Hummingbird Food Mixture

Hummingbirds have got their name from the distinct 'hum' sound made by their rapidly flapping wings. The size of the bird decides the number of flaps it can do. Average lifespan of a hummer is 3 or 4 years, but some of them have lived beyond 12 years also. They are unique in many ways, besides the number of rapid flaps they can do per second, they can also fly backwards. Hummers have an amazing sense of assessing the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat and from where it can be obtained. They feed on the nectar of flowers. Hummingbirds do not feed on flowers whose nectar contains less than 10% sugar. Talk about a sweet tooth! As they cannot sustain on nectar alone because of its poor nutritional value, they also feed on insects and spiders, and hummingbird food mixture that one can make at home.

Attracting hummingbirds to your garden will require a little planning on your end. Plant azaleas, butterfly bush, mimosa, cape honeysuckle, flame acanthus, coral bells, canna, foxglove, fuchsia, petunia, morning glory, etc. These flowers attract the hummers due to their high visibility and nectar production. Bear in mind that hybrids are not high on nectar production, so try to get wild or native strains of the flowers you plant. Also, avoid spraying pesticides, as it will not only kill the insects around the flowers, but hurt the hummers as well.

Hummingbird Food Recipe
A common food for these birds, as they are attracted to nectar is the sweet tasting sugar syrup. Hummingbird food, sugar water ratio is generally 1:4. Hummingbird food ingredients are just two; sugar and water. Take a large clean bowl, pour in it four cups of hot water, and dissolve one cup of table sugar (white granulated) in it. It is best to avoid artificial sweeteners and honey. Stir continuously until all sugar has dissolved. Bring this consistency to a boil on medium flame, lower flame and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Keep the bowl covered while boiling. Let the syrup cool and pour it in the bird feeders. If you are making more than one batch, store it in the refrigerator, but not for more than two weeks. As nectar is odorless and colorless, avoid adding any food color or additive to this mix. A colorful feeder will definitely be an added advantage, and I am sure the hummingbird will enjoy feeding from it. Read on to know more about hummingbird food recipe.

Choose your hummingbird feeder carefully. Most bird shops will have them and come in materials that range from plastic, glass, and/or ceramics. A hummer has to get used to the feeder, so patience and not rapidly changing the feeder will go a long way in attracting the bird. Another important design feature, one should consider while choosing a feeder is ease of dis-assembly and cleaning. A feeder should be regularly cleaned to avoid stickiness from the sugar syrup that collects on it. Read more on hummingbird nectar recipes.

Hummingbirds, tiny as they are, collect a lot of nutrition for a very active metabolism for the insects they prey upon and flower nectar. Providing them with a substitute, like hummingbird food mixture made of sugar water in feeders is a sure way to get all these beauties humming in your garden.