Feeding Honey Solution to Hummingbirds

16 years ago

I found in the FAQ for this forum the following statement:

"A honey water solution served up in hummingbird feeders can quickly become toxic and deadly. Honey rapidly ferments and also cultures a deadly bacterium. Contrary to popular belief, honey is not "more natural" than the cane sugar that is sold as white sugar. Honey has been chemically altered by honey bees: it is flower nectar and whatever ever else the honey bee ingested, digested, and spit back out again. Honey is nothing like the sucrose found in flower nectar and white sugar."

I have fed a solution of pure honey/water in my hummingbird feeders for 12 of the 27 years I've maintained the feeders. I've noticed no ill effects on the apparently happy, healthy and certainly populous hummers who live, breed, nest, fight, flee, dipsy-dive, display, perch, torpor, twitter/screech and otherwise carry on as hummers do around here from April to October each year. I first started using dilute honey as hummer feed after I noticed hummers feeding from an open-source feeder I had placed near my garden beehives one Spring day (a modified chick feeder with an inverted quart jar of feed solution).

I have not observed any difference between the fermentation proclivities of honey/water as compared with cane or beet sugar/water solutions. Nor have I observed any greater tendency to culture bacteria or fungi... Of course, cleanliness of feeders and frequent sterilization are a given when feeding hummingbirds.

Is there a specific bacterium which a honey/water solution will culture and not refined white sugar/water?

I would like to know if anyone has any serious data on feeding honey solution to hummingbirds. Is there any scientific, physiological, biological chemical-analysis research to back-up the broad, generalized and somewhat inaccurate statements made in the FAQ quote shown above? (Honeybees neither 'digest' plant nectars, nor 'spit back out' the nectar... they do add certain enzymes to the nectar while carrying it in their 'honey stomach'... and, yes, the nectars are, therefore, chemically different from the pure plant nectars. But pure plant nectars -- the natural and best of hummer food -- are also quite different chemically from monosource and chemically-refined cane or beet sugars.)

I will appreciate any well-researched information which anyone here might offer on this subject. Even anecdotal observations...

If someone can show to me that feeding honey/water solution is harmful to the hummers, I will, naturally, have to re-assess what I have been doing these past 12 years... with no apparent ill effects.

Alicia

... a hummer feeder and watcher since 1981

... a beekeeper since 1970

Featured Answer

viper114

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

well it depends on your region....for someone like me in the mid atlantic region I use trumpet honeysuckle, trumpet creeper, beebalm, crocosmia, penstemon, red buckeye, agastache, salvias,red yucca, turks cap lily, red hot poker, columbine, Indian pink, and many others. I also plant annuals like zinnias, mexican sunflower, mexican milkweed, cypress vine, and cigar plant. The key is to plan so that you have something blooming from spring to fall...if you do this you dont need a feeder

Comments (38)

birding_nut
16 years ago
From what I understand from doing a search on google, honey contains a fungus (unsure of the type) that can be transferred to a hummingbirds tongue and could prove fatal. However, I couldn't find an actual research study cited.

I do know that you are not suppose to feed honey to human babies under the age of 1-year because honey may contain the harmful bacterium Clostridium botulinum which causes a rare case of food poisoning. I would guess that hummingbirds would be susceptible to this as well, since the type C form of this bacteria is what causes huge die-offs of waterfowl when they ingest it...usually from fermented grain or other sources, they die, maggots containing more concentrated amounts of the toxin are then injested..you get the picture.

Thus, I wouldn't feed honey solutions to hummingbirds based on the above possibilities of contamination. Boiled sugar water is probably safer and is what is pretty much universally recommended on most of the sites I visited from the google search. Not sure what would happen if you boiled the honey solution first?

BN
jimmyjojo
16 years ago
This is so sad...

Quote" If someone can show to me that feeding honey/water solution is harmful to the hummers, I will, naturally, have to re-assess what I have been doing these past 12 years... with no apparent ill effects."

What ill effects would you like to be shown?

Studies like this?

http://biology.georgefox.edu/~dpowers/Powers/HumTopic.html

I just love people like this. A pile of leading experts tell them something and that isn't good enough.

This link says "Honey ferments rapidly when diluted with water and can kill hummingbirds."

http://www.hummingbirds.net/feeders.html

What you're really saying Alicia is that your research since 1981 is better than the experts and scientists in the hummingbird field.

