Why bees find your feeder in the first place
Bees and wasps come for the same reason hummingbirds do: sugar. The Hummingbird Society lists what draws them in most, and almost none of it is the feeder itself:
- spilled or leaking nectar
- yellow parts, which insects link with flowers
- sticky residue on or around the feeder
- a feeder hung close to where insects nest
The pressure is highest in warm weather. The good news is that most of these causes cost nothing to fix.
Seven fixes, in the order to try them
1. Clean the feeder and everything around it
Take the feeder apart and wash it in hot water, then wipe the hanger, the pole and anything under it. Bees follow the scent of old sugar as much as fresh nectar. Clean it every few days after that, not only when it looks dirty.
2. Find and stop the drip
Fill the feeder and hang it over something pale for an hour. A drip from a port or a seam is often the whole problem. Bottle feeders leak most when the air inside warms and pushes nectar out, so a feeder in full afternoon sun is a common culprit. If a part is cracked or a seal is worn, replace it.
3. Get rid of the yellow
If your feeder has yellow flower ports, swap them for red ones or replace the feeder. According to the Hummingbird Society, bees and wasps are more drawn to yellow than to red.
4. Fit guards to the ports
A guard is a small mesh or membrane over each port that lets a hummingbird's bill through but not an insect. Some feeders come with them, and some makers sell them as add-ons for their own feeders. Check the fit for your exact model before you buy.
5. Move the feeder a few feet
It sounds too simple, but moving the feeder a short distance can break the route bees have learned. Try it before you buy anything.
6. Give the bees something easier, well away from the birds
Put a shallow dish of sweeter sugar water at the far side of the yard. The Hummingbird Society suggests this as a way to draw insects off the main feeder. Keep the dish shallow so bees can drink without drowning. It will not solve the problem on its own, but it takes pressure off.
7. Switch to a saucer feeder
If the steps above have not worked, the feeder design is the limit. In a saucer feeder the nectar sits in a basin below the ports, where a hummingbird's long tongue reaches it and an insect on the port does not. Pair that with port guards and most bee problems end.
What not to do
Some popular tricks are dangerous for the birds. The Hummingbird Society warns against all of these:
- insecticide sprays near the feeder
- petroleum jelly or cooking oil on the ports
- sticky traps
The society notes that these can harm or even kill hummingbirds and other wildlife. Stick to cleaning, guards and feeder design.
