How to Eliminate Bees & Wasps From Hummingbird Feeders
Homeowners hang hummingbird feeders and fill them with a sugar-and-water solution to attract the small, fluttering birds to their yard. Unfortunately, hummingbird feeders attract more than hummingbirds -- the sugar water inside is also enticing to a number of pests, including wasps and bees, who avoid the birds for the most part but pester the well-intentioned person who hung the feeder. A bee or wasp problem can be frustrating, but a number of techniques can make the feeder less attractive to the flying invaders and help eliminate the bees and wasp problem. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Change to a new feeder if your hummingbird feeder has any yellow on it. Wasps and bees are attracted to the color yellow.
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Check the feeder for leaks. Remove some of the sugar solution if it has expanded and is seeping out of the feeder. Change the water every three or four days to prevent it from reducing and becoming more attractive to the invaders.
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Purchase a bee guard for the feeder. Install the perforated cap on the feeder to prevent bees from being able to reach the sugar solution, although wasps may attempt to continue feeding.
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Empty the feeder and bring it inside for a few days. Watch for the wasps and bees to stop coming to your yard. Take the hummingbird feeder back outside, but place it in a different location to throw off any returning bees.
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Purchase wasp and bee traps and leave them where the feeder was formerly located. Select a trap with a yellow casing if possible. Move the traps closer to the feeder if the bees and wasps figure out its new location.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also track the bees and wasps to their hives and eliminate the entire nest with chemical controls.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
