Somewhat less common is information on how to keep bees away from hummingbird feeders. There is a lot of information on how to get hummingbirds to come to your yard and garden.
There are about a dozen kinds of hummingbirds in North America. They like lantana, bee balm, foxglove, salvias, lupine, flowering tobacco, petunias, zinnias, and other colorful garden flowers, as well as the sugary nectar in hummingbird feeders, which is high in calories. These are nice, but they also bring in bees and other bugs.
Bees, like hummingbirds, spread pollen, but bees don’t belong at hummingbird feeders. Wasps and ants are the same way. If there are too many unwanted guests at the feeder, the sugar water can get dirty, which makes the hummingbirds not want to come back. There may not be enough space for hummingbirds that are still interested in the nectar if there are a lot of bees on the feeder.
Key Takeaways
- Many bees have set up home near your bird feeder because they like the nectar. This is because both hummingbirds and bees love it. There are, thankfully, a lot of completely safe ways to get them to go somewhere else.
- If you have bee problems near your hummingbird feeder, choose an upside-down hummingbird feeder that isn’t yellow and move it to a spot with more shade.
- Building a bright, nectar-rich flower garden that is great for honey bees will also bring them to another part of your backyard.
- To keep bees away from hummingbird feeders, never use a herbicide, pesticide, petroleum jelly, or anything else that sticks to it. These plans are neither safe nor kind to people.
A Hummingbird Predator
There is only one species of hummingbird in the world. It’s easy to see how bees could eat hummingbirds since they aren’t much bigger than some bugs. Like hummingbirds, bees like sweet things. In the spring and summer, they come to nectar-filled hummingbird feeders. Bees are very dangerous to the tiny hummingbird.
Because they move so quickly, bees can easily attack the hummingbird. The hummingbird’s small size means it can’t absorb the poison, and just one sting can kill you. It’s important to know how to keep hummingbirds safe from a possibly deadly predator if you want to hang feeders for them in your yard. Even more important is that you do this without using chemicals. Keep in mind that the number of bees is going down, and chemicals are bad for both bees and the hummingbirds you want to protect. Here are six great ways to keep bees away from your hummingbird feeders:
How To Get Rid Of Bees on Hummingbird Feeder
1. Use A Red Hummingbird Feeder
Most hummingbird feeders are red for a reason. Bees are drawn to yellow, while hummingbirds are drawn to red. These birds can reach the nectar through the red saucer feeder because their tongues are long enough to reach it. Pay attention to the feeder’s decorations and paint them red to keep bees from seeing them.
2. Get Nectar Guards
You can buy or make your own for your feeders. They are also sometimes called “bee guards.” The guard just cuts the bees off from the nectar by making the hole they use to eat too small. The juice will still be there for the hummingbirds to drink. You can also get hummingbird feeders that have bee guards built right in.
3. Plug Leaks
It’s likely that your feeders are leaky if you’re seeing more bees at them than usual. Bees are welcome to come and visit sugary juice that is dripping. You will need to plug the leak(s) if they stay open and are more than a small drip. This can be done by making the seal between the bottle reservoir and feeder holes stronger.
There is no need to worry about the plumber’s tape touching the juice when you put it where the feeder screws meet. If the glue isn’t put on right, it could get into the juice and make it dirty.
4. Stay In The Shade
During the hot summer months, shade keeps us all cool. There are several reasons why hanging your hummingbird feeders in shady places might be a good idea. Nectar that is shaded will stay cooler, which will slow down fermentation.
Hummingbirds that eat fermented nectar are at risk because it goes bad. Bees like to feed in full sun, which is why you can see them moving from flower to flower in the sun. The shade will also help keep the bees away. Bees will not be as interested in places with less shade.
5. Relocate Frequently
Another way to keep bees from getting to hummingbird feeders is to move them around a lot. Birds of prey will look for feeders in places where they have already found food. When an insect’s food source is no longer easy to get to, it will stop eating.
