Hummingbirds are a joy to watch as they zip around your garden or backyard feeders. Their quickly beating wings allow them to hover in place as they use their long, slender beaks to sip nectar from flowers or feeders. Providing hummingbirds with a feeding solution is an easy way to attract them to your outdoor space so you can enjoy watching their antics. But is plain white sugar water the best choice for our feathered friends?
Why Do Hummingbirds Need Nectar?
Hummingbirds have extremely high metabolisms and must consume 50% or more of their body weight in nectar each day in order to survive. Their feeding habits are different from other birds in that they don’t actually suck down the nectar. Instead, they use their long tongues to rapidly lap it up at a rate of about 13 licks per second! This allows them to get the sustenance they require while minimizing the amount of time they must spend at each flower or feeder.
The main nutrient hummingbirds obtain from nectar is carbohydrates in the form of sucrose, glucose, and fructose. These simple sugars provide quick energy that allows the birds to beat their wings up to 70 times per second. They cannot survive without this high-sugar food source. Hummingbirds also get protein from eating small insects, but they still depend on nectar as their main dietary component.
Problems with Plain White Sugar Water
The simplest homemade nectar recipe is just four parts water to one part white granulated sugar. This basic sugar water does supply the carbohydrates that hummingbirds need. However, relying solely on plain white sugar as a nectar substitute may not provide the best nutrition for hummingbirds over the long term.
Here are some potential issues with using plain white sugar water:
- Lacks micronutrients – Sugar water is an incomplete nutrition source. It does not contain any protein, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, or other micronutrients that hummingbirds obtain from natural nectar.
- Risk of metabolic disease – Hummingbirds may develop symptoms similar to human metabolic diseases like diabetes when fed excessive amounts of plain sugar without nutrients.
- Does not mimic natural nectars – Flower nectar contains glucose, fructose, sucrose, and small amounts of complex carbohydrates. Plain table sugar only provides sucrose.
- Can promote fungal growth – Sugar water spoils easily, promoting yeast and mold growth, especially in warm weather. This can harm hummingbird health.
- Inverts too quickly in hot weather – The sucrose in plain white sugar can rapidly separate into glucose and fructose when temperatures exceed 80°F. This makes the nectar unpalatable.
While plain white sugar water may be convenient, there are better alternatives that more closely match the nutritional composition of natural floral nectars.
Healthier Sugar Water Alternatives
Here are some ways to modify basic sugar water to create healthier homemade nectar for hummingbirds:
1. Use Raw, Unrefined Cane Sugar
Raw cane sugar forms like Sucanat and Turbinado contain more nutrients than highly refined white table sugar. They have a brown color and slight molasses flavor. The minerals and antioxidants they provide help reduce the glycemic impact compared to plain sucrose. These sugars also dissolve and invert more slowly in hot weather.
2. Add Electroyte Powder
Sprinkling in an electrolyte supplement adds important minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium that hummingbirds need. This also helps the nectar better mimic the complex nutrient profile of natural flower nectars. Avoid artificial coloring or sweeteners in electrolyte powders.
3. Mix in Fruit Juice
Adding a small amount of pure fruit juice gives nectar a nutritional boost. Use around 25% juice to 75% sugar water. Good juice choices are apple, pear, or orange. The fruit sugars and antioxidants are beneficial additions. Just avoid juice blends with artificial ingredients.
4. Make Flower ‘Tea’
Steeping red trumpet vine, pineapple sage, or other edible flowers in hot water makes a natural “tea” that can replace some of the water. This adds traces of proteins, minerals, and phytochemicals found in the flowers.
5. Use Honey
Honey can be used to fully or partially replace granulated white sugar. It contains glucose, fructose, enzymes, minerals, and antioxidants. Make sure to use regular honey, not artificial honey-flavored syrup. Dilute it to a ratio of 1 part honey to 4 parts water.
Choosing the Best Sugar Substitute
When choosing an alternative to plain white sugar, consider these criteria:
- Avoid artificial sweeteners or food dyes
- Select unprocessed, unrefined natural sweeteners
- Check ingredients to avoid unwanted additives
- Mimic the 18-20% sugar content of natural nectar
- Provide beneficial nutrients missing from plain sugar
- Pick sugars that resist crystallization and separation
With a little tweaking, you can make easy homemade nectar that gives hummingbirds the energy they require from sugar along with extra nutrition to support their health. Focus on ingredients that approximate the nutritional complexity of real flower nectar.
Recipe Ideas
Here are some sample recipes for healthy, homemade hummingbird nectar using unrefined cane sugar, honey, fruit juice, electrolytes, and flower tea:
Unrefined Cane Sugar Nectar
- 1 cup Sucanat
- 4 cups water
- Pinch of electrolyte powder
Honey Nectar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 4 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice
Fruit and Flower Nectar
- 1 cup Turbinado sugar
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup red trumpet vine flower tea
- 1 Tablespoon pear juice
Mix ingredients together and stir until sugars are fully dissolved. Fill clean feeders and store extra in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks. Change nectar every 2-3 days to prevent spoilage.
Tips for Feeding Hummingbirds
Follow these tips to successfully attract hummingbirds with healthy, homemade nectar:
- Use feeders made with bee/wasp-proof tips to prevent other insects
- Select red feeders as this color attracts hummingbirds
- Clean feeders thoroughly with hot water and replace nectar often
- Make nectar fresh every few days rather than making large batches
- Store unused nectar in the refrigerator up to 1-2 weeks
- Avoid adding red food coloring, which is unnecessary and possibly harmful
- Place feeders in shady spots to slow nectar spoilage
- Supplement feeders with flower gardens that provide natural nectar sources
Conclusion
With a basic sugar water mixture, a few added ingredients, and clean feeders, you can whip up healthy homemade nectar that will have hummingbirds buzzing around your home. The right DIY formula provides the carbohydrates hummingbirds need for energy along with extra nutrition to support an active lifestyle. A nutritious nectar substitute made with unprocessed sugars, fruit juices, edible flowers, electrolytes, and other natural ingredients will keep your hummingbirds happy, healthy, and eagerly returning to your feeders.
