[LMB] OT: old honey

[Mark Allums]

CatMtn at aol.com wrote:
> I  believe the reason that honey or plain sugar water shouldn't be fed  to 
> hummingbirds is that it doesn't contain some of the nutrients they need to  
> survive.  If it's handy in a feeder, they'll eat nothing else, and develop  some 
> deficiency problems.

I have looked to it some more, and as for honey, the dilution with
water will eventually cause problems.  The mixture will go bad
quickly, and the hummers will get bacteria or alcohol with their meal.

With saccharine, there is simply no nutrition in it.  It may be
poisonous, as well (that still needs looking into some.)

With plain sugar, well, that is the standard feeding mixture: sugar and 
water.  I think that hummingbirds do eat other things, small insects, 
specifically.  Mosquitoes, itsy-bitsy spiders, aphids, etc.  I don't 
think that deficiencies are a major problem.

I am prepared to be corrected by an expert.

--Mark Allums