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Re: still a five star establishment



Hi, Donna,

I specialize in hummer and passerine nutrition.  For most hummers in the
wild, adding anything to the sugar water may be more risky than helpful.
They obtain all the nutrients they need from insects and natural nectar.
Adding other nutrients to sugar water makes it a much better medium for
growing pathogens, even if you do change and clean your feeders daily.

A big factor, if you were to add anything, is solubility.  If it sits on the
bottom, the hummers don't obtain it.  Also, there are some vitamins that are
toxic in excess amounts; the birds' diets are generally balanced, in nature.
An exception, of course, would be birds overwintering where they
'shouldn't'.

There's an expensive product called NektarPlus that many zoos, etc. use.  A
nutritional analysis reveals it's not all that good, and it would probably
cost you $20 a day, at the rate you're going through sugar water.  Other
products are likely to be even less helpful and more risky.

I think you're 'serving' your hummers very well, just as you are!

-Janine

Janine Perlman, Hillsborough, NC
fed. lic. migratory bird rehabilitator