Solved the bee problem

18 years ago

Having problems with bees at your feeders? After I hang my full feeders I take a q-tip and a small cap of olive oil out and paint the flowers with the olive oil, the bees slide right off and it doesn't bother the hummingbirds!! :)

I have one feeder that the bees still want to enter from the under side...all I did was take some more olive oil and paint a ring aroung where the feeder fits together. Problem solved and no bees were killed!! :)

I don't particulary care for bees, I'm allergic, but they serve a purpose...we need them too.

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Comments (4)

greeness
18 years ago
Congrats on finding a green method of keeping bees away from your h-bird feeders! Olive oil is indeed a useful substance--I give it to my dogs every day and their coats shine like mirrors. Now I'll dab some on the feeders, too!
boozie
17 years ago
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this suggestion. I've been battling the bees for the past week. I treated my feeders this morning and so-far-so-good. Thanks again!
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boozie
17 years ago
I was made aware that this might not be a good idea. I sent an email to lanny@hummingbirds.net. His response was as follows:
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I'm opposed to putting any sort of oil, grease, or other substance where a bird could possibly come into contact with it.

If you have a bee problem, you're using a feeder that rewards their efforts; better feeders are available. For suggestions, visit my Feeders page(hummingbirds.net)and click on Bees.
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And from our local "Bird Lady" who writes a column for the local paper and presents numerous programs on Hummers and other birds:

Interesting approach, but I'm not so sure about its effect on the hummers. They're bound to get some of the olive oil on their bills or maybe even their faces. Not good since they have no effective way to clean off the oil.
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So .... after a day of my hummers being able to get to the feeders to eat I have now wiped off the olive oil and hope that no one tells the bees.

As to the proper feeder, I've tried the Hummzinger but my hummers don't like it (the bees still get to it) and I end up discarding the fluid. What to do now????
ltcollins1949
17 years ago
I have 24 feeders out and have lots of bees feeding on them. I too am allergic to bees, and here in south Texas, we have the "killer bees" to contend with. A friend of mine was stung 132 times the other day by the killers, ended up in the hospital, but is doing OK today after a close call.

I just decided that if the bees aren't aggresive, I just leave them alone on the feeders. I have lots of plants and lots of feeders that the hummers can use. We don't need to be losing anymore bees since they seem to be in a decline at the presnet.