Too much of a good thing?

I always hear that you should make your hummer nectar at a ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. Is it harmful to the birds to make it stronger? Maybe 2:1?

Hi Mrs Kinsey, I've always heard no stronger than 3:1. Thats the strongest I've heard that most hummingbird experts use.

I took a little taste of the 4:1 and wowee, it's sweet.

Too much sugar could cause dehydration - they need the water to be able to metabolise the sugar.

Resin

Well there you have it.

Good thing they don't have teeth or they'd have lots of cavities.

This message was edited May 24, 2008 1:48 PM

Wow, I never realized that too much sugar could be bad for them. I made some nectar yesterday and realized in hindsight that it might not be good for them. I'll go out and add some water to the mix. Thanks for enlightening me!