How to Keep Bees and Wasps Away from Hummingbird Feeders

If you have been asking, “How can I keep bees away from my hummingbird feeder?”, the short answer is to take away their reach and their leftovers. Use a feeder that holds the nectar where a bee’s short tongue cannot get to it, such as a saucer-style feeder or one fitted with bee guards. Stop drips and wipe up spills. Avoid feeders with yellow parts. If insects keep coming, move the feeder or take it down for a day or two. None of these steps involves oil, grease, or insecticide. Below we explain how to tell honey bees from yellowjackets, why that difference changes what you do, and which popular fixes to skip.

This guide covers keeping insects away from backyard feeders. It is not medical advice and not advice on caring for sick or injured birds. If anyone in your household has reacted badly to a sting, follow their doctor’s guidance; if you find a sick or injured bird, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or your state wildlife agency.

Bees on a Hummingbird Feeder: Honey Bees or Yellowjackets?

When people describe bees on hummingbird feeder ports, the visitors are often wasps. The two groups behave differently, so take a minute to look before you change anything. The University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM) gives these field marks:

• Yellowjackets are 1/2 to 1 inch long with jagged, bright yellow and black stripes, and their narrow waists are barely visible. Unlike other common wasps, they scavenge for food. They defend their nests and are more likely to sting if disturbed while foraging, and a wasp’s stinger has no barbs, so it can sting more than once.
• Honey bees are less brightly striped than yellowjackets and have more hair. UC IPM says they usually are not attracted to food, although they may go to sweets, and are unlikely to sting unless trapped or stepped on.
• Paper wasps have long, slender waists and, per the same source, are rarely aggressive.

Timing is a clue too. UC IPM explains that by late summer yellowjacket colonies need large amounts of sugar to keep the queen and workers going, and foraging wasps become particularly interested in sweet things.

The sources we read also differ on how much this matters to the birds. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach says these scavenger insects may have little impact on hummingbirds and mostly interfere with the bird-watcher’s enjoyment. A column for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division by Terry W. Johnson is more cautious: in late summer, he writes, yellowjackets pose a real danger for both hummingbirds and the people who maintain feeders. We treat a few honey bees as a nuisance and a feeder crowded with yellowjackets as a reason to act sooner.

Why Bees and Wasps Find the Feeder

Becky Griffin, a community and school garden coordinator with the UGA Cooperative Extension, put it simply in a University of Georgia news item: the sugar water in the feeder is similar to the nectar bees look for in flowers, and bees may show up because there are few nectar sources in your area. In other words, a busy feeder can be a sign that the yard and the blocks around it have little in bloom.

The feeder itself often helps them. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service notes that bottle-style feeders may drip in direct sun, because pressure builds in the air space inside the bottle and pushes sugar water out. Penn State Extension adds that hummingbirds often splash sugar water onto the bee guards as they feed. Either way, a film of sugar ends up on the outside of the feeder, where a bee can reach it without getting near the reservoir.

How Can I Keep Bees Away from My Hummingbird Feeder? Seven Steps

1. Use a design that keeps nectar out of reach

Reach is the whole game. The Arkansas extension service points out that a hummingbird’s tongue can reach much farther than the mouthparts of a wasp or bee, and that newer feeders with bee guards and longer tubes give hummingbirds the advantage. The Georgia column makes the same point from the other side: bees have short “tongues,” so they cannot reach liquid that sits far enough below the opening.

That is why saucer feeders come up so often. In a reply posted to Ask Extension, the Cooperative Extension question service, a responder recommends red saucer hummingbird feeders because the hummingbird can reach the nectar but insects won’t. The UGA item lists saucer-type feeders or feeders with bee guards among its tips as well. With a saucer, the nectar sits in a shallow basin below the ports instead of at the port opening, so fill it only to the line the maker marks; a basin filled to the brim puts the nectar back within reach.

2. Add bee guards, and keep them clean

If you would rather keep the feeder you have, look for guards made for it. Iowa State describes bee guards as small perforated plastic caps that fit over or into each feeding tube like a grate; hummingbirds reach their slender beaks through the holes. The Georgia column explains that the guard works by adding distance between the opening and the nectar.

