Significance

• Hummingbirds are tiny but they have enormous appetites for their size, consuming between 3,000 and 7,000 calories every day -- the equivalent of a human consuming more than 150,000 calories. Providing a feeder with the appropriate feed can help these little birds get the energy they require to get through the day. As the native flowers hummingbirds prefer disappear, a feeder can replace some of the nectar.
  
  

Fermentation

• Undiluted honey keeps well on the counter, and can be stored indefinitely if kept below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Honey, however, is also hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture easily. When the moisture content of honey rises above 18.6 percent, the sugars begin to turn into alcohol. At temperatures of 80 degrees or higher -- a common occurrence in feeders during the summer -- this process is accelerated. Fermented honey is palatable to bees, but not humans or hummingbirds.
  
  

Warning

• In addition to the danger of fermentation, diluted honey also can become moldy and possibly even kill a hummingbird. Sugar water also can mold and ferment, so homeowners should make sure to clean their feeders every three to five days.
  
  

Nutrition

• Honey also provides the wrong sugars for hummingbirds. Natural flower nectar is composed primarily of sucrose, at between 8 percent and 43 percent, depending on the species, time of day and environmental conditions. Honey is made up mostly of glucose and fructose, which are not the appropriate sugars for hummingbirds.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• To prevent illness or death from fermented honey water, homeowners should only fill their feeders with a dilute sugar solution. A basic nectar is composed of one part sugar and four parts water, heated in the microwave or on the stove top until the sugar dissolves. When cool, the mixture can be placed in the hummingbird feeder to attract these small birds. Higher concentrations are unlikely to be harmful, but lower concentrations may fail to attract hummingbirds.