Would anyone know of any homemade solutions or handy tips on how to keep yellow jackets away from hummingbird feeders?
By Beverly from Easley, SC
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I use mint extract, purchased from the baking aisle of my local grocery. I dip a Q-tip into the extract, then paint the ports, both top and bottom, with the extract. I also smear it randomly on the feeder as well as where the bottle attaches to the base. The yellow jackets ignore the feeders, until it rains. Then you may have to repeat the process, something I always do when I change the nectar water.
I tried that back last year and it didn't work
This worked great for me, and my own idea too. My feeder has about 6 yellow flowers with holes to feed the hummingbirds. I took the bottom section off and split it open, as in cleaning. This gave me access to the "other side" of the flowers. I put cellophane tape over each hole. Then on the "right side" of the flowers, I mixed some epoxy and filled every hole. The tape kept the expoxy from running out the other side. When fully cured, I removed the tape and using a carefully chosen drill bit size, I drilled through the epoxy.
Yellow Jackets are from the wasp species. They are not bees. The yellow jackets will die off at the end of summer. The queen will fly away to start a new nest, but they will return next year from a different nest.
The bees are attracted to the yellow part of the flower. That's all there is to it. I have purchased so many feeders in search of one that is easy to clean. I noticed that the ones with the yellow part in the flower (I have), the bees take it over. The ones that are only red. . .NO BEES! No ants. I put all the feeders with the yellow on one side of the house, and the others on the kitchen side so I can watch while I cook etc.
Oh, and speaking of trying to clean those horrible small holed feeders. Through the years I have been buying so many brushes that I thought would get through the bottle neck. Spent tons of moolah. Guess what I ran into on the net?! Feeders that have the neck large enough for not only a baby bottle brush, but larger! Even the bottom part comes apart in a snap so I can scrub it totally inside and out. The main part that holds the sugar water is clear so you can see how clean it is and the feeding part is completely red! You bet! No bees!
Happy Humming
I have that exact feeder and I have yellow jackets!!! That is why I am on here, looking for the answer.
Today is the very first time I have had anything other then ants and the humming birds, I call them flying peanuts, really do not like the yellow jackets.
I have the same exact feeder; clear, square bottle, no yellow ports. I take it apart EVERY night after sundown to clean little bee & wasp corpses out of it. 27 last night. I move the feeder periodically, to a different place on our balcony, but that only gives a day or so of reprieve.
That's the kind of feeder I use too, but there are So Many bees, the hummers can't even get to it!!!
Use pipe cleaners the course to start then the softer ones
Well, my ports are NOT yellow, they are red and metal and I still get these nasty mean wasps literally chasing my hummers away. And, when I come outside they chase me!!! I am getting this thing called "Bug-A-Salt" and blasting them out of the air!
My aunt has probably eight of these feeders and has 100 + hummingbirds but this year very large bees have been feeding on the feeders, they even chase the Hummers away. The only thing we haven't tried is a separate feeder for the bees, will try it tomorrow.
Pipe cleaners work well
This is completely inaccurate as my feeder is only red and it is swarmed with bees next please...
Let me repeat that... there is no yellow on my feeder
The colors on your hummingbird feeder are not relevant to whether or not bees and wasps can drink from it.
If the "drinking holes/port holes" are too (large) then the bees and wasps can drink from them quite easily.
Or, if the feeder has (sugar water/nectar) on the outside of the feeder, the bees and wasps will still be attracted to it.
If the port holes are too large (where bees and wasps are still able to drink) try using a little piece of *plastic canvas* cut and placed over the large port holes (glued down) over each hole, which the plastic canvas will make for a smaller hole where only the hummingbirds can eat from it, not the wasps and bees.
Please don't use "mint oil or any other oils" on the hummingbird feeders, it's not needed, and the hummingbirds don't like it and they'll leave and go elsewhere.
If you don't know what plastic canvas is, I'll post a picture. Just cut a small square out of this plastic canvas as it's called, glue over the hummingbird feeder port holes, and then only the hummers can drink, as the holes will now be too small for wasps and bees to drink from.
You'll only need one sheet of the plastic canvas, as they're about 12" x 12" and to cut small squares into (1" x 1" pieces to cover the port holes) you'll have lots left over, and the plastic canvas can be purchased at most craft stores for under 1 dollar.
I removed the link and it is no longer a Best Answer. Do let us if you find a solution to the hummingbird feeder bee problem.
In one of the posts there is a link to "First Nature" web site. Upon reading the post and clinking on the link I found the feeders as suggested. It wasn't until I got to the check out that I noticed a problem. They charge you the price of the feeder for the shipping! So, the feeder just doubled in price. (Even if they state that this is an "estimated shipping cost" they are still charging that amount at check-out). Do not use this link.
You can buy these same feeders on amazon and get free shipping with certain conditions (amazon prime or minimum order). If you live in Texas, HEB has a feeder called the best hummingbird feeder ever. It is inexpensive, the bottle is glass, and I am watching the bees going to the other feeder I have and leaving this one alone for the hummingbirds.
BEST hummingbird feeders are the only feeder I'll use. Love the glass bottle and everything comes apart for easy cleaning.
Do u have a picture of the feeder you bought from HEB?
Those are all I have and they are swarming them. They finish one and have moved to the next one:(
How to keep Yellow Jackest away from humming bird feeder.
The bees are loving this hummingbird feeder. I can't keep them away and the birds can't eat with them there
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