How about this then, you show us your research proving honey is OK to use?
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TOPICS COVERED: Selecting a Feeder Red Food Coloring and Commercial Nectar Mixes Why you should never use honey. Proper Sugar Solution Recipe Cleaning Your Hummingbird Feeder How Many and Feeder Placement What else can I do to attract hummingbirds? There are literally dozens of styles of hummingbird feeders on the market today. (Hummingbirds are BIG!) None of the feeders are truly "wrong" as long as a hummingbird will use them, but some are "better" than others. Hummingbird experts prefer the newest "flying saucer" style hummingbird feeders, although almost any style of hummingbird feeder has the potential to attract hummingbirds. The cost runs a little on the high side for the "really good", engineered-for-hummingbird feeders but in the long run these feeders pay for themselves; they tend to be more reliable, are easier to use and maintain than other hummingbird feeders, and some even come with lifetime warranties. A couple of comments on selecting a hummingbird feeder: The easier it is to use and clean, the more likely you are to keep it cleaned and filled. Clean and filled feeders will attract more hummingbirds. That said, there are some quite lovely "hummingbird feeders" around today that seem more works of art than bird feeders. As long as they can beand arekept thoroughly clean, and have most of the other features listed below, they should work. In addition to tips on selecting a hummingbird feeder, this FAQ's page also has the hummingbird experts' recommended recipe for the nectar (sugar) solution, suggestions on feeder maintenance and placement, and additional suggestions for attracting and enjoying hummingbirds, as well as a couple of "Dont Do's" with explanations. Please check the other Garden Web: Hummingbird Garden Forum FAQ's pages (available as we are able to post them), and always feel free to post a message or a question on the forum itself. Features to Look for When Choosing a Hummingbird Feeder: (in no particular order) * red color The most attractive color to hummingbirds is red. Look for red in the feeder itself rather than relying on dye to color the sugar solution. Hummingbirds are very inquisitive and even just a little bit of red on the feeder itself is quite sufficient. (See below for more on red dye.) * ant protection Built in ant moats (check the feeder's packaging) or add-on ant moats solve most of the ants-at/in-the-feeder problem. * bee guards The most attractive color to bees and wasps is yellow. Newer model feeders from most manufacturers no longer have yellow parts. Look for hummingbird feeders that claim on their packaging that their shape discourages bees from reaching the nectar (usually found with saucer-shaped styles). * built in perches Hummingbirds prefer to sit when they feed if they are able to do so. * size of feeder The smaller the better, until you determine how heavy the hummingbird usage is. * ease of cleaning There should be no little nooks and crannies in the feeder for mold to lurk in. A dishrag, a small bottle brush (an old, clean toothbrush is wonderful!), and a clean pipe cleaner should be sufficient tools for cleaning. Also very helpful are the tiny brushes specifically marketed for cleaning hummingbird feeder ports. * ease and cleanliness of use Look for feeders that do not require excessive twisting or snapping to be put together; this reduces the chance of sloshing sticky sugar water all over the feeder. (And your countertop, your shoes, your kitchen floor, your patio) * rain guard Some hummingbird feeders with their feeding ports located on top of the solution reservoir may allow rain water to get into the feeder and dilute (and possibly contaminate) the sugar solution. Check the feeder packaging to see if a particular model is designed to limit this problem. There are also "rain guards" available, metal or plastic disks meant to hang above a feeder, marketed specifically for hummingbird feeders. * wind resistance Feeders hung in very windy locations may spill and make quite a mess doing so; at least one manufacturer is making a saucer style feeder that can be pole-mounted. * instructions Some feeders have the nectar recipe permanently imprinted onto the feeder itself. Why You Really Shouldn't Use Red Coloring or Commercial "Nectar Mixes": It has not been proven-beyond-any-doubt that the red dye is harmful to hummingbirds but since it is unnecessary to use dye if your hummingbird feeder already has some red on it, why take the chance that red dye might be bad for the birds in the long run? Natural flower nectar isn't colored, so why put something in your sugar solution that the real thing doesn't have? As for those nectar mixes, not only are they quite a bit more expensive than ordinary white table sugar, wild hummingbirds do not need the "added vitamins and minerals". Flower nectar is, for the most part, pretty much just sugar (sucrose) water. Hummingbirds in the wild get the vital nutrients they need mainly through the insects they eat--which some scientists say could be as much as half their diet. (A hummingbird that appears to be nectaring at any particular flower may instead really be hunting the insects that are attracted to the flower.) Many hummingbird researches feel that nectar is in actuality just the fuel these birds use to power their search for bugs. Why You Should NEVER Use Honey: A honey water solution served up in hummingbird feeders can quickly become toxic and deadly. Honey rapidly ferments and also cultures a deadly bacterium. Contrary to popular belief, honey is not "more natural" than the cane sugar that is sold as white sugar. Honey has been chemically altered by honey bees: it is flower nectar and whatever ever else the honey bee ingested, digested, and spit back out again. Honey is nothing like the sucrose found in flower nectar and white sugar. Again, plain white table sugar dissolved in water in a four-to-one solution (see below) is about as close to real flower nectar as you can get. The Proper Sugar Solution Recipe for Feeding Hummingbirds: Four parts water to one part white sugar. (For instance, one quarter cup of sugar stirred into one cup of water.) Tap or well water is preferred; do not use distilled as it takes out too many naturally occurring minerals. If you use a water softener, you may want to use partial or totally filtered water; softeners may add too many minerals and salts to the water. Room Temperature Method: Use very warm water (not hot) right out of the tap. Some brisk stirring is all that is required to dissolve the sugar. Let it cool a bit before setting out a feeder if the sugar water is hot to the touch. Boiling Method I: Some people prefer to boil their sugar solution to retard the growth of bacteria and mold. Use boiling water to mix up the above-mentioned sugar solution; allow it to cool before placing outside. Boiling Method II: Sometimes you may still have problems even if you have been boiling your water; the trouble could be contamination in your sugar. This method should take car of the problem. Mix up the 4:1 water-to-sugar solution in your normal preparation amount. Bring this to a boil on the stove and allow it to boil for a minute or two. Bring more (plain) water to the boil in another container at the same time. Pour the boiled sugar solution into a clean and sanitized measuring container (you don't want to undo your efforts!). If some water boiled off, add plain boiled