![]() But, if you are having problems with other bees visiting your hummingbird feeders, you are not alone. ![]() This could result in fewer unwanted visitors at the feeder. But sometimes, beekeepers can help to minimize the problem.īy feeding hungry colonies in times of serious nectar dearth, the colonies will be less desperate for food. But, if you have some of the low hanging bird feeders, choose some plants that help repel bees for planting nearby.įor minor problems, you might place some of these in hanging baskets near your feeder (mints, eucalyptus).Ĭan the local beekeeper keep bees away from your feeder?īeekeepers can not keep bees away from your hummingbird feeder. This idea will not work for those of you that hang your feeders up high. If a problem continues, experiment with making the sugar syrup just a bit less sweet. This is a bit below the preferred sweetness ratio for honey bees. The typical mixture for hummingbird feed is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. It might be worth a try if all else has failed in your quest. They say the birds don’t mind while the bees do not like the scent. Some bird lovers report success by using a small dab of peppermint essential oil on their feeders. Use Peppermint Essential Oil on Feeder Ports And, don’t forget the Fall Blooming Flowers that begin in late Summer. Stagger the bloom throughout the warm months. Choose many different types of flowers for bees that bloom at different times.Īnnuals and perennials that provide food throughout the season. Drought tolerant flowers that bees love will help lure them to this natural food source.Ĭonsider watering your flowering plants during the hot summer, to encourage even more nectar production. Add some new flowers to the pollinator garden – sunflowers that attract bees, bee balm or zinnia are good choices.Ĭhoose landscape plants that bloom during the hot dry Summer. It may not help this season but develop a plan for next year. Yes, even honey from the supermarket is a bad idea. Honey can contain spores of bee diseases such as American Foulbrood that is harmless to humans but kills bee colonies. Please do not attempt to feed bees honey as a lure. Understand though, that this type of feeder attracts every sugar loving insect in the area – it should not be placed near the house. Keep it away from human traffic etc.īeekeepers may use a larger DIY bucket feeder for a large number of bees. The bees should move to the new food source as they prefer a sweeter solution.Įvery day move the sugar water feeder a little farther away (do this very early in the morning or at night)- in time this should get them focused on something different than your bird feeder.īe cautious with this method as you may have a lot of bees visiting. Place this feeder a short distance away from the bird feeders. Make a mixture of sugar water – (2 parts white cane sugar dissolved in 1 part water) in a shallow dish or pan filled with marbles, gravel or stones (so no one will drown). This is best used as a temporary solution. However, if all else fails, consider trying a bee feeding station (this one is for water but it would work as a sugar water feeder). Plant nectar is the best food for our winged pollinators. Maybe you will have luck with that but it sure did not fool my wasps – LOL. Some homeowners use a “ fake wasp nest” to prevent the insects from building. Remove these nests before they grow large. Wasps from nearby nests will come to your feeder. Of course, it is not only honey bees that can be a problem. If you already have a feeder with yellow feed ports, paint them red using non-toxic paint. There are many elegant hummingbird feeder styles to choose from. Look for red hummingbird feeders with white or red feeding ports. Insects are more attracted to yellow so try to find a feeder that doesn’t have the bright yellow centers. Common hummingbird feeders are red and yellow because that is a bright cherry combination. Red attracts hummingbirds – yellow attracts insects. This is the most effective deterrent for keeping bees away from feeders and outdoor areas. In addition, You may be able to purchase bee guards for your existing saucer feeders. If the insects can not reach the food, there is no reason for bees to swarm the feeder. The insects will not be able to access the syrup. With proper bee guards, the birds will be able to reach deep down to access the syrup with their long tongues. Those shaped like saucers are nice but if they do not have bee guards – you may have more problems. When buying hummingbird feeders, chose a style that has insect guards. By subscribing, I consent to receiving emails.
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