So I just read this in a wonderful book about backyard birds and specifically hummers. It says: You dont have to sterilize the solution by boiling it. The second a hummingbird puts its bill into the solution its no longer sterile anyway. Boiling can even affect the concentration by evaporating some of the water. Theres no problem with heating the water a little to make sure that the sugar completely dissolves. It also states, Never use honey, brown sugar, or artificial sweeteners or any product with additives. The digestive systems of hummingbirds are well oiled machines that process the sucrose they get from natural sources through their bodies in about 20 minutes. Theyre not designed to handle additives or heavy viscous solutions. So dont use red dye please. Great info... I already practice this but thought it was good info to share :)
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 01:47:21 +0000