Garden

[Wahoogaz]

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@Wahoogaz wrote:

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@Drythe wrote:

I’ve sprayed the ports lightly with regular Pam.  Didn’t slow down Hummers, but bees don’t like.

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Wow, I sprayed the feeders with Pam about 30 minutes ago. Bees came back and buzzed around for a minute or two and they haven't been back yet. A couple of hummingbirds stopped by the feeders and drank - so they don't seem to mind. So far, this is a good solution.

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Update:

The Pam I sprayed yesterday was only effective for about an hour in this southern NM sun. After that, the bees returned.

My husband read on a couple of sites that putting bee feeders near the hummingbird feeders would keep the bees away from the HB feeders. I didn't like the idea of putting out a bee feeder, but agreed to put it out when the bees started returning this morning. It took them a while to find the bee feeder this morning, but once they did they seemed to like it better than the HB feeders. I checked again in about an hour and instead of having a few dozen buzzing around - we had a few hundred ... which is what I was afraid would happen. So, that experiment failed. Luckily, I didn't get stung when I took down all the feeders.  We went to a local wild bird store this afternoon and got some HB feeders with internal bee guards. I'm leaving the HB feeders down for the day and will put up the new feeders tomorrow morning. The hummingbirds aren't happy, but at least the bees are gone ... for now. Fingers-crossed the new feeders will be a hit with the birds ... but not the bees.

[OhioAngel]

We had this happen and finally had to get rid of our Hummy Feeder!

[silkyk]

A Caution about using oils:

Many people have found that applying cooking oils and sprays to the outside of the feeder ports deters bees, wasps, and other insects. Be very careful if you do this. These tiny birds expend enormous amounts of energy. They need to feed constantly and have little margin for error when it comes to making a livelihood. Oil that accidentally gets on the hummingbird while feeding or during feeder fights can spell disaster when it comes time to preen their feathers. Birds produce their own oils for preening and additional oils can cause their feathers to become matted, which reduces their ability to fly and keep warm. If you decide to use oil on your feeder, please use it with caution.

Another tip....get rid of those yellow tips on the end of the feeders....they attract bees.

[Wahoogaz]

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@silkyk wrote:

A Caution about using oils:

Many people have found that applying cooking oils and sprays to the outside of the feeder ports deters bees, wasps, and other insects. Be very careful if you do this. These tiny birds expend enormous amounts of energy. They need to feed constantly and have little margin for error when it comes to making a livelihood. Oil that accidentally gets on the hummingbird while feeding or during feeder fights can spell disaster when it comes time to preen their feathers. Birds produce their own oils for preening and additional oils can cause their feathers to become matted, which reduces their ability to fly and keep warm. If you decide to use oil on your feeder, please use it with caution.

Another tip....get rid of those yellow tips on the end of the feeders....they attract bees.

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That's what the folks at the wild bird store told me yesterday about using the Pam spray.

I've got the 4 new feeders out this morning. So far, just the normal amount of bees stopping by and they seem more interested in the water fountain than the feeders. Hummingbirds have also stopped by to feed in the new feeders.

[silkyk]

Combine your/my fountain (red from Kmart) with hummers and this is what ya get!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sYlCIZjlFc

[ValuSkr]

I don't like the spraying-with-Pam idea either.  Maybe you need to get a saucer-type feeder - the kind where the hummer's long tongue is needed to reach the nectar.  I've had one from Hummzinger for many years and don't get bees.