water to the boiled sugar solution to bring it back up to the original amount it was before boiling. It's a bit more work, but the boiling method tends to extend the "shelf life" of the sugar solution. Sugar solution can be made ahead and kept up to a week in the refrigerator. Discard any sugar solution that has turned cloudy or contains black mold, no matter how "fresh" the solution is. A tip: Only fill your feeders with enough sugar solution to last, at the most, two or three days. There is no sense in throwing most of the sugar water away when it goes bad before the hummingbirds drink all or most of it. Winter Sugar Solutions: If you feed hummingbirds during below-freezing temperatures (yes, you can do this without preventing their migration: see the Winter Feeding FAQ page), raising the concentration of the sugar solution to 3 parts water: one part sugar can usually prevent the feeder from freezing up at temperatures around and below 25°F. Cleaning Your Hummingbird Feeder: Sugar solutions last about three to five days under normal outdoor conditions, longer in the cold and less in extreme heat. Feeders should be emptied and cleaned as soon as the sugar solution starts to appear cloudy (which can be in only a day or two if it is very hot or the feeder is in a sunny location, or if your feeder or solution is contaminated). There are a few different ways to clean and sanitize your feeder; no matter your choice, always rinse your feeders thoroughly after washing. Rinse, rinse, rinse; and when you think you've rinsed enough, rinse one last time. Various cleaning methods include washing in warm water and mild dish soap; in boiling water only or with boiling water and a mild dish detergent; or washing with vinegar and water. Rinse well if you use anything in addition to plain water. Feeders washed with warm water or warm water and soap can then be sanitized by soaking them in a mild bleach solution (in a 1:10 ratio = one part bleach, ten parts water; I usually go for one small "glug" of bleach per sink-full of water) for an hour, followed by lots and lots of rinsing. Remember: rinse well! There is no need to dry your feeders before refilling them. How Many Feeders and Where Should I Put Them? Put out as many feeders as you are willing and, most importantly, are able to maintain. (It is even better if you also garden for hummingbirds.) Having more feeders/plants may help lessen the competition amongst hummingbirds, especially if the feeders are hung out of sight from one another (and the gardens are well-spaced). You may want to check this by thinking like a hummingbird... You may not be able to see both feeders from inside your house, but a highly territorial hummingbird will find the perch outside that overlooks both! Experiment with feeder locations; once a hummingbird has discovered that a feeder is a reliable source of food, it will remember exactly where that feeder is. Go ahead and hang a feeder right up close to your house or even on a window. (Just be aware of the potential for window collisions on unprotected, reflective glass and with screened porches and other large screened-in structures.) Hummingbirds are rather fearless, and don't mind being observed close at hand if you don't make any sudden moves. Note: The sugar solution in feeders in full sun may spoil more rapidly than that which is in shaded feeders. What Else Can I Do to Attract Hummingbirds? Planting native flowering plants known to attract hummingbirds is always the best option for feeding hummingbirds. The list of favorite hummingbird plants, both native and non-native, is too long to go into here. There are many resources available today in which to find nectar plant information specific to your region. Maintain native habitat to encourage hummingbirds to visit your yard. For a special hummingbird treat, try putting out an opened banana on a plate. The fruit should attract fruit flies, and hummingbirds love to eat fruit flies. (A side benefit to this is that you may also attract a wide variety of butterflies, as well.) A final note: Hummingbirds like to bathe just as much as any other bird, but prefer water dripping off of leaves or spray coming from sprinklers and pond fountains. Try locating one of the many commercial "misters" amongst a leafy bush or tree. Any number of small birds will enjoy it as much as the hummers. Feeder and Feeding Facts ©ALG and GARDEN WEB. Please reference these sources if you use the above information as presented here in any form or media other than for personal, individual use.
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Features to Consider When Choosing a Hummingbird Feeder: (in no particular order) Red Color The most attractive color to hummingbirds is red. Look for red in the feeder itself rather than relying on dye to color the sugar solution. Hummingbirds are very inquisitive and even just a little bit of red on the feeder itself is quite sufficient. (See below for more on red dye.) Ant Protection Built in ant moats (check the feeder's packaging) or add-on ant moats solve most of the ants-at/in-the-feeder problem. Bee Guards The most attractive color to bees and wasps is yellow. Newer model feeders from most manufacturers no longer have yellow parts. Look for hummingbird feeders that claim on their packaging that their shape discourages bees from reaching the nectar (usually found with saucer-shaped styles). Built-in Perches Hummingbirds prefer to sit when they feed if they are able to do so. Size of Feeder The smaller the better, until you determine how heavy the hummingbird usage is. Ease of Cleaning There should be no little nooks and crannies in the feeder for mold to lurk. A dishrag, a small bottle brush (an old, clean toothbrush is wonderful!), and a clean pipe cleaner should be sufficient tools for cleaning. Also very helpful are the tiny brushes specifically marketed for cleaning hummingbird feeder ports. Ease and Cleanliness of Use Look for feeders that do not require excessive twisting or snapping to be put together; this reduces the chance of sloshing sticky sugar water all over the feeder. (And your countertop, your shoes, your kitchen floor, your patio...) Rain Guard Some hummingbird feeders with their feeding ports located on top of the solution reservoir may allow rainwater to get into the feeder and dilute (and possibly contaminate) the sugar solution. Check the feeder packaging to see if a particular model is designed to limit this problem. There are also "rain guards" available, metal or plastic disks meant to hang above a feeder, marketed specifically for hummingbird feeders. Wind Resistance Feeders hung in very windy locations may spill and make quite a mess doing so; at least one manufacturer is making a saucer style feeder that can be pole-mounted. Instructions Some feeders have the nectar recipe permanently imprinted onto the feeder itself.
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I'm thinking of putting a few of these solo cup feeders up. I'd like to figure out how to make perches on them, though, they seem to work well. I could put them across the top of the courtyard wall. I've seen a couple of hummers around here, so I'd love to feed them. They like my hibiscus. Solo Cup Hummingbird Feeder
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jimmyjojo
16 years ago
You know if you Google "honey hummingbirds" there are 343,000 links most of which say pretty much the same thing, and that is never put honey water in hummingbird feeders it's been found to kill them.

