Garden

[Dazlin]

Haven't been able to buy sugar,  stores are sold out.

It's very warm here, and hummingbirds usually show up late March, early April.   I'll keep checking stores, but I'm trying to limit my time there.  I feel bad, if I can't fill their feeders☹.   Hope all of you are doing well...thank God, we are doing fine.  

[Mary Bailey]

They won't show up here until late April, early May. I look forward to them. 

At the end of every season I buy a bag of sugar for next season. I keep it in a Lock n Lock.

Hummingbird nectar is the only thing I use sugar for, so it's not usually on my list.

[sweetee2]

You're right. I saw my feeders this morning and was thinking I need to get those out. I forgot there's no sugar. Oh well, the stores are slowly getting more and more in so it won't be long.

[CamilleP]

Can you find brown sugar?  No reason that won't work, is there?  How about diluting corn syrup? 

[Kachina624]

I'll trade you a bag of sugar for some toilet paper.  I accidently bought 2 bags, forgetting I'd already bought one.  I rarely use it and it gets hard as a rock.

[feline groovy]

Why not buy it online?  

[NickNack]

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@CamilleP wrote:

Can you find brown sugar?  No reason that won't work, is there?  How about diluting corn syrup? 

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@CamilleP   @Dazlin   No No No!  Do not use brown sugar or anything other than white sugar.  This is very important.  Dazlin, you probably already know this, but am posting to you also anyway.  This is from audubon dot org:  

Do not use: raw sugar, agave syrup, brown sugar, molasses, artificial sweeteners, or anything other than white sugar; these cause various problems for hummers. Adding red food-dye coloring is unnecessary. The red on a feeder is enough to attract hummers. DO NOT USE HONEY as this can kill hummingbirds.

This is from TheSpruce dot com:

Do not use honey, brown sugar, molasses, or artificial sugar substitutes for any hummingbirdnectar recipe. Honey and molasses (brown sugarcontains molasses products) are too heavy for hummingbirds to digest efficiently and can ferment more quickly, creating mold that is fatal to hummingbirds.

[Dazlin]

@NickNack ..I know...not even confectioners sugar.

Maybe I can get the pre-mixed , lowes, Walmart sells.  I'll hold out, and keep checking.   I just remembered about the pre mix.

[Dazlin]

@sweetee2 ...I'm also hoping stores stock more of everything soon.  We are doing good on foods.  Lots of other items are out of stock though...its soooo stressful,  I hope this ends soon.

[BlueFinch]

@NickNack Thanks for sharing that information. I was just about to, but you saved me the trouble.  I have a neighbor who revealed making honey water near the end of feeding season last year. I'm seeing fewer returning this spring. I'm hoping they didn't perish from his feeders. He was disinterested in my concerns. 

It frustratess me when people don't study care and feeding. I try so hard to protect my birds. I even use spring water in food preparation. i don't want chlorine and fluoride in the water. Hummingbirds are fragile. 

In addition, my home is one, of two, in my location that has been selected for water testing. I have lead in my water. Not an actionable amount, at this time, but there's no acceptable level of ingested lead, when it can become cumulative. 

Nothing but top shelf, for my terribly spoiled hummers. But, they're worth the effort for the entertainment value throughout the spring/summer, and often into fall.