Quick answer: Nectarade® is Pop's liquid concentrate nectar, built around 100% pure cane sugar (the same base recommended in most homemade recipes) plus three things plain sugar water doesn't offer: added electrolytes, added calcium, and all-natural wildflower hydrosols. It's also dye-free and preservative-free, thanks to vacuum-sealed foil packaging that protects it from air and light instead. Mix at 1 part Nectarade® Concentrate to 2 parts water — a different ratio than Nectarlyte® powder (1:4), since Nectarade® starts more concentrated.

Hummingbirds are surprisingly particular about their food sources. Once a hummingbird finds a reliable spot, it will defend that territory fiercely — which means the nectar you offer needs to earn its place. That's the question we kept coming back to when we built Nectarade®: not just "will hummingbirds drink this," but "is this actually good for them?"

We Started With What the Research Actually Shows

Plain sugar water — 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, no dye, no honey — is a safe, time-tested way to feed hummingbirds, and it mimics the basic sugar content of natural flower nectar. But real field research shows hummingbirds seek out more than sugar in the wild. Because they process so much nectar, hummingbirds lose a significant share of their sodium and potassium every day simply through frequent urination — one study on Broad-tailed Hummingbirds found they need to replace roughly 14% of these reserves daily (Calder & Hiebert, 1983). Nectar is also naturally low in calcium, which matters especially for nesting females, who need it for healthy eggshell development. Field researchers have documented hummingbirds visiting soil, sand, and mineral-rich grit specifically to make up that shortfall (Verbeek, 1971; des Lauriers, 1994; Adam & des Lauriers, 1998; Graves, 2007).

That's the gap we built Nectarade® to help close.

No Dye, No Preservatives — By Design, Not by Accident

Hummingbirds don't have a sense of smell — they rely on keen eyesight to find food, which is why red is such a strong visual cue for them. That's a good reason to use a red feeder or red accents. It's not, however, a good reason to dye the nectar itself. Red dyes like Red #3 and Red #40 offer no nutritional benefit to hummingbirds, and both have been studied for potential negative health effects even in human consumption. We simply don't see a reason to add them.

Skipping preservatives was a harder design problem, honestly. Most preservative-free liquids have a short shelf life once sealed. Our solution was the packaging itself: Nectarade® ships in a vacuum-sealed foil pouch that protects the nectar from the two things that cause it to spoil fastest — air and light exposure. Stored sealed in a cool, dry place, it holds for a long time; once opened, it's best used within a few months (refrigeration can extend that further, though it isn't required). No preservatives needed, because the packaging is doing that job instead.

Pure Cane Sugar, Plus Real Wildflower Extracts

We use 100% pure cane sugar as the base — the same sugar most reputable homemade nectar recipes recommend, and the closest match to the sugar content of natural flower nectar. But we didn't stop there. Nectarade® also includes steam-distilled wildflower hydrosols, extracted from flowers hummingbirds actually visit in the wild — a small addition meant to make the overall experience a little closer to what they'd find naturally, rather than something purely artificial.

Electrolytes and Calcium, Where Nectar Alone Falls Short

As covered above, hummingbirds need more sodium, potassium, and calcium than sugar water alone provides — especially during hot weather, migration, and nesting season. Nectarade® adds potassium chloride (electrolytes) to help support hydration, and calcium carbonate to help support healthy eggshell development in nesting females. It's a modest addition, but a purposeful one: closer to what these tiny, high-metabolism travelers would find if there were flowers on every corner of your yard.

Getting the Ratio Right

Here's a detail worth clarifying directly, since it's a common point of confusion: Nectarade® Concentrate uses a 1:2 ratio (1 part Nectarade® to 2 parts water) — not the 1:4 ratio used for homemade sugar water or Nectarlyte® powder concentrate. That's because Nectarade® starts out more concentrated than the powder formula. A single 1.5-liter bag makes about 150 oz of prepared nectar — enough to fill a standard 16 oz feeder more than 9 times — and concentrating it this way also cuts down on shipping weight, since we're not shipping water across the country.

Loved So Much, We Made a Powder Version Too

Hummingbirds took to Nectarade® so well that we wanted to offer the same great ingredients in a different format — that's how Nectarlyte® powder concentrate came to be. It's built on the same foundation: 100% pure cane sugar, added electrolytes, and added calcium, with no dye and no preservatives. The one real difference is the wildflower hydrosols — those steam-distilled extracts only work in liquid form, so they're a Nectarade®-exclusive touch. If you'd rather mix from a shelf-stable powder than a liquid concentrate, Nectarlyte® gives you the same core recipe, just without that one extra ingredient. Curious which format fits your backyard best? Here's a closer look at how our liquid and powder nectars compare.

