Bring All the Hummingbirds to Your Yard Using This DIY Recipe

Birdwatching enthusiasts know what a joy it is to see hummingbirds in your yard. The quick moving birds are a sight to behold, with the way they move effortlessly through the air on their rapidly beating wings, and it can be fun to see them stopping to check out all of the flowers as they bloom in your garden.

But you don't need a wide array of flowers to get the hummingbirds to come to your yard. Instead, you can simply make a DIY nectar to draw them in.

Want to know how to make hummingbird food? Keep reading as we break down one of the simpler recipes that will allow you to create plenty of nectar for these adorable creatures.

If you're looking for a quick and easy way to make some hummingbird food, you can't go wrong with this favorite from the National Zoo. The good news about this DIY method is that you'll only need two ingredients — sugar and water — and access to a heat source and a container to keep the leftover mix until you use it.

According to the website, refined white sugar is the best type to use, and you'll want one part of it for every four parts of water.

So for example, if you want to make enough nectar so that you can fill a standard feeder while still having some leftover to top it off within a day or two, you'll want to mix one cup sugar with four cups water. The National Zoo website says you can mix them vigorously together until the sugar is dissolved, and then use the mix to fill your feeders.

However, other recipes call for the mix to be boiled first.

However, Birds & Blooms says that boiling the water can actually help keep the hummingbirds that come to your yard a bit healthier. According to them, this extra step can help eliminate some of the impurities that could be found in the water, keeping the hummingbirds safe from coming into contact with something that could make them sick.

Additionally, the magazine notes that boiling the water will also help the sugar dissolve faster, which could be important if you are unable (or unwilling) to vigorously stir the mix to get the sugar to dissolve. That being said, you do not need to boil the sugar water mix in order to use this DIY method.

While you may or may not want to boil your sugar water, there is one thing you will need to keep on top of, and that's how hot the nectar gets in the hummingbird feeder. When you're putting the DIY mix out in the summer, it can often get very hot, which can be harmful to a hummingbird's internal system while it's feeding, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

That's why some people opt to use aluminum foil on their feeders in the hopes that the reflective surface can help keep the temperature of the nectar down.

But, no matter what recipe you follow, or how you keep the nectar at the right temperature, one thing remains the same: You'll need to change out the mix every few days to prevent the hummingbirds in your yard from getting sick.

Otherwise, mold, bacteria, and other pests can easily get into the mix, creating a recipe for disaster for your feathered friends.