It’s not a good idea to move feeders to the other end of your backyard, but moving them even four feet will confuse bees without stopping hummingbirds from eating.
6. Plant A Pollinator Garden
It’s said, “If you can’t beat them, join them.” If these five tips don’t work for you, you might want to plant a pollinator garden. This is a garden that is grown so that bees can find the food they need to pollinate flowers.
More than 80% of all blooming plants get their food from bees. They also pollinate 70 of the 100 most important food items that people eat. Hummingbird feeders will stay safe if you plant a pollinator garden because it will give bees a place to get juice.
Keep in mind that bees are drawn to yellow plants like zinnias, petunias, black-eyed Susans, sunflowers, and beebalm when you put them. You can find plants that grow naturally in your area at your neighborhood garden center.
As the spring and summer go on, you can enjoy watching hummingbirds at your feeders knowing that you have taken steps to keep bees away without harming the environment that both bees and hummingbirds are an important part of.
7. Keep Your Hummingbird Feeder Clean
It is a known fact that bees like sticky, sweet things, just like the juice you gave your hummingbirds. Bees and other pests, like yellow jackets, are more likely to show up when the nectar starts to stick to the outside of the feeding ports.
Our best piece of advice? Make sure the butterfly feeder stays clean! Setting up a deep cleaning once a week is best if you can. If the cleaning guidelines that came with your hummingbird feeder don’t say otherwise, you can use a mixture of hot water and white vinegar.
After taking everything out, give the feeder a good rinse and make sure it’s completely dry before putting fresh nectar in it.
8. Check Feeder For Leaks
You should look for cracks or leaks in your hummer feeder when you clean it out. Remember that the nectar feeder will almost certainly leak some air if the feeding holes or any other part of it are not completely airtight. That means there will be more sweet nectar for bees and wasps to enjoy.
Check the bee guards, food ports, and other parts of the feeder often.
9. Avoid Feeders With Yellow Inserts
One more good piece of advice? Stay away from nectar feeders with yellow cores. Bees and other insects have always been drawn to the color yellow, which is why hummingbird feeders with yellow pieces work so well. Like many other bright colors, yellow often means flowery plants that are full of nectar.
That means that if a bee or other bug that likes nectar sees that bright yellow spot, it might fly over to find out more. You can bet they’ll take advantage of the free lunch while they’re there.
10. Hang The Hummingbird Feeder In The Shade
If you’ve bought the right nectar feeder, made sure it’s clean and doesn’t leak, and put out other treats for those annoying bugs but still have way too many bees coming over, don’t give up.
The next thing you should do is move the hummingbird feeder to a cooler spot. If you want to keep your hummingbird feeders out of the way of flowers, some people hang them under trees. You can also read our 101 Guide to Hanging Hummingbird Feeders for more information.
This is what we suggest because bees are drawn to bright colors. Putting the nectar dish somewhere shadier can make all of its colors look dull. Move the feeder away from growing plants where bees are already busy to keep more bees and wasps away.
11. Deter Unwanted Bees With Vinegar
Are you still having problems with bugs that you don’t want? It might be time to think of a better way to keep bugs away from the food your hummingbirds are eating.
One safe choice is to use a spray bottle with a mixture of water and vinegar. Because bees don’t like the smell of vinegar, it might help keep them away from your other feeders.
12. Keep Bees Away With Citrus
Is vinegar not going to happen? Lemon or orange can be used instead. Many bees are allergic to citrus smells, so you can naturally keep bugs away from your hummingbird feeder by rubbing lemon or orange peel around it.
You could also put cut-up citrus fruit next to the dish, but that could bring in ants instead.
13. Install A Decoy Feeder
You could also put up a fake feeder to draw insects to a different food source. In a nutshell, you’ll be putting something in another feeder that bees will find more appealing than the sugar water you put in the hummingbird feeders. By giving the bees in your area this different food, you’ll probably get them to eat their breakfast, lunch, and dinner somewhere else.
