The so called nectar in a bird feeder: Isn't that just sugar water? About a
4 to 1 ratio? Should you put red die in it? Is it ok to put it in the sun?

Richard

"Richard Miller" wrote in message
news:ImY0f.391$fE5.193@fed1read06...
The so called nectar in a bird feeder: Isn't that just sugar water? About
a 4 to 1 ratio? Should you put red die in it? Is it ok to put it in the
sun?

Richard
boil the water.....use two cups of fine white sugar to 4 cups of water, no
food coloring necessairy. the hummer's will know what it is. yes, you can
put it in the sun, but if it's hot, you have to make sure it doesn't turn
or ferment. the hummer's get drunk and it's not good for them. (no, they
don't pick fights and try to drive home......g) if it is hot, the sugar
water will turn, so I'd just put half of the mixture in the feeder and the
rest in a container in the fridge until you're ready to change it again.
madgardener whose hummers seem to have gone to Mexico..............

I live in Maryland my question is when should I take the feed down.
"Richard Miller" wrote in message
news:ImY0f.391$fE5.193@fed1read06...
The so called nectar in a bird feeder: Isn't that just sugar water? About
a
4 to 1 ratio? Should you put red die in it? Is it ok to put it in the sun?

Richard

I live in Philadelphia, PA and mine are gone.

Richard Miller wrote:
The so called nectar in a bird feeder: Isn't that just sugar
water?
About a 4 to 1 ratio? Should you put red die in it? Is it ok to
put
it in the sun?
Richard

Yes. Water to sugar 4 to 1. No red dye. It is bad for the
birds. If the feeder is in the sun it will go bad quicker.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

madgardener wrote:
"Richard Miller" wrote in message
news:ImY0f.391$fE5.193@fed1read06...
The so called nectar in a bird feeder: Isn't that just sugar
water? About a 4 to 1 ratio? Should you put red die in it? Is
it
ok to put it in the sun?

Richard
boil the water.....use two cups of fine white sugar to 4 cups
of
water, no food coloring necessairy. the hummer's will know
what
it is. yes, you can put it in the sun, but if it's hot, you
have
to make sure it doesn't turn or ferment. the hummer's get
drunk
and it's not good for them. (no, they don't pick fights and
try
to drive home......g) if it is hot, the sugar water will
turn,
so I'd just put half of the mixture in the feeder and the
rest in
a container in the fridge until you're ready to change it
again.
madgardener whose hummers seem to have gone to
Mexico..............

The ratio is 4 to 1.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

Keith Corwell wrote:
I live in Maryland my question is when should I take the feed
down.
"Richard Miller" wrote in message
news:ImY0f.391$fE5.193@fed1read06...
The so called nectar in a bird feeder: Isn't that just sugar
water? About a 4 to 1 ratio? Should you put red die in it? Is
it
ok to put it in the sun?

Richard

I leave mine out year round.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

"Travis" wrote in message
news:Jo41f.1137$dl.602@trnddc08...
Yes. Water to sugar 4 to 1. No red dye. It is bad for the birds. If
the feeder is in the sun it will go bad quicker.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

Travis and I are lucky in that we get hummers year around, I have pictures
of Annas feeding from snow covered feeders in February. In the very cold
weather I make the 'juice' 3 parts hot water and 1 part sugar, just stir
till dissolved. I don't boil it, don't boil it in the summer either, I just
don't make up mass quantities. Done it for years with no problems. No red
food coloring, totally unnecessary and probably harmful. I also have
duplicate feeders. While two are up the other two are running through the
dishwasher. I use the Humzingers, easy to clean, fill, etc.

In the winter I do take in the feeder about an hour after sundown and set my
alarm to get it back outside about an hour before sunrise when it's freezing
weather. I got comments about some of my winter hummer pictures that I
needed to adjust exposure. It was still o' dark thirty when the first
hummers hit the feeders in the morning and I was taking pictures with a
flash, the pictures weren't dark, the dark was DARK!

Val
Lat. 47:42:18N
Lon. 122:21:19W
Alt. 5ft 2in (when fully vertical)

Please show us pictures? What are Anna's?

"Valkyrie" wrote in message
news:1128587018.497741@yasure...
"Travis" wrote in message
news:Jo41f.1137$dl.602@trnddc08...

.In the very cold weather I make the 'juice' 3 parts hot water and 1 part
sugar, just stir till dissolved. I don't boil it, don't boil it in the
summer either

I think the point of boiling it is to sterilize the syrup and retard
spoilage. Sugar water, is a an all-you-can-eat buffet for all kinds of
microorganisms.

-S

"cardarch" wrote in message
oups.com...
Please show us pictures? What are Anna's?


The Anna hummingbird.
http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailsha...63/t_=34370982

"Snooze" wrote in message
. ..
"Valkyrie" wrote in message
news:1128587018.497741@yasure...
"Travis" wrote in message
news:Jo41f.1137$dl.602@trnddc08...

.In the very cold weather I make the 'juice' 3 parts hot water and 1 part
sugar, just stir till dissolved. I don't boil it, don't boil it in the
summer either

I think the point of boiling it is to sterilize the syrup and retard
spoilage. Sugar water, is a an all-you-can-eat buffet for all kinds of
microorganisms.

-S

Boiling the water just helps dissolve the sugar. I think mold is the major
concern and even boiling it you'll get mold growth if you leave it out long
enough. The feeder needs to be cleaned often.

Valkyrie wrote:
"Travis" wrote in
message
news:Jo41f.1137$dl.602@trnddc08...
Yes. Water to sugar 4 to 1. No red dye. It is bad for the
birds. If the feeder is in the sun it will go bad quicker.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

Travis and I are lucky in that we get hummers year around, I
have
pictures of Annas feeding from snow covered feeders in
February. In
the very cold weather I make the 'juice' 3 parts hot water and
1
part sugar, just stir till dissolved. I don't boil it, don't
boil
it in the summer either, I just don't make up mass quantities.
Done
it for years with no problems. No red food coloring, totally
unnecessary and probably harmful. I also have duplicate
feeders.
While two are up the other two are running through the
dishwasher.
I use the Humzingers, easy to clean, fill, etc.
In the winter I do take in the feeder about an hour after
sundown
and set my alarm to get it back outside about an hour before
sunrise when it's freezing weather. I got comments about some
of my
winter hummer pictures that I needed to adjust exposure. It was
still o' dark thirty when the first hummers hit the feeders in
the
morning and I was taking pictures with a flash, the pictures
weren't dark, the dark was DARK!

It should be 4 to 1. Water to sugar.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

"Valkyrie" wrote in message
news:1128614627.712118@yasure...

"cardarch" wrote in message
oups.com...
Please show us pictures? What are Anna's?


The Anna hummingbird.
http://www.snapfish.com/thumbnailsha...63/t_=34370982


well, that didn't work (

"Travis" wrote in message
news:Wq41f.1138$dl.755@trnddc08...
The ratio is 4 to 1.
it might be, Travis, but for their fall trek to Mexico I make it stronger
for them. They appreciate it too! g
madgardener

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5