Hummingbird Issues

When I was down in San Diego, I had lots of flowers that hummingbirds liked. I abandoned the nectar feeders and went native. But up here, in the PNW, I am a bit unsure about the plants and the seasons. Nectar freezes in deep winter. Hummers have migrated south. Exactly when is it time to put out the feeders again? So I started in late march. I heard a hummer buzz me and knew they were around. This property doesn't have lots of flowers, so feeders needed to happen. I bought 2 at the local Lowes and went home to research nectar recipes.
The basis nectar recipe is 1 cup sugar, 4 cups water, heated or boiled or not. My birds were completely uninterested. 2 weeks went by with almost no noticeable reduction in the liquid level. I decided to adjust the mix to 1 cup sugar and 3 cups water. All of a sudden, I had the most wonderful displays of hummers. They love this mix. They are sucking it up so fast, I am making more every 4 days. (I make a quart at a time). Noisy, colorful, suspicious, and beautiful, I have a full selection of the available birds. It is keeping me busy cleaning and filling feeders, and of course just sitting and watching the action. I don't have another post or feeder, but I am considering putting out more.
So why is this mix better than the other one?
Information on the internet is full of holes. There is missing information. I think what has happened is that this recipe has been repeated on every site yet is lacking a specific fact. Nectar mixes from a store are super fine sugar so that it will dissolve quickly. Home sugar is not super fine. So when you measure by Cup instead of weight, you don't get as much sugar as the commercial products. Ease of the recipe may actually up the water to make it easy to remember. Instead of 3 1/2 cups it is 4.
For the products to be easy for humans doesn't necessarily make them good for the hummers.
YOU MAY HAVE TO ADJUST YOUR RECIPE to please the birds.
I have found that 3 1/2 cups water to 1 cup sugar keeps them pretty happy. 4 cups and they ignore it. 3 cups and they are ecstatic.
The Birds will tell you by their actions what they want- usually more sugar.