[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Hummingbirds & Bees



CAROL . . .

Bees are most persistent when there's dry weather and few flowers are 
available. You did right to take down your feeder, but you might have 
hung it in a different place; bees are fixed on locations more 
tightly than are hummingbirds. Sometimes just washing off the outside 
of the feeder will deter bees.

Your friend also had a good suggestion. Put a saucer of super-sweet 
(2:1) sugar water right beside the feeder, perhaps on a ladder, and 
as the bees drain it move the saucer away from the feeder over 2-3 
days. The bees will usually abandon the feeder for the saucer, and by 
then there may be some flowers blooming that will attract the bees 
anyway.

Most bees seem to be drawn more to feeders in the sun than in the shade.

Hummers vary greatly in how aggressive they are in chasing bees, 
yellow jackets, wasps, and bumblebees.

It's worth remembering that when we put out sugar water to attract 
hummingbirds, we can hardly legislate what else nature might send to 
our feeders. The insects need "nectar," too, so it's just a matter of 
learning how to meet their needs while we're meeting those of 
hummingbirds.

You might also want to look at the Operation RubyThroat website  ( 
http://www.rubythroat.org )under "Attracting Hummingbirds--Feeders" 
for some other hints.


Best wishes,

BILL


P.S. If you only have one feeder, add one or two more. Bees aren't as 
likely to visit them all.


**********


>Hello all,
>When I went home from work yesterday, I found my hummingbird feeder had been
>overtaken by bees - quite a few swarming around - and the feeder was almost
>empty. I shooed them away, brought the feeder in, cleaned and refilled it, and
>waited about an hour, then put it back up when I saw a hummer fly in looking
>for it! However, the bees came back almost immediately and the hummer took
>off.
>
>Will the hummers scare the bees away when they (hummers) want to eat? Should I
>take the feeder down for a longer period of time? A friend recommended putting
>a plate of hummer food nearby for the bees, in the hopes they'd leave the
>feeder alone.
>
>Never having had success with hummers before, I'll be very disappointed if I
>can't continue to enjoy them now that I have some. I look forward to hearing
>some advice on how to handle this.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Carol Williamson
>Durham, NC
>carolw@sandler-recht.com
>
>Cathy Green wrote:
>
-- 


**********

BILL HILTON JR., "The Piedmont Naturalist"
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
1432 DeVinney Road
York, South Carolina 29745
USA

e-mail: <hilton@hiltonpond.org>

Voice: (803) 684-5852

eFax: (503) 218-0845

Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is a 501(c)(3) 
non-profit research and education organization, so all in-kind or 
monetary gifts to Operation RubyThroat and the Center are 
tax-deductible. Please visit our websites:

Hilton Pond:  <http://www.hiltonpond.org>

Operation RubyThroat:  <http://www.rubythroat.org>


"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to 
watch the sunset."

						BHjr.

**********