How to Prevent Bees From Using Hummingbird Feeders

Hummingbird feeders are amazing for attracting those elusive, beautiful birds to the garden. However, the sweet nectar is just as appetizing for the local bees!

 

We love bees and hummingbirds alike—they’re both extremely beneficial garden pollinators and beautiful to look at! However, when we put up hummingbird feeders, sometimes bees aren’t keen to stay in their lane, and it becomes a bit of a problem. The sweet nectar inside hummingbird feeders is just as delicious for the bees, and it’s common for them to steal the nectar. However, there are a few ways to keep the bees away from your feeder, so the hummingbirds won’t have any problems accessing the food source you’ve so generously provided them. 

 

Bees at the Hummingbird Feeder: How to Fix the Problem

If bees and aggressive wasps swarm your hummingbird feeders, the hummingbirds will be hesitant to approach. They don’t mind feeding next to a couple of buzzing insects, but if there are a lot of bugs crowding around, the birds won’t be eager to join that dinner party. Here’s how to keep bees away from your feeder, so it remains a hummingbird-only zone. 

 

Add Bee Guards to Feeder Holes

Bee guards, also known as nectar guards, are caps that attach to the spouts where hummingbirds access nectar from the feeder. They almost look like miniature sewer grates—but much more pretty and colorful. The crisscrossing bars of the guard caps block insects from getting to the nectar but have enough space to allow hummingbirds to insert their slender beaks. 

 

Check Your Feeder for Leaks

If there’s a tiny leak in the feeder, nectar will slowly trickle out, and the bees will smell it! Inspect it closely, and if you see any leaks, seal them with a waterproof sealant, or pick up a new feeder from our garden center in Glenside. 

 

Plant a Pollinator Garden

If there’s a blooming garden full of all the bees’ favorite fragrant flowers, that should certainly dissuade them from hanging around your feeders all day! Pollinators tend to prefer native plants that they recognize from home, and bees are especially fond of yellow flowers. Here are a few sunny yellow flowers that are native to Pennsylvania:

• Coreopsis
• Helenium
• False sunflower
• Rudbeckia
• Yellow columbine

Remember to avoid using pesticides in your pollinator garden—not only can they harm the bees, but they can also pose a threat to hummingbirds! 

 

Clean Your Feeders Regularly

If there are traces of sweet nectar splattered around the outside of your hummingbird feeder, you can bet the bees will swarm in and sample the goods. Those graceful hummingbirds can be surprisingly messy eaters, so it’s wise to give the feeder a good wipedown every week or two. It’s also important to deep-clean and sanitize the inside of your feeder regularly, too—you don’t want the hummingbirds to get sick from mold. 

 

Use a Saucer Feeder

Saucer-shaped feeders have spouts on the very top, so hummingbirds need to insert their beaks downward into a spout to access the nectar. Bees, on the other hand, haven’t figured out how to use straws yet, so they’re unable to steal any nectar from this style of feeder.

 

Move Your Feeder Somewhere New Each Week

No offense to bees, but they just aren’t quite as smart as hummingbirds. So, if you move the feeder around regularly to different trees or other locations, the bees will get confused, while the birds have no trouble finding the new location. 

 

What Not to Do When Dealing with Bees at the Hummingbird Feeder 

Don’t use any pesticides or harsh bug sprays like Raid around the feeder! Those harmful chemicals are dangerous for little birds and other wildlife. Adhesive bug traps, sticky adhesives, or Vaseline are also bad ideas for trapping bugs. If the hummingbirds get any of those substances on their delicate wings, it could hurt them or prevent them from flying. 

 

Attracting birds and pollinators to your yard is great for your garden and our ecosystem! For the best selection of hummingbird feeders in Pennsylvania, plus plenty of other bird feeders and garden accessories to support our local wildlife, visit Primex Garden Center.