Expert: Roger Lederer - 3/14/2009

Question
QUESTION: Sometimes my homemade hummingbird food comes out cloudy, and or yellowish. Can you tell me why?

ANSWER: I can't tell you why as you haven't given me any information to go on. Is this a store bought or homemade hummingbird food? Does it come out cloudy when you make it or does it turn cloudly after a day or two. If you make it yourself, how do you do it?

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QUESTION: I make my own with 4 parts water 1 part sugar. (Don't know if this matters but we have well water and put in a new system about a year ago.) It always looks fine in the pan but after it cools down and I put it in a glass jar or directly into the feeder it looks yellow or cloudy. Sometimes it looks fine at first and turns cloudy after a day or two.

Answer
Here's what I would do. Make a solution without the sugar and let it sit outside. If it turns yellow, your water is the problem - could be sulfur in it. If the plain water stays clear, then it's the sugar that is turning it yellow.
The other possibility is that the feeder has bacteria in it. If the water is clear at first and turns yellow in a day or two, that's the problem. The feeder needs a good cleaning with bleach. Good luck.