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How to Make Hummingbird Nectar (Easy DIY Recipe + Tips)

Image Credit:
Matt Cuda/Shutterstock
Written By: Robin Sweetser Gardener
Almanac Guide to Herbs

If you’ve ever wondered how to make hummingbird nectar, the good news is it’s incredibly simple. With just sugar and water, you can create a safe, natural food source that attracts hummingbirds to your yard without the cost of store-bought mixes.

In this guide, you’ll learn the best hummingbird nectar recipe, what to avoid, and how to turn your yard into a hummingbird hotspot.

Why Feed Hummingbirds?

Hummingbirds are fascinating, high-energy birds that need frequent meals to survive. While they naturally feed on flower nectar, a feeder filled with homemade hummingbird food can provide a reliable energy source—especially during migration and hot summer months.

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe (1:4 Ratio)

Making sugar water for hummingbirds only takes a few minutes.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup refined white sugar
  • 1 cup water

Instructions:

  1. Bring the water to a boil
  2. Pour into a heat-safe container
  3. Stir in the sugar until fully dissolved
  4. Let the mixture cool completely
  5. Fill your hummingbird feeder

👉 That’s it—no extra ingredients needed!

What NOT to Put in Hummingbird Nectar

For the safety of the birds, avoid these common mistakes:

  • No honey (can cause fungal growth)
  • No raw, organic, or brown sugar (contains harmful minerals) 
  • No artificial sweeteners
  • No red dye (unnecessary and potentially harmful)

Only use plain white sugar, which closely mimics natural nectar.

hummingbird eating from a hummingbird feeder

A Word on Cleaning Feeders

Please keep your bird feeders clean to avoid mold that can harm these tiny flyers. To clean a bird feeder and remove mold, soak it in a simple solution of 1/4 cup bleach to 1 gallon of hot water. After a few minutes of soaking, rinse it with water and let it dry. Try not to use dish soap to clean feeders. A general rule is: If you wouldn’t drink it, don’t give it to the hummers.

Another important note about feeding hummingbirds: Over 80% of their diet comprises soft-bodied insects. So, if you want to attract many hummers to your yard, don’t use pesticides to kill the insects (as annoying as they may be).

Learn more about hummingbirds here!

The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

In my neck of the woods (New Hampshire), we have only one type of hummer—the ruby-throated hummingbird.

Take a moment to listen to the call of the ruby-throated hummingbird.

They are fascinating little creatures. Barely 3 inches high with long, slender bills almost half as long as their bodies, these tiny dynamos fly at great speeds, beating their wings over 50 times per second. They possess the ability to hover and even fly backward. It is hard to believe that something so small migrates all the way from Central America to the northeastern U.S. each spring.

ruby throated hummingbird

Tips for Hummingbird Watching

Needless to say, one of my favorite summer activities is hummingbird watching. I have two feeders on opposite sides of the house since these little guys seem to be very territorial and don’t like to share. If one is at the feeder when another comes in for a drink, there is usually a squawking, aerial dogfight until one is chased away. By keeping the two feeders out of sight of each other, many fights are avoided.

To fuel their activities, they need lots of nectar and a great deal of protein, which they get from the aphids, gnats, mosquitoes, and other insects they eat. Their benefit to the garden as pollinators and insectivores, in addition to their entertainment value, makes them a worthwhile asset to anyone’s yard. 

ruby throated hummingbird at rest

Plants That Attract Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds consume half their body weight in bugs and nectar, feeding every 10 to 15 minutes and visiting 1,000 to 2,000 flowers daily!

Over the years, I have tried to fill my yard with plants that will attract them. They love flowers that are colored red and orange (I have had them check me out quite closely when wearing a red t-shirt), but I have seen them sipping nectar from plants of other colors, too. 

Generally speaking, they prefer to visit flowers that are tube-shaped, like bee balm or salvia. Their long beaks and tongues make reaching the nectar quite easy. 

Check out our list of plants that attract hummingbirds for more ideas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the correct hummingbird nectar ratio?

