I have always made my own sugar water for my hummingbird feeders. But a friend gave me a box of powder called "Instant Nectar" is says "the bright red tone is non-toxic and harmless to hummingbirds", but I have heard that the red is harmful, can any one tell me if this is true?
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Just as with many things in life, keeping it simple is best. Nectar in nature isn't red. A nectar made by adding 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of boiling water is all you need to attract and feed hummingbirds. Be sure to let the mixture cool before pouring it into feeders. Adding easy to grow plants such as lantana, coral bells, cypress vine and sage to your landscape can also attract hummingbirds.
This seems to be a very controversial issue and does not appear to have a definitive answer as no studies have long term answers.
I am all about safety first so I would avoid the red dye. I have friends who use red tinted feeders and clear liquids. They get a great bird show that way! Have fun with it!
If it is FDA approved I would not worry. If it is not, i would avoid it.
Although certain red dyes have been approved by the FDA for human consumption there is still concern as to safety with hummingbirds. Also, most European countries have banned the red dyes even for human consumption.
I've been feeding hummingbirds for many years, and the red colored feeder itself will be enough to attract lots and lots hummingbirds.
The other problem with those "add water to the powders" for nectar, is, they may and usually do, contain chemicals to preserve it and keep it from clumping. That too is not something a hummingbird should eat.
They trust so much when we hang a feeder up for then they eat from it, so if you can make it as pure and fresh as you can for them, using *just plain sugar mixed with water*,
they'll thank you so much for it.
I personally don't boil the mixture, and "they say" to boil it, then cool it before putting the 'nectar into their feeders', but, that's said in case there's any bacteria lurking, as fungi spores or bacteria in a feeder will then grow practically overnight, because of the sugar food it's in.
I take my feeders down every couple of days and wash them out extremely well, then put only a little amount of juice in them now because of the high summer heat, as the nectar only lasts a couple of days in the heat before it gets cloudy.
In the winter, the feeders will last about 4 days before I wash them out and refill because the temps outside are cooler.
Just keep the feeders clean where the "sugar water" maintains clarity every day, and you'll have a backyard full of hummingbirds before you know it. :)
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