Bees like food that doesn’t have a lot of sugar in it, so put a sugar water solution in your fake feeder that has a lot less sugar than what you’re giving your hummingbirds. Bees will also be drawn to fruit juice and honey water, so you can use those too.
Hummingbird feeders should be at least 10 feet away from your fake feeder. You’ll also need to keep these fake feeders clean and safe, just like your real hummingbird feeders. This will help you avoid getting nectar that has gone bad and keep other animals or insects from coming to your fake feeder in large groups. (“Because you don’t need any more unwanted guests, right?”)
14. Try Essential Oils
You already know that flower and juice smell great to bees. But there are also smells that drive bees away very well. There are some essential oils that can keep bees away from hummingbird feeders if they are used the right way.
These essential oils have been shown to keep bees away from your hummingbird nectar:
- Peppermint oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Tea tree oil
Put a cotton ball or paper towel with a few drops of any of these essential oils on it and put it near the feeder to keep bees away. You can also mix water with the essential oil of your choice to make a spray that you can use around the hummingbird feeder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Nectar Guard?
A nectar guard is a small piece of plastic that can be added to hummingbird feeders to keep bees and other insects from getting to the nectar. The equipment is mostly made up of two parts: a small plastic cap that fits over the hummingbird feeder’s feeding port and a small plastic flap that lets the bird’s long beak reach the nectar but keeps bugs out.
Nectar guards, which are also sometimes called bee guards, can be bought separately from hummingbird feeders. If you need to, you can add them to your feeder. Bee guards are thought to be both successful and kind, so they are a great way to keep bees away from your hummingbird feeders.
Nectar guards can also stop nectar from leaking, going to waste, or going bad.
Do remember that nectar guards aren’t always the best choice. Some bugs can find ways to get around them, and hummingbirds may decide not to eat at your bird feeder if you put up the guards, or they may need some time to figure out how they work.
The most important tip for nectar guards is to try other ways to keep bees away along with nectar guards. In fact, we don’t even think that nectar guards are the best way to start dealing with bee swarms. If that doesn’t work, try giving bees and other insects other things to do. If that doesn’t work, try nectar guards as a backup plan.
Are Hummingbirds Afraid Of Bees?
Hummingbirds aren’t scared of bees, but a swarm of bees or other bugs is likely to keep those hummingbirds from gathering in that area.
Do Bees And Hummingbirds Eat The Same Thing?
Even though bees and hummingbirds don’t eat the same things, they will often fight for food sources. It’s likely that the same thing is going on in your garden. After all, they both like the nectar that flowers and hummer feeders give off.
Bees like to eat flowers because they have nectar and pollen. Their long, unique mouths help them get nectar from flowers. As they eat, they move pollen from one flower to the next. This helps plants get pollinated and grows beautiful flowers all over the world. In fact, this is just one more reason why we should never hurt honey bees!
That’s what hummingbirds do with their long beaks: they drink nectar from flowers. But they’re also happy to drink from a feed bowl. But, as we already said, bees like juice that isn’t as concentrated or sweet, so if you’re making a fake feeder for bees, make sure it’s not too sweet.
What’s a Bee Feeding Station?
Putting out a bee feeding station is a great way to give bees food in your backyard. A bee feeding station is usually set up outside and is used to add to natural food sources like flowers, such as marigolds and bee balm.
Most of the time, a bee food station has a feeder or dispenser that holds honey water or sugar water. You can buy these already made, or you can make your own. Some of these bee feeding stations may have fences or guards to keep other insects, like yellow jackets, ants, and wasps away from the bee feeder.
In general, a bee feeding station is a good thing to have in your flower yard. Bees will be less likely to swarm your saucer feeders and scare away your beloved hummingbirds if you give them more appealing places to eat.
A bee feeding spot is a lot like a decoy feeder, so keep that in mind.