Keep Those Pesky Bees Away From Your Hummingbird Feeder

If you’re one of the many people who enjoy watching hummingbirds feed, you may have also noticed that bees are often drawn to the sugar water in these feeders. While bees can be beneficial to gardens and flowering plants, they can be a nuisance when it comes to trying to watch hummingbirds up close. Here are a few tips on how to keep bees away from your hummingbird feeder.

So, how do you keep the bees away from the hummingbird feeders?

To keep the bees away, use red sauce feeders, choose bug-proof feeders, avoid yellow feeders, relocate the feeder regularly and use decoy feeders. You can also make the nectar less sweet if possible, grow a pollinator garden, ensure the feeder is clean or add fake wasps’ nests.

In this blog post, I will discuss ways to keep bees away from your hummingbird feeder.

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How to Keep Bees Away From Hummingbird Feeders

Here is a detailed discussion of the ways to keep bees away from your hummingbird feeder:

Use Red Sauce Feeders

If you are using a clear hummingbird feeder, consider switching to a red one. The color red is known to keep bees away. You can also add a drop or two of red food coloring to the nectar in your clear feeder.

The hummingbirds will be able to reach the nectar through the small holes in the feeder, but the bees will not.

Check out this Hummingbird feeder from Amazon with built-in bee guards.

Choose Bug-Proof Feeders

There are many different types of hummingbird feeders on the market. Some are more bee-resistant than others. When choosing a feeder, look for one with a small opening and is made of metal or glass. These types of feeders will be less attractive to bees.

Avoid Yellow Feeders

Bees are attracted to the color yellow. So, it’s best to avoid yellow hummingbird feeders. If you already have a yellow feeder, try painting it red, or another color bees don’t like. You can do this to some feeders without affecting how good they look.

Use a Bee Guard

A bee guard is a small screen or set of bars that fit over the opening of your hummingbird feeder. Bee guards prevent bees from getting inside the feeding tube while still allowing hummingbirds access to the nectar. Also, make sure the bee guard is the right size. If it’s too big, it could prevent the hummingbirds from being able to reach the nectar.

Relocate the Feeder Regularly

Bees are creatures of habit. So, if you move your hummingbird feeder around regularly, the bees will have a harder time finding it. Try moving it to different locations in your yard every few days. This will keep the bees from getting used to their location.

Hummingbirds are not like bees. Once they spot a good source, they will keep coming back but won’t stick to that same position. More often, you will find them searching around for a new spot. Therefore, regularly changing the feeder’s location won’t bother the hummingbirds but will make it more difficult for bees.

Use Decoy Feeders

Bees are also attracted to the sugar water in hummingbird feeders. So, one way to keep them away is to use decoy feeders. Fill a few small bowls with sugar water and place them around your yard.

The bees will be attracted to the sugar water and leave the hummingbird feeder alone.

Decoy feeders can also be fake flowers. You can find these at most craft stores. They look like real flowers but don’t have nectar. The bees will be fooled and go to the fake flower instead of the hummingbird feeder.

Make the Nectar Less Sweet

If you can, make the nectar less sweet. Bees are attracted to sweet things. So, if you make the nectar less sweet, they will be less likely to be interested in it. You can do this by adding more water to the nectar recipe.

Grow a Pollinator Garden

Bees are attracted to flowers. So, one way to keep them away from the hummingbird feeder is to grow a pollinator garden. This is a garden that has a variety of flowers that attract bees. The bees will be drawn to the flowers and not the hummingbird feeder.

When making the pollinator garden, you need to consider what will b suitable for both the bees and the hummingbirds. Some good flowers to include are bee balm, salvia, verbena, and foxglove.

Keep Your Hummingbird Feeder Clean

A clean hummingbird feeder is less likely to attract bees than a dirty one. A dirty feeder has a lot of pollen and nectar on it, which can attract bees. So, it’s important to clean the feeder regularly.

Be sure to clean your hummingbird feeder regularly with soap and water. You should also disinfect it periodically with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.

RELATED: Building your own DIY backyard mason bee house is a project anyone can tackle with just a few materials and planning

Use Bee Repellents

There are many different bee repellents on the market. You can find these at your local hardware store. Some popular bee repellents are mint leaves, citronella oil, and eucalyptus oil.

To use these repellents, you will need to put them in a spray bottle and use them to mist the area around the hummingbird feeder. You will need to reapply the repellent every few days.

Use a Bee Trap

If you have a bee problem that you can’t seem to get under control, you may want to try using a bee trap. Bee traps work by luring the bees into containers where they can’t get out.

As much as the bees may be a menace, it is important to note that they are an important part of the ecosystem. You should be careful about the methods you use to get rid of them to avoid harming other creatures.

As soon as your hummingbird feeder is free of bees, remove the traps to prevent other creatures from getting caught in them.

Add Fake Wasps’ Nests

Wasps are known to be very territorial. So, if you add a few fake wasps’ nests around your hummingbird feeder, the bees will be scared away.

You can find fake wasps’ nests at most craft stores. Just hang them around the area where you have the hummingbird feeder. The bees will see them and think there are wasps in the area. So, they will stay away.

Tip: See some Simple Ways On How To Avoid Bee Stings While Gardening

Use Cedar Shavings

Cedar shavings have a strong smell that bees don’t like. So, if you sprinkle some cedar shavings around your hummingbird feeder, the bees will be kept at bay.

How To Keep Bees Away From Your Hummingbird Feeder Infographic

Final Thoughts

Keeping bees away from your hummingbird feeder can be a challenge. But, it is possible to do if you use the right methods. Try out a few of the above methods and see which works best for you. I hope this article has helped you.

I’m J.S., I created and am the content manager at DIYHouseSkills.com. I do the research and write the articles that appear on this website. I’ve learned many household skills during my life and think it’s important to at least know the basics so that you can save yourself time and money… READ FULL BIO >