Now why would someone in their right mind argue with that? Unless?
mbuckmaster
16 years ago
The tough thing is that it's tough to tell what long-term effects anything is having on hummers. Unless they drop over at the feeder, you can't always really tell if honey or red food coloring or whatever is having any effect on them. I know we all have our hummers we know by sight, but unless you're banding the little guys, how can you be sure the bird that returns this year is the same "Junior" or "Betsy" from last year?

Point is, why take the chance? Plus, honey's way more expensive (unless you keep hives, I guess)...I'd break the bank if I used it instead of sugar water!
christy2828
16 years ago
Just want to point out that this user joined TODAY. For some strange reason, people like to get a rise out of people on GW forums. Take it with a grain of salt, and let this thread fall down. Christy :)
sidk
16 years ago
mbuckmaster makes a good point. Unless you are scientifically studying the hummingbirds you don't have any idea what the honey is doing to them. I have an old book by an English guy named Mobbs who wrote about keeping hummingbirds in aviaries. It's not a scientific book but he goes into a lot of detail on particular hummingbirds including how long they lived in captivity. It was usually just a few weeks or months, which made me really sad and angry to read. When he could tell what they died of it was usually a yeast infection (candida). He fed them honey because back then they thought it was more natural. Now that we know better and make their artificial nectar from white sugar some zoos have been able to keep hummingbirds alive for years. What does that tell you?