Our Honest Take

Plain sugar water isn't wrong, and we'll never claim otherwise. But if you want to feed hummingbirds something closer to what they'd naturally seek out — with real electrolytes, real calcium, and real wildflower extracts, minus the dye and preservatives — that's exactly what Nectarade® was built to do.

Key Takeaways

• Nectarade® starts from the same 100% pure cane sugar base recommended in most homemade nectar recipes.
• Real field research shows hummingbirds actively seek out electrolytes and calcium beyond what plain sugar water provides, especially during migration and nesting season.
• Nectarade® adds potassium chloride (electrolytes), calcium carbonate (calcium), and all-natural wildflower hydrosols to that same sugar base.
• No red dye, ever — it offers no nutritional value and has documented potential health concerns.
• No preservatives — vacuum-sealed foil packaging protects freshness instead, by blocking air and light exposure.
• Nectarade® Concentrate mixes at 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water — a different ratio than Nectarlyte® powder (1:4), since it's a more concentrated formula.
• A single 1.5L bag makes about 150 oz of prepared nectar — enough for more than 9 refills of a standard 16 oz feeder.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the mixing ratio for Nectarade® Concentrate? 1 part Nectarade® Concentrate to 2 parts water. This is different from Nectarlyte® powder concentrate, which uses a 1:4 ratio (powder to water) — the two products start at different concentrations, so they aren't interchangeable at the same ratio.

What does "1 part" mean — is that a cup? "Part" refers to a ratio, not a fixed unit. It just means whatever measurement you choose to use, as long as you use the same one for both the concentrate and the water. So "1 part Nectarade® to 2 parts water" could mean 1 cup Nectarade® to 2 cups water, or 1 oz Nectarade® to 2 oz water — the unit doesn't matter, only that it stays consistent.

Why doesn't Nectarade® use red dye? Hummingbirds find food by sight, not smell, and are naturally drawn to red — but that's a reason to use a red feeder, not to dye the nectar. Red dyes like Red #3 and Red #40 provide no nutritional benefit and have documented potential health concerns, even in human studies.

How does Nectarade® stay fresh without preservatives? Through its packaging, not additives. The vacuum-sealed foil pouch blocks out air and light, the two biggest causes of spoilage in a sealed liquid.

How long does Nectarade® last once opened? Several months when stored in a cool, dark place, though this can vary with storage conditions — always check for cloudiness or an off smell before using. Refrigeration can extend shelf life further but isn't required.

Why does Nectarade® contain electrolytes and calcium? Field research shows hummingbirds need to replace a significant share of lost sodium and potassium daily, and nesting females need extra calcium for healthy eggshell development. Nectarade® adds both directly to the nectar to help close that gap.

How much nectar does one bag of Nectarade® Concentrate make? A 1.5L bag makes approximately 150 oz of prepared nectar — enough to fill a standard 16 oz feeder more than 9 times.

Summary

Nectarade® starts with the same pure cane sugar base found in any good homemade nectar recipe, then builds on it with what real research shows hummingbirds actually need beyond sugar alone: electrolytes, calcium, and natural wildflower extracts — all without dye or preservatives, thanks to protective vacuum-sealed packaging. Mixed at 1 part concentrate to 2 parts water, one bag goes a long way, and every ingredient decision traces back to one question: is this actually good for the hummingbirds we're trying to invite into your yard?

Ready to try it? Shop Nectarade® Liquid Nectar.

References

Naish, D. (2011). Three remarkable hummingbird discoveries. Scientific American.

Adam, M. D., & des Lauriers, J. R. (1998). Observations of hummingbirds ingesting mineral-rich compounds. Journal of Field Ornithology, 69, 257–261.

Calder, W. A., & Hiebert, S. M. (1983). Nectar feeding, diuresis, and electrolyte replacement of hummingbirds. Physiological Zoology, 56, 325–334.

des Lauriers, J. R. (1994). Hummingbirds eating ashes. Auk, 111, 755–756.

Graves, G. R. (2007). Jamaican hummingbirds ingest calcareous grit. Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, 20, 56–57.

Verbeek, N. A. M. (1971). Hummingbirds feeding on sand. Condor, 73, 112–113.