Is Salt Softened Water Dangerous for Hummingbird Food?
Tap water may or may not be safe to mix with homemade sugar water. A water softener that adds salt to your water will likewise salt your hummingbird food.
Birds & Blooms reader Gerre Jaroch of Petoskey, Michigan, questioned her water before making a batch. My water softener was installed recently.
For hummingbirds, avoid softened or distilled water in sugar water. A little salt in water from most water-softening systems may harm hummingbirds.
Flower nectar contains natural salts, whereas pure water does not. If you can't get unsoftened tap water, buy bottled water to mix with sugar.
All they require in addition to the other natural nutrients they eat is pure white sugar. Learn how often and how much hummingbirds eat.
Never add salt to hummingbird food. Do not add red dye, honey, fruit juice, artificial sweeteners, or other additions to your hummingbird combination.
Extra sweetness or nutrients may seem like a wonderful idea, but they usually end up doing more harm than good.
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