The correct ratio is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.

Can I use tap water?

Yes, but boiling helps remove impurities and dissolve sugar more easily.

How long does homemade hummingbird nectar last?

Up to a few days in the refrigerator, but always use fresh nectar when possible.

Do you feed your hummingbirds? Share your tips for attracting them in the comments below!

Backyard Birds
About The Author
Robin Sweetser

Robin Sweetser

Gardener

Robin Sweetser is a longtime gardening writer, editor, and speaker. She and her partner, Tom, have a small greenhouse business, selling plants and cutting flowers and vegetables from their home and lo...
Read More from Robin Sweetser

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Comments

<span>Debbie The Queen Bee</span> Fri, 06/23/2023 - 17:27
I clean my feeders with hot water & an old toothbrush, sometimes with a drip of dawn, sometimes in the dishwasher. Always rinse a lengthy time with hot water. I wouldn't drink bleach any more than dawn detergent. That remark in the article about don't use anything you wouldn't drink makes me hope the author doesn't drink bleach. Yowza.
<span>Rosanne Wellsbury</span> Fri, 06/23/2023 - 08:07
I use Dawn to wash my feeders, every few days. I use a brush and rinse well. The commercial for Dawn, leads you to believe it is safe. Is this not so? So true about the fighting. I have 3 feeders and 3 hummingbirds and they still squabble.
<span>Ann Freese</span> Sat, 05/17/2025 - 12:04
Dawn makes many different types of soap now. Most have a lot of toxic cleaning chemicals in them. If you can find Dawn Pure Essentials, it would be the safest of their lineup for cleaning food containers. It has no dyes or phosphate (it's a pale yellow color liquid). In my opinion, it's unfortunate that our government does not require manufacturers of cleaning products put the full list of ingredients on labels. I hope that changes soon. I use either Dr. Bonners real Castile soap or Mrs. Meyers natural soaps every day for cleaning dishes, cooking utensils, etc. Old fashion real soap is a natural cleaner, disinfectant, sanitizer. No need for all the toxic forever chemicals added to today's cleaning products.
<span>Robert R Schmidt Iv</span> Wed, 04/23/2025 - 15:59
I use hot water and that's it to clean it. I use bottled water to fill the feeder.
<span>Cynthia Coronado</span> Wed, 11/16/2022 - 10:54
I don't set out feeders because I have a heavily landscaped acre with all sorts of flowers and about 100 Rose of Sharons. The hummers seem to prefer the Rose of Sharons to all the other flowers. But I have seen them on some of the annuals like zinnias, too.
<span>Scott Bond</span> Mon, 07/18/2022 - 18:51
I use a quart jar for mixing nectar (1 cup sugar and fill jar with cold water and shake until dissolved) have 5 feeders hanging in front of sun porch and 1 hanging outside kitchen windows in the rear and have 25-35 hummingbirds every year. Love watching and feeding them
<span>Okispider</span> Sat, 05/07/2022 - 18:44
I have a feeder in the front yard and one in the back yard...they still squabble...
<span>Karen Million</span> Mon, 05/02/2022 - 18:04
I thoroughly enjoyed viewing the many different Hummingbirds. I will most certainly purchase a Hummingbird feeder and plaace it out in my back yard. Thank You for all the informative facts conerning this type of bird.
<span>Charlene Vandini</span> Wed, 05/05/2021 - 18:11
I lived for 12 years in Deep South Texas, on the migratory route for several varieties of hummingbirds. At the peak of the migration, I used a gallon of nectar DAILY in my six feeders that attracted dozens & dozens of hummers. I advise buying feeders that can be disassembled and are dishwasher safe. The dishwasher water, I found, was hotter than anything I could tolerate by hand washing. My feeders were very clean by doing this. If you have bottle-type feeders, do invest in a couple bottle brushes, to scrub any nasty stuff that sometimes grows in the feeder.
<span>Karen Million</span> Mon, 05/02/2022 - 18:07
I'll certainly keep those facts about cleaning the Hummingbird feeder.