topic Re: Humming bird feeders and bees in Garden

Humming bird feeders and bees

depglass — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:26:35 GMT

I'm starting a new thread because this is a separate problem. Now that we finally have hummers showing up, all kinds of BEES have also shown up. We have washed the feeder well, even transferred syrup to another feeder. The birds have discovered that after a couple hours but so have the bees. So frustrating.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Caffeina — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:51:28 GMT

I bought a feeder with smaller holes a few years ago, and no more bees.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Icegoddess — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:52:04 GMT

Not knowing the style of your feeder, but many feeders have bee guards for the center of the flower. It looks like a little cage in th center of the flower instead of one hole. The hummer's tounge can get through, but the bees can't.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Flying Dove — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:53:14 GMT

I truly understand the bee problem as I'm dealing with the same thing. The little hummers do not like the bees. However, I've noticed when 3 or 4 of the little hummers are very close to the feeder, the bee will leave. Guess he figures he's outnumbered.

I've also washed the feeder really good, but I noticed the bees know exactly where that little hole is that they can get their sweetness. That's when I remind myself that they're making honey, then I don't get upset. Wish I had a solution to give you, but unfortunately I don't. Hopefully, someone will.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

fthunt — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 14:46:09 GMT

@Flying Dove Not all bees are honey bees. Are those you see Bumble Bees?

black & yellow.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

morganjen — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 15:04:50 GMT

We've gotten a lot of honey bees at ours, so I dont really mind.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

sabatini — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 16:43:41 GMT

Hi.

The bees can be a nuisance! It's usually the 'upside-down bottle' feeders that are the problem.

I've had the inside of the bottle literally stuffed with bees!

What's bizarre about those feeders, is that lots of them are sold with bright yellow 'bee guards', & that color attracts bees!

Switch to the saucer type feeders, and you'll have no problems, as long as the nectar isn't so full that they can reach it.

Wild Birds unlimited sells tiny little bee guards that can be applied under the feeding hole, though they only fit feeders sold by them.

Good luck!

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Jk9 — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 16:54:44 GMT

We have had hummingbird feeders for many years and use feeders with "bee guards" and those made so bees and yellow jackets can't access the food. We also use "Fatal Funnels" on a big drink bottle to attract and capture the larger flying insects. Seems here the bees move on quickly once they see they can't get to the nectar. Now we only buy feeders that are "bee proof".

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

PA Mom-mom — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 18:02:47 GMT

@depglass We have yellow jackets just swarming around the feeder. They try to estract nectar from the seams in the plastic reservoir of the feeder. The bee baffles keep them out of the flower holes, but eventually the nectar starts seeping out through the seams. SO, yesterday we switched to a glass saucer style feeder. There are no seams, and the nectar is below the flower openings.

The hummers have not yet decided if they like it, but the yellow jackets are very frustrated! There are larger saucer style feeders, but we only have one or two hummers, so this is fine. We will use less nectar (1/2 cup).

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

LindaSal — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 16:22:50 GMT

It's been a strange season for us with the Hummingbirds. We are being inundated with bees this summer and even the squirrels are out of control. They are so acrobatic, they are literally jumping from the trees onto the feeder which hangs on a shepherds hook. We have never had the squirrels do this in the past. The hummers are not happy this year, neighbors are having the same issues! We ended up taking ours down

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Nataliesgramma — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 20:18:30 GMT

I had to take my 2 feeders down. I have the ones with the bee guards and it didn't help much. The hornels and yellow jackets attack you if you get too close and I am VERY allegic.

So sad...but the hummers are going to the flower garden I planted now....so I am glad they made the transition. I just can't watch them anymore from the window.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Dazlin — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 20:31:44 GMT

I'm also having a very difficult time with yellow jackets, bees on all 4 of my hummingbird feeders. I usually get a few, but this year is OUT OF CONTROL...the feeders are covered in bees...not honeybees either...these are the nasty yellow ones. I had one wasp/fly trap out...now I put 3 more. They help somewhat attracting the bees instead of going on the hummingbird nectar. I used to put apple juice in the traps...now I'm putting the sugar water, same as hummingbird nectar, with a little juice. Seems to be helping...but I've never had season so bad as this year. One feeder is also full of knats every morning...so I have to dump the whole thing, and wash it.