Here is a link that might be useful: Troll
mbuckmaster
16 years ago
Good info, sidk...and anecdotal evidence like that is really the best we have with hummingbirds. Sounds fairly conclusive to me as far as it goes.

And a shrewdly included link! ;)
jimmyjojo
16 years ago
Sidk, One thing many people in North America don't know is that in Europe "humming birds" (two words) is a common word for a type of nectar eating sunbird. They are found through the middle east and into Africa, and are kept in Europe as caged birds much like people do to parrots over here. When you read on the internet or in books about "keeping" humming-birds it's a totally different genus of bird.

I hope that person is a Troll and not someone killing our hummingbirds through sheer arrogance.

Here is a link that might be useful:
sidk
16 years ago
Mobbs may have also written about sunbirds or other nectar drinking birds but the book I have is specifically about hummingbirds. I haven't run across any examples of that confusion in other books about aviculture but I guess there's no shortage of ignorance about nature on either side of the Atlantic. I can't imagine why anybody would call any other bird a "humming bird" since only hummingbirds have wings that hum.
marytessa
8 years ago
I too have read about feeding honey to hummingbirds as being dangerous for them. I have one question. Does anyone know if their is a difference between unpasturized honey or pasteurized honey. Unpasturized and unfiltered contains propolis which is used by bees to sterilize their hives when they have killed a foreign invader. It was also used by Egyptians to keep mummies. It has antibiotic anti fungal properties. Are the studies and tests done on pasteurized honey? Unpasturized honey does not go bad.

I'm glad to see that they are now recognizing a sugar solution of white processed sugar does not really feed the hummingbird (and hopefully is supplemental) and are now offering nectar like solutions. The challenge is finding one without red dye. So again if anyone has brands they suggest that mimic as close as possible to the hummingbirds real nectar without red dye please share (and something available in Canada) Actually this may be a post for another area.
Jim Berquist
8 years ago
Someone is full of bunk. Honey is the Magical Candy . http://io9.com/why-honey-is-the-only-food-that-doesnt-go-bad-1225915466
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
Jim, did you even bother to read your link???? "The fact that honey is hydroscopic means that it has little water in its
natural state but can easily suck in water if its exposed to it. If it
does that, it could spoil." So the title of the article is specious at best. And has no bearing on its appropriateness for use in hummingbird feeders anyway.

Diluted honey - honey water - does go bad. And it doesn't make any difference if it is pasturized or not. Pasturizing only slows fermentation, it doesn't stop it. (Ever had pasturized milk go bad??) In fact, honey ferments rather rapidly, much more rapidly than sugar water. It contains glucose and fructose, both high yeastingsimplemonosaccharide sugars used in fermentation processes. The yeast these types of sugars generate are popular breeding platforms for both bacterial and fungal organisms which are suspected to be toxic to hummers, in particular Candidiasis.

Granulated cane sugar is sucrose, a disaccharide. Plant nectar IS sugar, often a combination of both mono and dissachridic sugars, but most bird pollinated plants - and those hummers are most attracted to - contain predominately sucrose, so there is no significant difference in offering your hummers sugar water or nectar. They are essentially the exact same thing. Hummingbirds also consume large quantities of insects (an essential protein source), tree sap and will suck out juices form over ripe fruit.

