Perky-Pet 230 Original Instant 8-Ounce Hummingbird Nectar

Red dye has never been scientifically tested for safety as a hummingbird food supplement, and while its health effects on birds are unproven, red dye is suspected by licensed rehabilitators of causing cancer in hummingbirds. Further, in preference tests, hummingbirds consistently choose plain sugar syrup (one part cane sugar to four parts water, nothing else added) over packaged mixes or homemade syrup containing dye, presumably because the dye tastes wrong to them. They also do not like beet sugar.

If hummingbirds seem to prefer this mix over plain sugar water, it's probably because the sugar water has fermented--it must be changed and the feeder cleaned as soon as it starts getting cloudy--and the fresh mix is the lesser of two evils. Many, many people report getting several times more hummingbirds after switching from this mix to plain sugar water.

A 1:4 sugar water syrup is nearly identical to natural flower nectars from plants that hummingbirds use. The contents of...Read more

This product is an overpriced box of sugar and food coloring. The same effect can be achieved cheaper by using 1 part sugar to 4 parts water and not using red food coloring. Hummingbirds will be sufficiently attracted to the feeder without the food coloring.

"Artificial nectar" mixes such as this are NOT recommended by hummingbird experts. They contain dyes and preservatives, chemicals that are not found in natural flower nectar and may have long-term effects on the birds' health. The red dye is not necessary to attract the birds (the bright color of the feeder will do that) and may have an unpleasant taste. Tests have shown that, when offered a choice, hummingbirds favor plain sugar water over dyed solutions. Any added "nutrients" are present in such small quantities as to be useless to the birds, which fill all their major nutritional needs by eating insects and other invertebrates. Also, there is nothing in these mixes to justify the price, which is 5 to 8 times the cost of ordinary white sugar (which is actually sucrose, the natural sugar hummingbirds prefer above all others). A simple solution of 4 parts water to 1 part sugar is convenient, inexpensive, and much more natural for the birds.

Sheri Williamson,...Read more