Warmer weather has finally arrived (yay!) and with it comes the annual migration of hummingbirds zipping about.

The hummers start arriving as early as late April and into early May. They head south again around September.

A couple of years ago, I decided to attract hummingbirds to the yard – they’re so fun to watch!

I found a couple of feeders to hang in my tree, but wanted to make sure that I didn’t put anything harmful in it for the tiny flyers, so I got online and checked out a few sites for hummingbird food recipes.

I scored big when I came across this super simple recipe. Best of all it’s easy and basic – the way it should be – NO DYES or other unnecessary ingredients.

According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute, the recipe goes like this:

The Recipe

Ingredients

• Refined White Sugar (yes – white sugar)
• Water
• See exact measurements below

Directions

1. Stir 1 cup of sugar together with 4 cups of water until the sugar is dissolved. The sugar will melt in room-temperature water fairly fast so there’s no need to heat it first. Stirring thoroughly will help the sugar to dissolve quicker. Walk away for a few minutes, come back and stir some more until it’s ready to pour.
2. Do NOT add red dye. It’s not good for the birds and it isn’t necessary. If anything about your feeder is red, that’s good enough. 
3. Fill your hummingbird feeders with the sugar-water and refrigerate any extra sugar water in a glass bottle between refills. It will last about 2 weeks.
4. Placement: Hang the feeder(s) outside in a cool or shady spot but still visible. Warning: If the feeder is in the direct sun all day, there’s a greater chance of attracting wasps, and the birds will eventually quit visiting. I found out the hard way last summer when one of my feeders was covered with wasps.  ALSO, after several days in the sun the sugar-water will become alcoholic  – another turn-off for the birds.
5. Refill feeders every few days or as needed.
6. Be sure to thoroughly clean the feeders often. Hummingbirds are susceptible to infections so clean your feeders regularly and help keep these little guys healthy.

What are the Best Hummingbird Feeders?

Surprisingly, some of the best feeders to attract hummingbirds turns out to be the same inexpensive feeders that are sold everywhere – as long as a couple of specific  features are included. Check out our companion article “Best Hummingbird Feeders” to find out what those features are, and to also see other beautiful feeders that we found.