Sponsors:

Hummingbird Feeders

Only one type of food is usually placed on hummingbird feeders. These are the very sweet juices much commonly known as simply nectars. However, if you own a humming bird feeder, you will notice that not only does humming birds seem to rally towards it but so are armies of ants and quite a number of bees and wasps.

This is typical of course, since ants loved sweets while bees are very much known to visit flowers to get their saccharine nectars in order to create honey. However, ants and bees no matter how small they seem, may create a nuisance in your feeders. For instance, ants can unintentionally damage the tubes of your feeder while bees can be a dangerous addition in your backyard because of their painful stings.

Similar to an oriole feeder, you can do these simple tips to keep your humming bird feeders ant- and bee-free. First, let us deal with line-up of ants in your feeder. You know that water is one of the natural elements that ants do not want to come near to.

As such, what you can do is to regularly run water on your hummingbird feeder. A wet feeder will most likely discourage any ants to come near it. In addition, you are also doing a favor for the tiny hummingbirds by offering them a cleaner feeder.

It will also be a good idea to find the source of ants that head out to your humming bird feeders. You can easily find it by following their marching path. There, you can create a diversion by dabbing some water on their scent trail to confuse the ants or you can make an ant moat so that they have no other option but to look for other food sources.

Next that you need to deal with are the bees and wasps. When you fill your oriole feeder or humming bird feeders, it is important to wipe away any excess nectar as this can positively attract bees and wasps. You can also help prevent the presence of these insects by installing bee guards which you can readily purchase from any feeder shops and if you find that there are wasps or bees hovering near the feeder, you can spray a fine mist of water to drive them away.

These simple tips will allow your tiny humming birds to enjoy the nectars from your feeders. You can also enjoy their presence much enjoyable than with ants or bees. To add more comfort to the feeding humming birds, you may add some perches for them sit on.

If you have an open-top feeder, make sure to create some form of rain guards. This will prevent dilution of nectars and will also minimize the possibility of contamination. During sunny days, make sure that your feeders are away from direct sunlight as the heat can spoil the nectar much faster.

Charm your way to tiny hummingbirds through a well managed hummingbird feeders

The best location where you can place your feeders are near flower beds or in a flower garden. This way, your feeders will act as a great substitute whenever flowers do not have sufficient nectars to offer. Humming birds will also easily spot your feeders at these prime sites.

It is very great to have the opportunity to watch humming birds playfully feeding on your nectar-filled humming bird feeders. When the cold season is fast approaching, you will notice that these birds will stay on your feeders as much as they can to help them prepare for their migratory journey. So keep up your feeders full to support these tiny-winged creatures.