this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2023
417 points (98.6% liked)
Memes
45540 readers
778 users here now
Rules:
- Be civil and nice.
- Try not to excessively repost, as a rule of thumb, wait at least 2 months to do it if you have to.
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
They get those from little bugs they catch in flight, as well as nectar and pollen from whatever flowers they can find blooming. That's why you should also have some native blooming plants if possible. The feeder should never be their only source of food, but like it says about nectar in this article about bees, it can provide the extra energy to get to the next nutritious food source.
https://baynature.org/article/whats-the-secret-of-nectar/#:~:text=Generally%2C%20nectar%20is%20composed%20mostly,plant%20absorbs%20the%20unused%20nectar.
Adding anything more nutritious to the sugar water than plain white cane sugar would make it an excellent food for harmful bacteria and other microbes.