DIY Hummingbird Food

We added a little hummingbird feeder to our yard last year. Coming from Michigan, I rarely saw hummingbirds throughout my life. But I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of hummingbirds stopped by my feeder. I’d be working in the office and hear the “ziiippppp” of their wings just outside.

Unfortunately this summer I have been slacking on refilling the feeder since I last ran out of the food. Our feeder hung empty, lonely, the occasional bird stopping by just to quickly leave. I felt bad. I was false advertising.

Last week it hit me. Make your own food dumby. It’s just sugar and water. There was no more room for excuses. I whipped up a quick batch of sugar water on the stove and put our feeder back in business.

It’s extremely simple! Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Let the mixture cool before adding it to your feeder.

Of course, you also have the option to add food coloring. I have read that it is not necessary and possibly harmful to the birds so I decided to try making it without color this time. I’m hoping the birds will still be attracted to it! Have you ever used clear food? Did the hummingbirds still come? Would love to know! xo JA