Honey may be the magic candy for humans....maybe even bears......but it most certainly is NOT for hummingbirds
stasia14
8 years ago
thank you so much for sharing your valuable experience! it helped so much! by the way to others who love to suck up to "experts": there are NO fungi in feeder, and my little hummi friends look each day happier! :)
viper114
8 years ago
Honestly it's best not to use a feeder at all...flowers are so much better...its self cleaning and self filling
stasia14
8 years ago
viper114 what flowers?
stasia14
8 years ago
thank you so much!
Jim Berquist
8 years ago
There are no flowers or vines that grow until the Hummers pass here. During the summers yes. I offer two feeders. Both contain plain sugar water (NO DYE) and I put a spoon of honey in one. Both feeders need filled twice a day. The birds are gone like clock work 01 Oct. Been that way for over twenty years. We even get them coming into the house 7 or 10 times a year as we leave the Front door were the feeders are open. All make it back outside after a inspection of the wife, me and the dogs.
Rhonda Uhrich
8 years ago
I'm not an expert....at anything. So I like to research and ask questions. I did have some questions about honey and hummingbirds. And, like several folks who have asked "honey" questions, I am very much aware that there is a lot of false information floating around in the world, old wives tales and such. And, just because "someone" said it. It doesn't make it true. That, personally, is the reason, I prefer "good" research to back up the information I find. I have a teaching heart. So, I find it very disheartening to read belittling, name calling and insults on forums where people come to find anwers. As if, any of these kinds of words will ever help anyone find truth on any level.
mblan13
8 years ago
A) WHY risk it?

B) White table sugar is WAY LESS EXPENSIVE than honey.
purslanegarden
8 years ago

Unless you *know* that the hummer is the same one that has been visiting for the past few weeks, months, or even years, you can't know that honey water isn't bad for the hummer.

What you see as "visitors" to your honey feeder could be all different hummingbirds. Yes, they are coming to the feeder all through spring and summer and into the fall. That doesn't mean it's the same one, which could possibly be dead in a ditch somewhere because of getting bad honey water.

That's not to say that I know the honey water is killing them. It's merely to say, err on the side of caution and don't take chances. I am sure if we all read from the bird experts that cane sugar was suddenly discovered to be bad, there would be many warnings about it, posted by the bird lovers, and many of us would then look for alternatives instead of saying, " I used to feed with diluted can sugar and everything was fine!"
exborg
7 years ago
So, honey water, while far more nutritious, ferments too quickly and poses an unacceptable risk. The refined white sugar alternative is no less a drug than cocaine and is devoid of the complex nutrition that nectar provides. Is there something else that we of no gardens might offer as safe sustenance to our bejeweled little friends?

I'm thinking diluted maple syrup maybe? It's pure tree sap, a whole food and boiled therefore sterilized. It would lack the enzymes of fresh nectar, but if it didn't carry the risk of honey, it might be a better 'solution' than pure sucrose. More expensive that Big-Sugar's subsidized coke, but they're worth it, right?
stasia14
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
exborg, you need to try before you give an opinion. certainly you did not even try honey water in a feeder... i did. i use it since early winter. it did not ferment, unlike commercial humming bird food, it did not develop fungi. also very important i use natural, organic, non-commercial honey from person i know, not from industrial producer. try something righter than making an opinion.
exborg
7 years ago
stasia14, you're right, I didn't try it, and before I read expert advice elsewhere, I would have presumed honey a more healthful choice, because it is for humans. A pure, organic source is a must and I'm sure it would be more stable in cooler temperatures too. However, expert advice notwithstanding, the main principle I'm guided by is what happens in nature as I can trust that without having to prove it myself. Hummers are not known for queuing up to raid bee hives but they are well known to sip sap from trees, especially maple trees, using the holes drilled by the sapsuckers that precede their arrival in the spring. In fact, this is often their main source of food in the early season before there are many flowers available. On that basis I would use maple syrup over honey, and dilute it back to sap with distilled water, not tap water.
purslanegarden
7 years ago

I really think that to know some valid results, we have to use the *same* hummingbird(s) over a period of time. Until then, we have observations of what we see in nature, such as the maple syrup example, or even the hummingbird swing example.

If a hummingbird is always seen to be flying or hovering, does it need a perch to sit and drink at? It certainly doesn't hurt to have something that the bird can perch at nearby.

