Hummingbird Food and Nectar Recipe

This homemade hummingbird food recipe will have your sweet little friends squeaking their thanks all day long!

Prep time: PT5M

Cook time: PT5M

Total time: PT10M

Rating

4.96 stars (67 reviews)

Keywords

hummingbird feeder, hummingbird food, hummingbird nectar, hummingbird nectar recipe

Ingredients

1 cup pure white cane sugar
3-4 cups water (*see notes)

Steps

How to Make Hummingbird Nectar:
- Combine sugar and water in a pot over medium heat on the stove.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Allow the hummingbird nectar to cool to room temperature.
- Using the funnel, fill your feeders halfway full then hang outside for your flittering babies to enjoy!
- Store extra hummingbird nectar in a glass jar, or another air tight container, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Reviews

Tina Martin on 2025-09-02 (5 stars):
used this all suumer..4:1 worked perfectly!
Sharon Calandro on 2025-08-10 (5 stars):
THANKS FOR THIS RECIPE. I USE THE 4 TO 1 & MY babies LOVE IT! I HAVE 2 FEEDERS WHICH I CHANGE EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS JUST TRYING TO KEEP UP!! I LOVE WATCHING THEM ENJOY THEIR NECTAR. ❤️
Jill on 2025-07-19 (5 stars):
Pamela, respectfully, get a life. This was such a ridiculously dramatic and over the top response to something you didn’t even read properly.
Adrienne :) on 2025-06-05 (5 stars):
Dear Doreen, I am so sorry to hear of your loss. My sincere condolences. God Bless you.. Hello Doreen.. ibelieveinhim11-11.com This is my website. I am an elderly woman with many challenges as well. It is not some kind of holy roller thing. Just me being me! :) So many challenges in life. We need to be able to share our thoughts, challenges, happiness and sorrows. Thank you for sharing the biggest one with us. We are...even we if we are not commenting... thinking. God Bless this woman. It is not easy to continue in life sometimes. Yet, you are a survivor. A Spiritual Survivor! I wish you the very best. Life is still on your side. Find your strengths. I know you have many from your Heart-felt words. Adrienne ♥ God Bless you and surround you with His Love and Blessings! ♥
Adrienne :) on 2025-06-05 (5 stars):
Hello Peggy! I am 74 in August and I have the same kind of situation. I live in a house but it is not easy to bring out the feeder. I can was it, make the food, but not easy for me to take it out. Working on it, with my grandson. If I have to I will take it out on my own .... I Love the Hummingbirds. Always fed them ... Didn't know about the yellow attracting Wasps. I have 2 to replace. Thanks so much. The more you read the more you know! :) Congrats to all you Hummer Lovers! It warms my Heart to know of all of you! God Bless the Hummers and God Bless them who Love them! Wonderful reading! I can readily see everyone has answers and opinions. Which means we ALL care about them so very much! Excellent! Thank All of you for posting. One idea leads to a better one. !00 minds are always better than One. :) Now if we could only bring this to the rest of the rage in the World!♥
Donna on 2025-05-27 (5 stars):
Thank you for all the information,oh and my little hummers thank you too!
Horacio Cordova jr on 2025-05-12 (5 stars):
I enjoyed the simplicity and ease of this recipe. just made my first batch...will be waiting for the fruits of my labor.
Missy on 2025-05-11 (4 stars):
Every website gives this recipe, and I just do not buy its the best. Not criticizing the author, but the rational. Refined white sugar is, generally speaking, garbage This is not what the birds get from flowers. Is it? I've experimented, and my guys like a sugar mix. I do 2 thirds white sugar, and the remaining third I do half raw beet sugar, half refined cane sugar with a pinch of turbinado or demera. Which every I have handy. I , personally, will not use white refined sugar, because it's poison to humans, so I have to buy it just for my hummingbirds. Refined white sugar does not exist in nature, so it makes no sense to me at all, that it's the "best" for any animal, living in nature. My guys love my blend. No issues ....
Brianna on 2025-05-01 (5 stars):
I know this is years later, but your rebuttal to this nasty and unnecessary comment makes you my hero. I'm in Montana and just got my first hummingbird feeder. I will test the ratios and see what these babies want. 😉 Thank you for the great info!!!
Peggy Faust Oregon Coast on 2025-03-06 (5 stars):
I am a 75 year old lady, I have been living in a home for the elderly and was unable to feed the hummers because "too messy!" after 8 years I moved to an apartment, bought two feeders will be hanging them tomorrow morning. found your site while looking for a reminder of how to mix sugar and water. Thanks for being there with the answer.
M.M. Cote on 2024-09-23 (5 stars):
Hi Amber - have used this recipe for over 24 years. Got it from a very longtime friend & fellow hummer lover. One suggestion is to keep ants away hang with fishing line- they cant hang on. And another is if you use a q- tip with olive oil on it & put on the feeder ports and underneath the feeder wasps dont like it and stay mostly away. keep it up fellow hummer lover,