The hummingbirds are back! Time to put out the hummingbird feeders!
Before hanging up your hummingbird feeder, make sure to clean it out really well. In our glass feeders we use a rinse of 10 parts water to 1 part bleach solution. (If you have a plastic feeder, be careful. The bleach may discolor it). Rinse it really, really, really well with hot water. But, again, be careful! The feeder may be slippery when wet! Let it the feeder cool before adding your nectar.
Your homemade nectar can be made from 1 part sugar (white/cane sugar) to 4 parts water. The traditional way of making your nectar calls for *boiling to make it easier to dissolve the sugar and to purify the solution so that it will stay fresh longer. Let the nectar cool before pouring it into your feeder. -Please DO NOT add red food coloring or dye, or honey to the nectar.
You may store any unused nectar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
*I do not boil my nectar (I use my nectar bottle) as, according to Lanny Chambers, "It's not necessary to boil the water. The microorganisms that cause fermentation don't come from the water; they are transported to the feeder on hummingbird bills."
Hang your feeder and enjoy!!!
