Beginner Guide to Hummingbird Feeding

Few backyard birds generate as much excitement as hummingbirds. These tiny, iridescent visitors hover in place, fly backward, and move so fast that they seem to appear out of nowhere. Attracting them to your yard is surprisingly straightforward once you know the basics.

Hummingbird feeding comes down to three things: the right food, the right feeder, and consistent maintenance. Get those three elements right and you will have hummingbirds visiting regularly throughout the season.

Making Hummingbird Nectar

The recipe is simple: mix one part white granulated sugar with four parts water.

That is it. One cup of sugar to four cups of water. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely. You can boil the water first to help dissolve the sugar and remove chlorine, but it is not strictly necessary if your tap water is clean.

Let the nectar cool to room temperature before filling your feeder. Store extra nectar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

What Not to Use

Do not use honey.

Honey ferments rapidly in warm temperatures and can grow mold that is harmful to hummingbirds. Do not use artificial sweeteners, which have zero caloric value. Do not use brown sugar, powdered sugar, or raw sugar.

Do not add red dye to the nectar. This is a persistent myth that will not die. The red color of most feeders is sufficient to attract hummingbirds. Red dye is unnecessary at best and potentially harmful.

Most commercial red nectars contain dyes as well, so skip those and make your own.

Choosing a Feeder

Hummingbird feeders come in two basic styles: bottle (inverted) feeders and saucer (dish) feeders. Both work, but they have different characteristics.

Saucer Feeders

Saucer feeders hold nectar in a shallow dish below the feeding ports. They are easier to clean because the entire feeder comes apart into just a few pieces.

They are also less likely to leak in hot weather. The downside is that they hold less nectar, so you refill them more frequently during peak season.

Bottle Feeders

Bottle feeders hold more nectar and keep it visible, which helps attract passing hummingbirds. However, they can be trickier to clean thoroughly. In hot weather, expanding air inside the bottle can push nectar out through the ports, causing drips that attract ants and bees.

What to Look For

Choose a feeder that disassembles completely for cleaning. If you cannot get a brush into every part of the feeder, mold will grow in the hidden corners.

Red coloring on the feeder itself is plenty to attract birds.

Feeder Placement

Hang your feeder where you can see it from inside your house. A spot with morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal. Hummingbirds feel more comfortable approaching feeders near some cover. A feeder hanging near a shrub, tree, or porch overhang gives them a perching spot and a quick escape route.

Mount the feeder at a height that is easy for you to reach for cleaning and refilling.

Eye level or slightly above is comfortable for viewing and maintenance.

Cleaning Schedule

This is the part most people underestimate. Clean your hummingbird feeder every 3 to 5 days in moderate weather and every 1 to 2 days when temperatures exceed 90 degrees. Nectar ferments quickly in the heat, and fermented nectar can make hummingbirds sick.

Dump out all remaining nectar, disassemble the feeder, and scrub every surface with hot water and a bottle brush.

Rinse thoroughly. Black mold appears as dark spots inside the feeder. If you see it, soak the feeder in a solution of one part white vinegar to four parts water for an hour, then scrub and rinse.

When to Put Out Feeders

Put your feeder out about two weeks before hummingbirds typically arrive in your area. In the southern United States, this can be as early as late February. In the northern states and Canada, mid-April to early May is more typical.

Leave your feeder up for at least two weeks after you see your last hummingbird in the fall.

Leaving a feeder up does not prevent hummingbirds from migrating. Day length triggers migration, not food availability.

Dealing with Pests

Ants are the most common feeder pest. An ant moat creates a water barrier that ants cannot cross. Bees and wasps are attracted to nectar drips and can dominate a feeder. Saucer-style feeders with bee guards on the ports reduce this problem. Avoid using insecticides anywhere near your feeder.

Beyond the Feeder

Native flowering plants provide natural nectar and support the insects that hummingbirds also eat. Trumpet vine, bee balm, cardinal flower, and native salvias are all excellent choices. A shallow water feature with a fine mist or drip attracts hummingbirds for bathing.

Getting started with hummingbird feeding is genuinely simple. Sugar, water, a clean feeder, and a little patience are all it takes to bring these remarkable birds into your daily life.