Bees are creatures of habit. If you move the feeder it might confuse them. The hummingbirds will locate the feeder readily. The feeder should be red because that color attracts hummingbirds more than it does bees. If you plant some yellow flowers some ways off it might help since bees are more attracted to that color.

 

The feeder should be red because that color attracts hummingbirds

Short story: Years ago (when I was still capable, and willing, to get on a roof) I 'needed' to do a little tuck point repair on a fireplace chimney. I grabbed a plastic 'vessel' that was at hand in the garage and proceeded to mix some mortar and climb the ladder onto the 6/12 pitch roof. Because of the pitch, I straddled the crown as I walked toward the chimney. All the sudden there was this loud, and close to my head, buzzing. I started carefully 'dancing' precariously to avoid the 'attacker'. When it became apparent that it was a ruby throated hummingbird, I said "What the heck!", then looking down at the plastic 'vessel' in my hand, and seeing that it was red, I said "I get it!".

 

We had to pulls ours two because of wasp could try putting out some cheap soda away from the feeder.

 

Yep, take it down for a few days and then move it a few feet when you put it back up.

That'll confuse the bees and the hummingbirds won't have any trouble relocating it.

 

They're mean little boogers and hellacious fighters. I've watched some ferocious territorial battle royales at the feeders

 

In their little mind they think they are bald eagles -- and act that way. Neat birds!

Doug

 

A small bowl ( over sized saucer)with a rock or 2 in it a distance from the feeder with hummer syrup in it . Once the bees find it they will go there instead

 

Bees never travel very far from the queen. Your best option is to locate a local bee keeper and request him to locate and move the queen a few miles away. The worker bees will follow, and the hummers will stay.

This may not be a great plan for someone who stays year round and raises a garden. But you are not that guy.

 

the whole hive will have to be moved after the entrance is closed early, before they wake up. used to keep bees.

 

My feeders have a little covering called a bee-guard. Kind of a mesh that stands above the feeding tube. Hummers can reach through to the nectar, but a bee can't reach it and they don't stick around. Don't have a problem with wasps either. Just have to watch out for the dive bombers.

 

Here you go. You can swat the bees as they fly towards the feeder!

 

They make one with bacon for bear watching.

 

My wife was working out in the side yard at our cabin this summer and she came running out to the front yard screaming that big wasps were chasing her. We do have wasps in the area so I went back to see where they were and got dive bombed by a couple of hummingbirds that must’ve had a nest nearby. Good thing they were small because they were sure angry. Lol.

 

Unfortunately, 'mean' don't equate to smart. Every year I have several enter my three car garage through an open door when I'm doing lawn chores. They buzz around and against the 11' tall ceiling until they are tired out and light on the open door or it's railing track. They seem unable to observe that 3' down there are a 16' x 8' and 9' x 8' 'escape hatches'. A few years ago, I taped a small 'butterfly net' on the end of a piece of aluminum conduit. Even so, it takes me a good 10-15 minutes of many tries before I can catch them, they see my net get close to their 'perched position' and they are off to buzzing ceiling again. Pretty much have to catch them on the fly, hence the multiple tries. Once caught, I simply walk to the open door stepping quite a few feet away to prevent 're-entry', and with a quick inversion of the net...off they go. Then it's my turn to 'perch' for a while to catch my breath! Yes, there are a number of red items in my garage, including a sizable tool cabinet/box.

 

I had a repeating problem with them getting trapped inside my garages. Then one day while working inside I heard one, looked up, and saw it was hovering near the red emergency release handle on one of the door operators. I painted the handles black and that ended it. One got caught in spiderwebs on a window and I had to free it years ago.

 

My wife loves her hummingbirds and has a feeder right out the front door. This morning there were maybe 50-75 bees swarming on the feeder, took several vigorous applications of Deep Woods Off to drive them away. She has since pulled in the feeder. This same thing has happened for the last few days.

Anyone got a fix for this?

It's frickin February. Where the heck do you live??

 

Arizona

 

Gotcha.

 

We had a huge concentration of humming birds, I was feeding them over a 150lbs of sugar or more each season, really enjoyed watching them.
Then the bird flu hit in our area, and I stopped feeding them to keep them from concentrating in large numbers.

