Hummingbird feeders are one way to attract hummingbirds to your yard. The use of a feeder requires proper maintenance and cares with it a great deal of responsibility. This post will provide some important reminders concerning hummingbird feeders and homemade hummingbird food.
A hummingbird feeder should not be placed in direct sunlight, as this causes the sugar solution to spoil rapidly. Also, a plastic feeder that is exposed to direct sunlight will ware out more quickly because the prolonged exposure will cause the plastic to crack eventually.
Be sure to place the hummingbird feeder high enough on a branch so that squirrels and other predators cannot feed from it
Use only a mixture of sugar and water to feed the hummingbirds. The recipe is 1 part water to 4 parts water. This blend is very close to the sugar concentration which is found on many flowers which are known to attract hummingbirds.
Nothing other then white table sugar should be used to make homemade nectar solution. Never use honey, molasses or any other artificial sweeteners to feed hummingbirds. Though they eat small insects for protein, hummingbirds also rely heavily on flower and prepared nectar for their energy needs.