Sapphire Labs Nectar Defender - Hummingbird Nectar Extender That Prolongs The Life of Nectar for Hummingbird Feeders - It Works Exceptionally Well During Warm Weather Months - 2 Pack

I’ve been using Nectar Defender since early July (about 6 weeks). It works! It keeps the food fresh, and I have had no mold in my feeders. Last summer in the extreme heat I was sometimes changing the feeders daily – not this year with Nectar Defender. I can enjoy watching the hummingbirds and not spend so much time cleaning my feeders. Now I change them about every five days since they are almost empty. At first, I used one capful of ND per cup as instructed, but it seemed like an awful lot. The hummingbirds were not impressed. So, I decreased it to one capful in 3 cups. The hummingbirds love it. I also started putting a penny in the bottom of my feeders to help keep the water clean since I noticed that Nectar Defender has copper in it and states that it is a needed micronutrient for hummingbirds. I highly recommend this product.

I love seeing the hummingbirds feeding from my feeders and from my garden flowers. My feeders are in full sun, and because they are mainly glass, I could see mold developing inside the feeders. I found this product, and researched the ingredients in this “preservative”, because I certainly didn’t want to harm the hummers. The active ingredient is copper sulfate (CuSO4), which is used in many products. Copper is a necessary micronutrient for hummingbirds. The solution is a very pale blue, and the bottle is TINY. (I ordered the 2-pack.) Once I had thoroughly cleaned my feeders, I made a new batch of nectar with the typical recipe of sugar and water, brought to a boil. The maker states that boiling the nectar is not necessary because of the active ingredient in Fresh Nectar Defender, but I made my usual batch of nectar. This does what it says. My feeders and nectar stayed clear and clean, no evidence of mold. I did not test the duration (maker says it will prevent mold for up to two weeks), because I still clean and refill my feeders once or twice a week. This product does work. But if you have a chemistry background, access to copper sulfate, and can calculate the concentration, you may be able to make your own solution for MUCH less than this tiny bottle sells for. For my purposes, it is convenient and effective.

I absolutely love this product. I first heard about it at my local bird store, and now I won’t make hummingbird nectar without it. It truly extends the life of homemade nectar, especially during our hot Minneapolis summers when sugar water can spoil in just a few days. Before using this, I had to change the feeder every two or three days. Now, with Sapphire Labs Nectar Defender, the nectar stays fresh for about a week — and the difference in hummingbird activity has been amazing. We used to get just an occasional visitor, but this year we’ve had hummingbirds every morning, afternoon, and evening. It’s magical. We only get ruby-throated hummingbirds here, but they’ve become daily guests in our yard. I even attached a short video of one in our garden right after enjoying a snack at the feeder that had this product in it — proof that it works and that the birds keep coming back. It’s completely natural and safe for the hummingbirds. I make my own nectar (just sugar and distilled water boiled and cooled), and once it’s cool, I simply stir this in before filling the feeder. If you care about keeping your feeders clean and your nectar fresh — or you live somewhere with warm weather — this is a must-have. It’s made our yard feel alive and full of joy.

I am amazed at how easy this is to use and how well it works here in the sizzling and humid heat of summer. I used to smell if the nectar was going off. Now, I have never smelled it going off, since I use this fabulous product. I still change out the nectar every 2-3 days just in case.... because we get 100 deg days plus high dew point so it can feel like 105-115 deg F with heat index. i used to change the water daily in this heat. This gives me a lot less worries as far as if the nectar is safe for my hummies! Is saves time and water. If the temps were in the 80s I would leave it out longer than 3 or so days. I do not know how long the max is to be safe in this kind of heat but figured best to be safe rather than sorry. I highly recommend this product!

This works well to keep the hummingbird food fresh in hot weather. Without it I saw mold develop in less than a week. With it, no mold in 10 days. Only drawback is the price, but it lasts a long time. Just use a capful per cup of food.

This is an amazing product for homes who do not have a ton of hummingbirds around yet. I always had my sugar water go bad before the birds got to it. Super easy to use. It has nutrients the birds generally need and cannot get from their environment, total of 3 ingredients and is clear like water. You need a tablespoon per quart. Made in USA is always a nice notion as well.

We use this every year. The nectar in the feeders lasts longer without going bad.

This is a ridiculously easy and cost effective product to use. It's NOT a substitute for regularly and diligently cleaning the feeders and making fresh nectar. But that being said, this product does offer observable benefits and keeps the nectar from quickly fermenting. I only partially fill my feeders for about 3 to 4 days of consumption. I install my feeders in shaded areas and under domes to keep them out of direct sun, but that won't help against ambient 90+*f temperatures and oppressive humidity. But, to my surprise, this product does exactly what it says it will do. It kept the nectar clear and fresh for over a week. It eventually clouded and I could see evidence of fermentation, but it certainly inhibited and slowed the process. You should not offer spoiled nectar and you should regularly service the feeders, but there is no doubt it extended the viability of the nectar. And, it was noteably easier to clean the feeders. It also keeps my homemade nectar fresh in the fridge for a much longer time, which was a huge and unexpected bonus. Now I can make up a bigger batch and store it, which makes maintenance and refilling even easier. I've noticed that the hummingbirds do not seem to notice any off-flavors or reject the nectar, as I offered one treated and an identical untreated feeder right next to each other. Within a few days, they clearly preferred the treated nectar and did not visit the untreated, which then started to show signs of spoilage. The hummingbirds have convinced me that this is a beneficial product.