I use Humzinger feeders and I've never had this problem. I love seeing the hummingbirds, but ill feel relieved when then migrate this August. Thankfully I have lots of flowering plants I'm seeing them feed from too.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Icegoddess — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 20:40:20 GMT

@sabatini wrote:
Hi.
The bees can be a nuisance! It's usually the 'upside-down bottle' feeders that are the problem.
I've had the inside of the bottle literally stuffed with bees!
What's bizarre about those feeders, is that lots of them are sold with bright yellow 'bee guards', & that color attracts bees!

Switch to the saucer type feeders, and you'll have no problems, as long as the nectar isn't so full that they can reach it.

Wild Birds unlimited sells tiny little bee guards that can be applied under the feeding hole, though they only fit feeders sold by them.

Good luck!

@sabatini I have one of those updside down feeders with the yellow bee guards and never have trouble with bees. They can't get in. I DID have trouble with ants though. I now have a moat hanging above it.

The manufacturer of my feeder changed from a small mouth (very hard to clean) to a large mouth which is much easier to clean this year. Problem is, it leaked terribly. It came with a white single-hole center. I liked the yellow bee guard centers better so replaced two of the white ones with the yellow bee guards from my older feeders. And then I noticed, the leaking was only coming out of the flowers with the white centers. So, I changed all the white centers with the old bee guard centers from my old feeders and no leaking since. No bees, no wasps, no ants; just hummers.

I like to collect multiples over the years so I have extra glass jars to switch out so I don't have to rush to clean them and get them back out.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Dazlin — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 20:50:09 GMT

@depglass ...I just started another thread with a pic.

But here is one I just took.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Dazlin — Sat, 30 Jul 2022 20:51:12 GMT

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

depglass — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:41:41 GMT

A sincere belated thank you to all who contributed to this thread. We have been at our cottage, which has no computer access. It is comforting to know other hummingbird lovers have conquered this problem.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Icegoddess — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:57:07 GMT

@Dazlin wrote:

But now you're killing the bees and they're our pollinators. Sadly, I have a pollinator garden and have only seen one honeybee. I did have bumblebees, but they, too, have all disappeared. I haven't seen one bee of any kind in my garden in a couple of weeks.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Dazlin — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 00:00:56 GMT

@Icegoddess , just wanted you to know...no honey bees are being trapped....thankfully they don't bother with the feeders at all. I have lots of honey bees on my flowering plants. I would have taken down the traps if honey bees got in. Im actually very thankful for the honey bees...we have several people nearby that sell their own local honey. Hope yours come back.

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

walker — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 00:31:17 GMT

I recently got this tip from a friend about bee problem...IT WORKS!!! Spread a "little" olive oil "around" the opening....in my case ....petals around each opening so I dabbed olive oil just around that flower. The bees do not like it...sticky...it does not bother hummingbirds because they just perch and sip or hover and sip into opening.

TRY IT! No more bees here!

Re: Humming bird feeders and bees

Icegoddess — Wed, 17 Aug 2022 00:34:52 GMT

@Dazlin good to know. Either they will come back when the Obedient plant blooms in the fall or they'll be gone and hopefully return come spring. The honeybees I don't know. I hadn't seen any in a few years. This year I had one or two early on, but not now. Not as many butterflies either. At least I have the hummingbirds.

We would try bee hives if we had the property for it. Hubby is interested, but most of our yard is shade and even though we don't have houses on top of each other like they're building now, they're still fairly close.

I did see one bumblebee on my hummingbird bush yesterday. Not sure if it was sleeping or just groggy as it wasn't moving much.