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Bees & Beekeeping

HELP! Bees Swarming Hummingbird Feeder

14 years ago

I have a hummingbird feeder which has been undisturbed all summer. This morning, I noticed a couple of bees. Before I realized there was a problem and removed the feeder, they were swarming. They still are -- there are probably two dozen bees swarming it at all times.

The feeder is about half full, and it's going to take a long time for them to empty it. It is located such that the bees are impossible to avoid if I (or my dogs) go outside.

1. Is there any way to get them away from the feeder long enough to get it taken down?

2. Is there then anyway to keep them from the feeder?

PLEASE HELP!

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Comments (5)

torajima
14 years ago
Do you have bee guards on the feeder?

Does the feeder get direct sun? This often causes the feeder to leak, which is probably what is attracting the bees.
brendan_of_bonsai
14 years ago
Why does it matter?The hummingbirds can still use the feeder, bees aren't likely to sting anyone who doesn't really bother them, and they probably wont eat much of your nectar either. Unless you are deathly allergic to bees you should be able to simply reach up and grab the feeder with little apprehension.
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No, they're not part of a swarm, a scout bee let the hive know where the easy picking is and now you have allot more. I would take the feeder down for a while or move it. It will take a day or so to find it again. A bee guard is good to have, bees can't reach down to get the sirup. Somebody out there will get sugar honey.
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It's interesting to me that those who design feeders to be sold don't take into consideration what design(s) work(s). They keep making junk because we keep buying it. In my opinion, there are three big no-no's in hummingbird feeders. 1) The holes through which the juice is accessed must be small: just big enough for the hummers and no more. 2) The distance from the top of the juice to the feeder hole needs to be too long for wasps and bees, but short enough for hummers to get access. 3) The feeder MUST NOT leak. Over the years I have fed thousands upon thousands of hummers.
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Catnappurr, I had big problems with bees a couple of years ago. There was a field near by with lots of bee boxes so they managed to find their way to my "hummie-port" feeder. They literally took over every feeding station on it. They would get stuck in the flower feeding holes or manage to crawl in and not get out...it wasn't a very pretty picture!!! To entice them away I made a stronger batch of nectar (and also got rid of all that red colored nectar). I then hung up pie pans with nectar from some trees and also put out garden stakes that had held small glass bowls in the far corners of my yard. The bees went for the sweeter stuff and stayed away from the feeders. I didn't mean to kill off any bees but they would climb down into the bowls and drown when the nectar level got low...but even so, that didn't stop their compatriots from standing on their backs to continue feeding! Mind you, the bowls held about a cup of nectar and it would disappear within hours. Here's an old photo where a hummie decided to investigate. ~ Cat
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that would depend on where the nest is. if in the ground she'd have a good chance for survival & might stay put. if in an open nest or say an abandoned bird house she'd need to seek a warmer location. if you can locate the nest destroy it after spraying them or when they've gone dormant. if in the ground get a gallon of a good pesticide & mix it in a bucket with some liquid dish soap & pour it into the hole with a funnel. do this after they've gone dormant or if you have a problem nest during the warmer weather pour the mix in at night. wear long pants & sleeves, a hat, gloves, & cover your face with a bandana. pour it quickly & run like h**l. I know some will poo-poo this but gasoline or diesel fuel in a ground nest works too. if you're not up to it call a pro. yellow jackets & hornets can be quite aggressive . anyone in the St Louis area can contact me for swarm captures & bee removals from buildings & trees. this would be for honeybees only. 99.999 % of the calls I get after mid august are usually yellow jackets.
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carolssis
14 years ago
I'd advise you to keep an eye on the feeder, bees don't swarm it all the time, find a time of day when there are fewer bees, early or late in the day. You should be able to take it down with no problem, move slowly, and don't wear blue color clothes, it's bees favorite color and will spend some time investigating you to see if you have pollen they can harvest. Good luck.
ncdirtdigger
14 years ago
Chances are it is yellow jackets that are around the feeder, if so, put a piece of meat a few yards away from the feeder and the yellow jackets will go for that too, and you will know that they are yellow jackets and not honey bees (which are not attracted to meat). Yellow jackets are more aggressive than honey bees and should not be messed with during daylite hours.
Wait til dark and take the feeder down.
If they are honey bees take the feeder down (if you are afraid of bees, again do this at night) and leave it inside for a few days. Honey bees will discover their nectar source is gone and move on. they have short memories and will forget it was ever there until a scout finds it again. I doubt it is honeybees because the feeder is not what they would consider a good source of nectar unless there is nothing else available. I have hives and feeders and the only tijme I have any problems with bees at the feeder is with yellow jackets, which sends me around the yard in search of their nest, so I can destroy it.
llawrence24
2 years ago
My hummingbird feeder has been swarmed by honeybees most of the summer. Not one or two bees, but 20 or 30. I am looking at Amazon today to buy a bee proof feeder. When they begin to swarm, I squirt the feeder with a hose and while the bees are gone, take it down. I’ve been fighting this for at least a month. Time to try something new.

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