Can I Use Organic Cane Sugar For Hummingbird Food

SteveCooke · Jan 13, 2020

Hi all, I take been researching sugar all solar day and I came across this commodity past Joybilee Farm, which posits that the anti-orgianic-sugar sentiment is based on a myth. It says that both organic white saccharide and organic raw sugar are in fact good to employ equally they incorporate picayune iron and comprise no pesticide residue.

Was curious what others consensus was on this article? Would you apply organic white sugar or organic raw saccharide?

Cheers, Steve

jmepler

I can't see why organic white sugar should exist a problem. Information technology is merely white sugar produced from organic stock.

I would avoid raw sugar, organic or otherwise, due to the iron content. Improve safe than deplorable in my opinion.

jmepler

Thank you for your input! She makes the betoken though, that the zoo who did the study responsible for the iron scare was successful in caring for birds for a number of decades with a food that contained 40mg/1kg of iron. Information technology was a modify of the recipe that resulted in 800mg/1kg of iron that led to the poisoning.

She says the atomic number 26 content of raw sugar is in fact very depression and very safe (containing 3.7mg/1kg of iron, just 10% of the zoo'due south successful supplement). Information technology seems to me organic raw sugar would exist better for the birds and the surroundings.

Am I wrong here? Thanks o

Raw sugar will be no better for the birds, only could potentially be worse.

All the experts recommend white sugar, preferable cane carbohydrate. I would take their advice over the advice of 1 person.

If you lot are still against using white cane sugar, and want to provide an environmentally friendly meal for the hummingbirds, I would advise planting a flower garden.

SteveCooke · Jan 14, 2020

Raw saccharide will be no better for the birds, merely could potentially be worse.

All the experts recommend white sugar, preferable cane sugar. I would accept their advice over the advice of ane person.

If you are still confronting using white cane sugar, and want to provide an environmentally friendly repast for the hummingbirds, I would advise planting a flower garden.

Which experts? What's the argument against raw sugar, and where is the data to support it?

Thanks

Jefferson Shank

I take been feeding organic sugar for ages and the hummers love it! After all, it is more natural.

etudiant

I'thou very much an organics fan, just very much dubiety the garden multifariousness sugar is whatever threat.
Afaik, in commercial processing, the raw carbohydrate is dissolved in h2o and passed over activated charcoal, which adsorbs pretty much all strange substances..
Practice notation that hummers live fast and die immature, 5 years is quite mature for a hummer, 3 or four years is the norm.
Hard to slow poison something that lives and so fast.

jmepler

I'm very much an organics fan, only very much doubt the garden variety sugar is any threat.
Afaik, in commercial processing, the raw saccharide is dissolved in h2o and passed over activated charcoal, which adsorbs pretty much all foreign substances..
Do note that hummers alive fast and die young, v years is quite mature for a hummer, three or 4 years is the norm.
Difficult to slow poison something that lives and then fast.

Y'all need to exist aware that hummingbird eat a lot. They eat between ane.5 and 3 times their body weight in nectar every 24-hour interval. If I ate as much as a hummingbird I would be consuming nigh a railroad tank automobile full of nectar every twelvemonth. This is why even seemingly depression levels of certain chemicals in hummingbird nectar tin can quickly build to toxic levels.

I cannot fathom why some people insist on using types of sugar that may be unsafe when we are certain that white cane sugar is condom. To say that it's amend considering it'south natural, and that the hummingbirds love it, is sticking your head in the sand. I am certain that the 25 dead hummingbirds at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum hummingbird aviary loved the nectar that they were getting, right up to the point where they died from fe toxicosis. Since most of us aren't feeding hummingbirds in an aviary we would take no idea if the nectar that nosotros are using is leading to premature death of the birds. Ignorance is bliss.

You lot can read an skillful opinion on the diverse types of sugar hither.

Aguilar8ngelica

I employ only organics white cane sugar with bottled spring h2o. I mix the 1/2 loving cup of sugar with 2 cups of room temp bottle bound h2o and mix until i cant run into any more than granules of sugar. Then i clean out my feeder with hot h2o and wipe it downwardly well earlier filling with my sugar/water mixture. I become visitors of hummingbirds multiple X a day. I modify the feeder every 4-five days. I clean it throughly again before putting a fresh batch of saccharide h2o mix to make sure no mold bugs etc grow. I also put it where the sun does non hit so it stays cool and prevents mold growth. I read a lot online about the feeders before taking it upon myself to feed the little guys considering I dont want to be responsible for killing the most beautiful creatures God has made. Please be responsible if its too much piece of work for you just grow some red flowers that hummingbirds like to feed on for nectar. Observe out which ones by looking them up online. Goodluck♥️

Aguilar8ngelica

The recommendation for the type of water to utilise is filtered water or natural spring h2o. The REcommendation for the type of carbohydrate is regular cane sugar preferably organic. Merely brand sure it isn't raw or chocolate-brown/beige-colored cane sugar because it tin contain fe and tin can hurt the birds over time while eventually killing them.