Aug 15, 2018 | Featured in: Watching Backyard Birds, August 2018

Dear Birdsquatch: Bees at the Hummingbird Feeder. What to Do?

A hummingbird approaches a feeder guarded by a bee.
Share:

Dear Birdsquatch:

In the summer every year, my hummingbird feeder is overtaken by honeybees or yellow jackets. The hummingbirds can't get a sip. Is it okay to kill the pests with insecticide spray?

—Scott P., Enid, Oklahoma

Dear Steve,

No, it's NOT OK to spray any kind of insecticide near your hummer feeders, unless you want to harm your hummingbirds. Place a shallow saucer or jar lid with a small amount of nectar in it a short distance away to lure the bees and other sugar-loving insects away from your feeders. Move it farther away each day until the insects no longer visit the feeders. Our pollinators are having a hard enough time finding food these days without us making things worse. If you just can't stand it, or if my suggestion doesn't work, stop feeding the nectar for a few days and then start up again in a new location. But please, don't use toxic sprays. Better living through chemistry isn't a universal truth.

Did you know that Watching Backyard Birds is the only magazine in North America devoted entirely to backyard birds? Subscribe today and receive a heaping helping of backyard content year-round! »



About Birdsquatch

Birdsquatch is WBB's tall, hairy, and slightly stinky columnist. He is a bigfoot who has watched birds all his life. His home range is unknown.

What do you think? Tell us!

comments powered by Disqus

New On This Site

The Latest Comments

  • Re: Feeding Wild Turkeys in My Yard » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    I live in Southeastern Massachusetts. Four "orphaned" very young poults (males) showed up in my yard about a year ago. They have been around all year. I do feed them cracked corn, and they come when I call for them. I don't want to over- domesticate them, but they do recognize me as the lady that brings food. They roost in the big oak trees at night. I have a 1 acre lot, with many acres of protected forest out back and a pond on the property.Lately, during mating season, I have had hens in the yard too. We've counted as many as 7 Toms and hens, but today, had just the one stalwart (a very robust Tom) that comes everyday. One of the Toms that has recently made an appearance is wounded, limping with an obvious predator wound. The local wildlife experts say he should make a full recovery, and that he's best left to recover with his flock.I find them to be interesting and beautiful birds.
    by Heather Cole, Mon, 06 Apr 2020
  • Re: 8 Common Bird-feeding Myths Debunked » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    You have to put food in it.
    by Truckee Man, Mon, 06 Apr 2020
  • Re: Why Do Birds Sing? » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    Love listeningto both songs and calls from birds in our woody neighborhood. The two types of birds I immediately recognize are the cardinals and the chickadees. Yesterday afternoon too, I heard a woodpecker. Then it’s time to check the birdfeeders and the birdbath. Then In no time at all the cardinals and chickadees arrive, as if they had been watching me. As it gets busier around the feeders, I also hear thé screeching of the blue jays. I even saw a couple of robins checking out our lawn....spring has arrived as the last pat gesofisticeerde snow and ice melt away.
    by louisabt, Sun, 08 Mar 2020
  • Re: It's Always a Good Time for a Nest Box! » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    I am wondering about existing nests for Phoebes. I have two outdoor aisle entries to my barn and there are old Phoebe nests up. They ignore them each year and build new nests adjacent to the old, but space is running out. Should I knock down the old nests so they can rebuild?
    by [email protected], Sun, 02 Feb 2020
  • Re: It's Always a Good Time for a Nest Box! » Watching Backyard Birds.com
    Just wondering, should we put anything in the bottom of the box...twigs, clippings, leaves....anything at all?
    by Hebb, Tue, 28 Jan 2020