Bee Hummingbird Feeders

There is a bird called a Bee Hummingbird which is native to Cuba. The photo here is a Ruby throated Hummingbird from California. You might be surprised to see a page about hummingbirds on Bees-on-the-Net. People often call me in the summer because they have bees clustering around their humming bird feeders. Apparently this tends to keep the hummingbirds from feeding.

They want to know how to discourage the bees. The reason bees are drinking the sugar syrup from the feeders is a combination of factors. It usually occurs in hot weather when the bees need to collect water to take back to the hive in order to cool the hive down with a type of 'swamp-cooler' effect. The bees are very adept at conditioning the air, warming it up if the weather is cool and cooling it down when it's too hot.

You can help the bees by providing a water source nearby, such as a small pond or tub of water. Make sure there are places for the bees to land safely when collecting water, by providing some rocks or even better some water plants. If you live in an area which has mosquitoes, you should put a few larvae-eating fish in the water.

I once took the temperature of the side of a house which had bees inside the wall. The hot sun was beating against the side of the house. I measured the temperature with an infrared thermometer, 99°F around the bee's hive, and 85°F in the middle. The bees where very definitely cooling their hive space.

To discourage bees from monopolizing the bee-hummingbird feeders I have found that it's a good idea to allow the bees to finish up the syrup, then either leave the feeder empty for a day or two or remove it. The bees seem more ready to give up their nectar source if it runs out. If it's taken away suddenly or moved, they'll keep coming back looking for it. They seem able to accept the fact that it's run out, as they would if a source of nectar from flowers was finished, they know they have to move on. It's often better to take an oblique approach when dealing with a bee hummingbird situation.

www.the-scoop-on-wild-birds-and-feeders.com For more solutions to problems with Hummingbird feeder nectar.

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