Yellow Jackets are taking over my Hummingbird Feeder!

Question

The yellow jackets are feeding at it and they are scaring away the hummingbirds. I didn't have this problem until a few days ago.The birds come up but fly away because they can't eat due to all the yellow jackets on the feeder. What can I do?

Answer 1

Try to purchase a feeder that has bee guards. They are small criss-crossed screens that fit over the feeding ports. They keep bees out, but allow long, hummingbird bills in.

If you have a vacuum feeder that drips, the guards won't help as much because the bees will be able to l**k the leaking liquid around the feeding ports.

As another option, try moving your feeder. Bees and wasps have habitual daily flight routes they follow and you may be able to lose them by moving the feeder. They may never find it in its new location, whereas the hummingbirds will.

Answer 2

Find the yellow-jacket nest and nuke it with the stuff you can spray from 20 feet away, or perhaps with some other smoking/burning type of bug-killing device.  Finding that nest, often underground, can be a painful experience.  There is no way to deter them from the sweet nectar.

Answer 3

you might try getting some of the yellow jacket traps and hang them near the feeder....use the frozen apple juice concentrate for bait.  It won't totally stop the YJ from going to the feeder but after some time it will reduce the numbers going to the feeders and even giving them another choice than the feeder to go to, to begin with