 

We had a huge concentration of humming birds, I was feeding them over a 150lbs of sugar or more each season, really enjoyed watching them.
Then the bird flu hit in our area, and I stopped feeding them to keep them from concentrating in large numbers.

😟
Itsa big deal way up here in the upper UP of MI when we see 4 hummers at once on our feeders.
IMA the electric fly swatters work on bald face wasps IME.

 

My wife puts out several feeders every year. I’ve had to duck them many times in middle of turf war while sitting out on deck. Been trying to figure out how to catch one without hurting it. I think they would make excellent bass bait. Attach hooks to leg with zip tie. Gentle presentation to water at edge of Lilly pads…..and hang on!!

 

Been trying to figure out how to catch one without hurting it. I think they would make excellent bass bait.

Hmmm!

 

I usually have 4-6 feeders out each year. Our biggest issue has been ants, not wasps. They identify the location of a feeder and can go up a porch post and find a way to access the feeders. Once they arrive the hummingbirds are gone. I constantly have to move feeders and try to devise ways to deter the ants.

 

IIRC, there is a kind of cup available that you put above the feeder--I think it is filled with a liquid, and this defeats the ants.

The hummingbirds are cute--we have one that nests nearby, and when the babies start to fly they are about the size of a bumblebee. But yes, they get pretty aggressive around the feeder.

Be sure to change the liquid frequently--if it ferments, not good for the little guys.

 

I'm always amazed by the intelligence of wild animals.
A couple of Summers ago, I walked out on my porch with a coffee one morning. There was a little female hummingbird trying to get a drink at their feeder. at the same time, there were 3 of 4 bees also trying. The bees would chase her when she attempted to get something. She knew what bees were as she was trying to get away from them too. I chuckled and went back inside.
Later that afternoon I was working on my computer on the porch, with the feeder a couple of feet behind me. This little female comes around and gets right in my face. She's hovering about 10 inches in front of me, right in front of my face. "What do you want?", I ask her. She then flies back around me and hovers over the feeder. Sure enough, there are 4 bees working it over. I went in the house and got a rubber band. POP, pop, pop....so much for the bees.
I couldn't get over how smart that bird was in asking me for help.

 

I'm always amazed by the intelligence of wild animals.
A couple of Summers ago, I walked out on my porch with a coffee one morning. There was a little female hummingbird trying to get a drink at their feeder. at the same time, there were 3 of 4 bees also trying. The bees would chase her when she attempted to get something. She knew what bees were as she was trying to get away from them too. I chuckled and went back inside.
Later that afternoon I was working on my computer on the porch, with the feeder a couple of feet behind me. This little female comes around and gets right in my face. She's hovering about 10 inches in front of me, right in front of my face. "What do you want?", I ask her. She then flies back around me and hovers over the feeder. Sure enough, there are 4 bees working it over. I went in the house and got a rubber band. POP, pop, pop....so much for the bees.
I couldn't get over how smart that bird was in asking me for help.

Or perhaps she though that you were a feeder too?

 

I caught one awhile ago and been trying to teach it the words to no avail.

Doug

 

Did you try humming a few bars to it Doug?

 

I even gave it the printed lyrics. Still didn't work. Probably just as bad with ritin and rithmetic. But sure knows how to hum. 😁

Doug

 

If there're yellow jackets or killer bees:

Put a sugar-laden juice bowl out to attract the bees. See what direction the bee left the bowl, and move the bowl so many feet in the direction the bee left the bowl. Keep performing this manuever this, till you'll eventually find the location of the bee's nest.

 

Ant poison baits cured our ant problems with hummer feeders.

 

My wife uses these ant moats on all her feeders:

Amazon.com : Ant Moat for Hummingbird Feeders 2 Pack Black : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : Ant Moat for Hummingbird Feeders 2 Pack Black : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

 

Ant moats are the way to go, our Chickadees use them for a drink . The moats I buy look like an upside down umbrella

 

I use this for ant control on our feeders. It doesn't dry out or wash off. Usually 1 application is needed for the season.

 

We had one that used to come to the window and buzz it till we filled the feeder or popped the air bubble in the feeder