Wasps and bees are attracted to the color yellow but do not find red as appealing. Avoid feeders with yellow insect guards or flower accents to minimize the feeders’ attractiveness to insects. If your feeder comes with yellow accents, repaint the accents with red, non-toxic paint.Oct 5, 2021
Peppermint oil repellent.
Some bird lovers claim that peppermint extract doesn’t bother hummers but discourages bees and wasps. Dab the minty stuff on the feeding ports and where the bottle attaches to the feeder. Repeat the process after a rainfall. You can also try putting a peppermint plant near the feeder.
You can minimize the wasps’ visits by changing the type of feeder you use. Saucer feeders work best for this as the hummingbird’s long beak can reach the nectar but the wasps cannot. If you have single tube feeders, invest in some inexpensive bee guards, which accomplish the same thing.
Step 2: Deterring scents
While scent is the easiest way to attract these unwanted guests, it’s also the easiest deterrent! Simply incorporate scents that humans find pleasant and bees find repulsive. Some of these off-putting fragrances are peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, and thyme.
Dryer Sheets
Bees and wasps hate the smell of a dryer sheet and will stay far away from it. Spread a few sheets around your back patio or wherever you’re having a get-together to keep the area pest-free.
Vinegar does not harm hummingbirds. … Soap is the least favorable method for cleaning a hummingbird feeder because it leaves a distasteful residue changing the flavor of the nectar. There are various chemicals that make up the composition of dish soap.
Oils. One home remedy for insects on hummingbird feeders is to use olive oil, cooking spray, petroleum jelly, or similar slippery substances around feeding ports or on the poles supporting feeders.
Some Wind Chimes May Scare Birds Away
Also, particularly loud wind chimes are more likely to keep birds away from your property. … If you wish to keep birds away from your deck, then using loud wind chimes is a great idea. The loud sounds will startle birds and make them want to avoid the area.
When feeding hummingbirds, though, you may well find that bees, wasps, and yellow jackets are also drawn to the feeder, sometimes in numbers sufficient to scare away the hummers. There are several measures you can take to keep these pests from ruining your chance to enjoy the beauty of hummingbirds.
You can sprinkle some cinnamon in the areas that bees like to visit. The strong smell of cinnamon will repel them.
Burn citronella candles to create a masking odor that keeps bees away. Citronella will not harm bees directly, but honeybees and bumblebees will avoid areas that are infused with its smell.
Growing peppermint works wonders and should keep bees away from your patio deck. It just takes more effort and time to do that than it does to sprinkle some cinnamon or crushed garlic around the area. You can also choose to take special steps such as removing flowers from the area that attract bees.
Cleaning a Hummingbird Feeder with Vinegar
Fill the bottle up with 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar and let it soak for several hours. Be sure to rinse thoroughly before refilling with nectar. You may still need to use a stiff brush to clean the base and also a bottle brush for the bottle.
There are several essential oils you can use to safely and effectively repel wasps. Peppermint oil on its own has been shown to keep wasps and bees at bay, or you can use a combination of clove, geranium, and lemongrass essential oils as a natural pest control method.
Bird owners should note that there are some essential oils that are never safe for their birds (or most animals in general), such as tea tree oil, as they can prove to be very toxic to small animals.
It turns out Citronella does serve two purposes. One: it’s beautiful, and at least in its first year filled in that lily blank between the trumpets and the other kinds of lilies. Two: it’s hummingbird food, and a whole lot more nutritious than sugar water. Fun to watch, too.
DO NOT USE Petroleum jelly (Vaseline), Grease, Oil, Vicks Vapor Rub etc. on the Hanger Rod Above the Feeder. Without an ant moat or trap, some have tried applying Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline), grease and oil to the hanger rod which can prevent ants from traveling to the feeder.
As long as the bees can access the sugar water, they will continue to frequent the feeder. A short-term solution is use a light film of either vegetable oil or olive oil on the surface of the hummingbird feeder. … Do not use any petroleum-based products, such as Vaseline, on your feeders.
Wild birds can have coconut oil in their diet, and it’s actually good for them. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, and as birds have fast metabolisms they need lots of calories, so foods such as coconut oil suet cakes are beneficial for them, especially in colder weather.
When feeding hummers in your yard, use only refined cane sugar in your mixture. Honey, guava nectar and other sweeteners become toxic quickly and can harm the birds.
‟Mix one part dish soap to four parts water in [a] spray bottle. Spray all bees … with this solution. The soap-water solution will kill the bees but doesn’t leave a harmful residue like an insecticide. Spray every bee until no bees return for at least one day.”
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