How to Make Hummingbird Nectar

You bought a hummingbird feeder and are ready to attract these beautiful birds to your yard. But how do you make hummingbird nectar to draw them in? It’s easy to make your own from home!

There are hummingbird nectars you can buy from the store, but you don’t need to waste time or money. All you need is white table sugar and water.

Just remember the four to one ratio to make hummingbird nectar. Mix four parts water with one part sugar until dissolved. For example, this can be one cup water and 1/4 cup of sugar. Boom! Nectar! Place it into your feeder and enjoy as the hummingbirds drop in.

Here’s a short video where I demonstrate how to make hummingbird nectar.

A few things not to do: Don’t use organic sugars, brown sugar, honey or sugar alternatives. These can harm hummingbirds. Just use white table sugar. Don’t dye the mixture red. This can also harm hummingbirds.

You don’t need to boil the water before using it. Tap water is perfectly fine. Any leftover nectar mixture you have can be stored in the fridge for a maximum of two weeks. I usually make my hummingbird nectar on Sunday when I meal prep for the week and keep a stash chilled for use throughout the week. Plus, I feel hummingbirds enjoy cool nectar in the summer.

Remember to clean your hummingbird feeders every day or every other day. Sugar will grow bacteria and mold at a rapid pace in the warm summer months. Cleaning often keeps the hummingbirds safe. Plus, I’ve found that keeping the nectar fresh leads to attracting the highest number of hummingbirds to your feeder!

Related: How to Attract Hummingbirds to a Feeder in Just Three Steps

I hope this was a simple and easy guide to follow for making hummingbird nectar. Here’s to drawing in a bunch of them to your yard this year. Good luck!