Step 1

Combine 1 part sugar with 4 parts water in a pot on the stove. Scale up or down as needed for your feeder. For example, use 1 cup of sugar and 4 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 cups water, or 1/4 cup sugar and 1 cup water. (During winter: Increase the sweetness to 1 part sugar to only 3 parts water, but no more sweet than that!)

Step 2

Heat lightly and thoroughly stir until the sugar completely dissolves. There is no need to boil the sugar water combination!

Step 3

Allow the sugar water to cool to lukewarm or room temperature before adding it to your hummingbird feeder.

Step 4

Hang the feeder outside in a shady location at least 4 feet above the ground, and have fun watching your hummer friends enjoy their food!

Step 5

If you make extra, store any unused sugar water in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Step 6

Replace the homemade hummingbird and thoroughly clean the feeder at least weekly. Every 4 to 5 days is ideal, and more frequently in hot weather. If the food becomes moldy, cloudy, or otherwise grimy, immediately take it down and clean out the feeder. See cleaning instructions in the main body of this article.