How To Keep Bees Out of Hummingbird Feeders in Utah

My Hummingbird Feeder is Covered with Bees 

It's springtime and the flowers are blooming. You have put your hummingbird feeders out, but all you seem to be attracting is bees. They love that sugar water, and they are driving away the birds. What can you do about it? 

First you need to know how hummingbirds drink. They use their long tongues to lap up the sugary goodness kind of like a dog. Bees cannot get as far down, so look for a saucer type feeder and fill it halfway so the sugar water is further down where the bees can’t get it. 

You can also get a feeder with smaller holes that will only fit a hummingbird tongue. The birds don’t love these feeders as much, but they will learn to use them. When the bees aren’t swarming as bad, you can use the other feeders that the hummingbirds prefer. 

How Can I Use the Hummingbird Feeders I Already Own 

These are some tricks people recommend that you can try to keep bees off your hummingbird feeders. Dab a bit of peppermint oil around the edge where the bees land. The bees don’t like the smell and will supposedly stay off. 

You can try washing the outside of the feeder with a vinegar solution for the same purpose. The smell of vinegar may keep the bees back. 

Give the Bees What They Want

I like this solution. Mark’s backyard birds calls it the sacrificial lamb hummingbird feeder. He feels one feeder with 3 times the concentration of sugar water and puts it at the edge of the yard far away from his other hummingbird feeders. All the bees swarm to this one and leave the rest of the feeders for the hummingbirds. 

These are some solutions that don't hurt them the bees that are so beneficial. Wasps on the other hand can be a pest. If that is your problem, you can look into a wasp trap.  

Read More: 15 Insects Currently Invading Your Southern Utah Backyard

Hopefully one of these solutions will work for you. Remember, bees will be a bigger problem in the spring than later in the summer.