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DEAR JOAN: My neighbor and I love to feed and watch the hummingbirds around our hummingbird feeders; she for 25 years and I for maybe 3 months.
Lately, some neighbors have been asking us the correct recipe to feed these little critters. I was winging it with a tiny bit of honey and warm water. She, the expert, has a very special sugar water recipe that she has used for 25 years.
Someone says the honey will choke these tiny birds. Another says the sugar water will kill them! We are worried.
What is the correct recipe to put in a hummingbird feeder?
Chrissie, San Pablo
DEAR CHRISSIE: When feeding those fascinating hummers, you want to use a mixture of sugar and water, nothing else. It should be one part sugar to four parts water, so if you’ve got a cup of sugar, you want four cups of water.
There is debate on whether the water should be boiled or heated first, before adding the sugar. Some say it’s unnecessary, while others say it makes all the difference. It is easier to dissolve the sugar if the water is heated.
You should use only refined cane sugar (white sugar), and never honey or any other sort of sweetener. It’s not because honey is a choking hazard. Honey can quickly ferment, developing a deadly bacterium and becoming toxic to the birds.
Stick to the simple sugar recipe and you’ll enjoy hummers in your yard for a long time to come.
DEAR JOAN: A couple of weeks ago I wrote to you asking for support for a “Give A Buck” (or more if you can) campaign that Solano County Friends of Animals has.
I gave it a few days, went to the post office and wow, there must have been 100 envelopes. The first I opened had the dollar that we asked for. Next was $5 — a bonus. The rest had checks in all amounts, dollar bills, $20s and on and on.
So far, we’ve collected more than $2,300, and I want to thank everyone for helping. It will all go to the animals. We are a 501c3 with no paid staff, no paid facility — all volunteers.
Several people asked that we not share their information (we don’t) and that we don’t keep hounding them for more (we won’t). So many people included your name or mentioned your column, and one person said, if you believe in us, they believe in us.
I thank you and your readers so, so much. We spend around $1,000 a week on spay/neuter and still the kittens keep coming. We continue to fight the good fight.
We always welcome any amount donation or a gift through our Amazon wish list.
I also want to thank the person who sent us a very large check, going above and beyond anything we could have asked for.
Ruby Waderich, Solano County Friends of Animals
DEAR RUBY: I recently celebrated my sixth year of writing this column (seems like only yesterday), and I’ve said it from the very beginning: I have the best readers in the world and the greatest job.
I’m going to add my thanks to those who have contributed to Ruby’s “Give a Buck,” and encourage anyone who hasn’t had a chance yet, to drop a buck or two in the mail. It will help out a worthwhile group. The address is SCFOA , P.O. Box 235, Benicia, 94510.