The difference is that having a swing or not, doesn't potentially kill the bird, whereas feeding a wrong kind of drink solution could. Or even the right ingredients in the wrong proportions could have detrimental effects.
mblan13
7 years ago
Exborg, et al

Hummers get nothing but energy from sugar water. Their nutrient requirements are fulfilled by eating insects.
Paul .Best
7 years ago
Great info on this page. Reading through, the last comment from mblan13 has a interesting perspective. t. Seems to me maple syrup, though more expensive may be the best solution. Sugar is as one poster mentioned a *quick fix*, whereas maple syrup may provide a healthier drink for the tiny birds. I can buy maple syrup at walmart for $4, due to big snows in vermont last yr. I'll try maple , i'll switch to sugar see which they prefer by watching their feeding time/behavior. will get back once my feeder arrives next week.
Paul .Best
7 years ago
I'm down in New Orleans I see one feeding sometimes on my 2 over grown Red Penta plants, Not sure of their migration patterns/months, hope he can bring his friends and stay awhile.
morz8 - Washington Coast
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Paul, do you have information that leads you to believe the iron in maple syrup is beneficial to their nutrition? Be careful you aren't doing something to harm them...

"nectarivorous and frugivorous birds have a very low tolerance. Even a little extra iron over time can build up to lethal levels in the birds’ bodies. Refined white sugar has had the trace iron removed to make it a more attractive product, which incidentally makes it safer for hummingbirds"
Paul .Best
7 years ago
Hi Morz

No no info. Based on my observation of the 2 birds that feed, these guys LOVE the maple l. Try drinking a glass of sugar water, how do you eel? Now drink mapel water? Feel better don't you. I kind of listen to what these birds are saying. *Thanks paul for the delicious maple, instead of everyones plain high spike sugar*.

For a little more money the guys get a healthier, tastier drink.

New Orleans
morz8 - Washington Coast
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I can't compare my own nutritional needs to that of a bird. Literature shows that iron is detrimental to their health, and as far as I know maple syrup is not a natural part of their diets. And contains iron.

Above: "Even a little extra iron over time can build up to lethal levels in the birds’ bodies "
exborg
7 years ago
Pure maple syrup is maple sap condensed at about a 40:1 concentration. Since maple sap is a definite part of their diet and sugar cane in any form is definitely not, just dilute it with 40 parts distilled water and it would be very hard to find anything more natural.
I'd like to see someone try a sugar water, honey water and maple sap feeders in tandem and see what they choose as their favourite. There's no doubt as to what is most natural.
morz8 - Washington Coast
7 years ago
And maple sap is available to them indefinitely in your area, not dependent on temperatures producing sap flow? Including it in a feeder continuously may just give them that extra bit of minerals and iron that wouldn't be good long term since its naturally a temporary food source.
exborg
7 years ago
You'll need a mineral comparison of sap to the many flower nectars they consume to advance any argument there.
betcsbirds
7 years ago
Ridiculous argument... it is making it way more complicated than necessary. BTW...Sugar is NOT cocaine to a hummingbird.. it is sucrose, virtually identical to what naturally occurs IN FLOWER NECTAR. Just use plain white sugar diluted in water and quit trying to put together some kind of vitamin drink when that is possibly screwing up their sensitive metabolic systems. We give way more credence to our human intervention as 'helping' wild animals when in fact most if not all of it is unnecessary and is actually interference. I do put out a feeder in the summer to enjoy the hummers presence but I am not naive enough to think I am sustaining them when I have a yard filled with massive numbers of zinnias, bee balm, honeysuckle, milkweed, penstemon, phlox and many others. And skip the honey...hummers would never be eating it in the wild. And everything I've read says it can contain bacteria that is harmful to birds (not just hummingbirds) as well as human babies.
exborg
7 years ago
Some of us are interested in doing the best for our little friends .. and clearly some are content to skate by on less while taking offense at honest and learned efforts to the better. I would suggest some research into Big Sugar and the real biochemistry of their refined white drug, for your own sake, if not theirs, but the status quo is so much easier, isn't it?
Paul .Best
7 years ago
Perhaps sugar is just as natural a energy source as maple syrup. I love the delicious flavor of MS,, I am more satisfied drinking maple, vs sugar. And so I assume they too have some sort of taste buds. At becsbirds, that kis a lot of flowering plants for the birds, insects. Wish I had a garden area for that huge variety. Agree, a quick sip at the feeder = perhaps 4X's the effort spent on the flowers.

The iron issue in MS, consider there is iron in every flower nectar.
Paul .Best
7 years ago
yes CANE SUGAR is best. agree with above wayyy too complex.

Feeding Honey Solution to Hummingbirds

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