rhizo, The smaller granules will have less air space between them, so your nectar would be a little stronger, assuming you use the same measurements as with regular sugar.

I guess if you have an accurate scale you can weigh a measuring cup full of regular sugar, cup and all. Then put the empty measuring cup on the scale and slowly fill it with the extra fine granulated sugar till you get the same reading. If there is a substantial difference you can fill the cup to this new level.

I only buy the extra fine when a recipe calls for it. Isn't it more expensive? Why not just use the regular sugar?

I always have Xfine granulated sugar on hand for baking and cooking but ran out of the regular sugar. In recipes, the directions call for using the same amount...always. I even did an internet search to try to help me feel more comfortable with it, but never found a single comment that the Xfine would be sweeter, comparing the same volumes of sugar.

It just doesn't seem right, does it? I don't have a scale or I sure would weigh it.

I think I remember from your reaction to another thread that you use 1 to 4 ratio for your sugar mix. At this ratio I don't think it really matters which sugar you use as the 1 part. Flowers naturally have different concentrations of sugar in their nectar, so it does not have to be exactly 1 to 4. There are people that use 1 to 3 and for sure I don't think extra fine would get you as strong as that with your 1 to 4 mix. I saw studies that showed some flowers have nectar just as strong, if not stronger than the 1 to 3.

Problem with the 1 to 3 is that it needs to be replaced more often as the stronger mix spoils faster. Also, some state that the hummingbird needs a certain amount of sugar for energy, and they will drink till they get it. So that means that the stronger the sugar water the less time they will need to stay at the feeder. But too weak and they will look elsewhere. So the 1 to 4 is not a hard rule to follow.

They won't go anywhere with a 5-1 mix (it was drained first, had to throw the 2-1 mix out), but with a 10-1 mix they are gone. I might add 4 feeders if I have time to test 6-1, 7-1, 8-1 & 9-1 mix.

Now the question is, was it drained faster because they liked it better or because they needed to drink more of it due to it having less sugar?

This has been posted several times through the years, but it's worth repeating...

I want to make the case for a stronger solution helping out the mama hummer. She is a single mom, getting absolutely no help from the male. She alone incubates the eggs, and has only a few minutes away from them each hour to feed. Once the eggs hatch, she must struggle to keep the hatchlings fed as well, regurgitating nectar and small insects, as well as meet her own needs. A stronger solution means she has to work a little less hard.

My conclusion from my little experiment was that it didn't matter. You can draw a line from my favorite feeder location to the 4th favorite 9 feet away placed in a row and it will be straight in a day from about half way down to one fourth down. This is no matter what the mix is from 5-1 to 2-1. Now the birds do switch around on the feeders somewhat, but they sure didn't say hey this 2-1 mix is really great. If I have all 4-1 mix which is normal, then the line is the same. Sorta knocks the calorie theory in the head. I'm sure every bird on my feeders tried all of them. I believe a bird sitting on my 4-1 nectar is getting way more calories than from a flower with a 3-1 equivalent (the bird is just sitting and drinking, no effort). Why would the bird be there, if a flower was better and easier and had more calories? As to fresh nectar; the birds always seem to mob me when I change the feeders, but I think that is because I have temporarily run them off and they are wanting their nectar. Someone can be weed eating beneath the feeders for 10 minutes and you should see the birds that have been waiting to feed; they swarm in when the weed eater has left.