut to prevent the hummingbird from hitting it and injuring it.
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Part 2 of 3: Prevent Mold and Fermentation

1. 

   Be aware that food can be harmful if it becomes fermented or moldy. When the sugar mixture turns gray, you need to replace it. The yeast contaminated with the yeast will ferment which is harmful to hummingbirds. Warm sugar mixes are also a good place for mold and bacteria to grow.

2. 

   If possible, regularly check the feeding device for black mold. If possible, check daily. Watch out for a feeding device that will limit harm to hummingbirds. If you find mold, mix ¼ cup of bleach with 4 liters of water. Soak feeding utensils in bleach solution for one hour. Scrub off mold and clean tools before returning any food.

3. 

   Wash tools before adding food. Drain hot water from the hose into the tool. Don't use soap, hummingbirds don't like the lingering smell and won't eat if your tools have soap left in them.

4. 

   Change food in equipment often. Remember that the amount of time you leave hummingbird food outdoors depends on the temperature where you hang your feeding equipment.
   • If the temperature is between 21 and 26 degrees C, change the food every 5 to 6 days.
   • If the temperature is 27 to 30 degrees Celsius, change food every 2 to 4 days.
   • If the temperature is up to 32 degrees C, change food daily.
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Part 3 of 3: Making Nectar More Attractive

1. 

   Decide the appeal of the food. Reduce the concentration of sugar in food after a few weeks. This will increase the performance of the feed container. One part sugar with five parts water or with four parts water will thin the mixture. As the mixture is thinner, hummingbirds will fly in more often.
   • Do not dilute more than the rate of 1 sugar 5 water. If the food has less sugar than that, the hummingbird must use more energy to fly to the food container than it can get through the food.
   • You want to create dense foods that do not have to be replenished often, but not too thick to make hummingbirds less likely to fly, nor will you be able to see them. Creating foods high in sugar will give hummingbirds more energy, keeping them full longer before they have to eat again (so they'll visit less of your feeding equipment).

2. 

   Plant flowers that hummingbirds like. If you try different mixes but hummingbirds don't care, plant flowers that attract them.
   • Here are a few of the species that hummingbirds love: musk, oleander, lupine, period, torch lily, gazebo, coral bells, lizards, cardinal rose, chromatic, firecracker, wing , Hibiscus, trumpet, honeysuckle, crossvine, flower of the toed plant, Spigelia.
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Advice

• If the hummingbird does not finish its food before it spoils, put only a portion of the food in the utensil to avoid discarding it.
• Do not use honey, powdered sugar, brown sugar and sweetened sugar or any other sweetener or sugar substitute. The chemical composition of other sweeteners is not the same and does not meet the nutritional needs of hummingbirds. Some sweeteners also make hummingbirds sick or die.