Set your expectations, though. Iowa State says guards help keep bees away “to some extent” and that wasps are not so easily discouraged. Penn State Extension says guards are not foolproof because of the splashing problem above, but that they do help cut down on bees if you clean the feeder regularly. Guards alone will not always keep bees off hummingbird feeder ports; in practice, the fix is wiping the guards with a damp cloth every time you refill, so the grate itself does not become the snack.

3. Stop drips and wipe up spills

• Get it out of direct sun. That addresses the pressure leak the Arkansas extension describes, and Smithsonian’s National Zoo also recommends placing feeders in the shade.
• Fill it over the sink. Rinse the outside, the ports, and the hanger before you carry it back out.
• Check the seals. A base that is cross-threaded or a cracked seam will weep sugar water all day.
• Hose off the deck or ground below. Sugar on the railing or patio keeps insects searching the area.

The same leak checks help with ants as well, but ant moats and hangers do nothing against insects that fly.

4. Skip yellow parts

Three of our sources say the same thing about color. The Arkansas extension advises avoiding yellow guards if you have the choice, because yellow attracts bees. The Intermountain Bird Observatory at Boise State University recommends a feeder that is only red, with no yellow, and says wasps generally cannot see the color red while yellow attracts them. The UGA item also lists avoiding feeders with yellow components. Some feeders still come with yellow ports or guards (Iowa State describes guards in red or yellow, and the Georgia column describes bright yellow ones), so if yours did, check whether the maker sells red replacements before you buy a new feeder.

5. Move the feeder, or take it down for a day or two

The Arkansas extension lists two simple options: move the feeder to another location, or take it down completely for a day or two, because bees and wasps will give up looking for it sooner than hummingbirds will. Expect some lingering: UC IPM notes that once wasps discover food, they keep hunting around that spot long after the source is gone, so do not judge the result in the first hour.

Where you move it matters. The UGA item suggests placing the feeder some distance from flower gardens, which keeps bees working the flowers from finding it first. Penn State Extension, writing about attracting hummingbirds, suggests the opposite early in the season (start near flowers so the birds find the feeder) and notes that once the birds are coming, you can move the feeder gradually to almost any location. The two fit together: start near the flowers in spring, and if bees take over later, shift the feeder away from the busiest beds in short steps.

6. Give the bees something better

Griffin’s main suggestion in the UGA item is to plant bee-friendly flowers, such as mountain mint, butterfly weed, and bee balm, on the thinking that flower nectar is much more desirable to bees than feeder sugar water. That is a slower fix, but it works with the cause she identified: few nectar sources nearby. The same item suggests hanging multiple hummingbird feeders, which spreads visitors out instead of concentrating them at one set of ports.

7. Keep the recipe standard and the feeder fresh

Do not change the nectar to fight insects. Penn State Extension recommends 1 part sugar to 4 parts water and warns that weaker solutions are less attractive to hummingbirds while stronger ones may be harmful. The Intermountain Bird Observatory also says not to mix nectar sweeter than 4:1.

Freshness helps on its own. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension suggests that emptying and washing the feeder more often may discourage insects, and the UGA item lists cleaning the feeder and changing the nectar regularly.

Late-Summer Yellowjackets: When the Basic Steps Are Not Enough

Some years the seven steps cut the numbers but do not end the problem, usually because yellowjackets are hunting sugar hard in late summer. A few extra measures help, with care:

• Traps, only for yellowjackets. The Georgia column says a yellowjacket trap will reduce the number of stinging insects around a feeder, but warns not to use a trap if honey bees are congregating there, because “the last thing you want to do is destroy these valuable insects.” UC IPM suggests hanging lure traps along the perimeter of a property and away from places where people gather, and notes that the common lure, heptyl butyrate, mainly attracts the western yellowjacket and not other species. Never use a trap or bait that contains an insecticide.
• Refill calmly. UC IPM advises that if a wasp lands on you, do not swat it or run; wait for it to leave, or gently brush it away.
• Leave nests to professionals. UC IPM says that if a wasp nest must be eliminated, it is easiest and safest to call for professional help, such as a licensed pest control operator. Do not disturb a nest under the eaves or in the ground near the feeder yourself.
• Plan around allergies. UC IPM notes that some people have severe allergic responses to stings. If that applies to anyone in your home, ask their doctor what precautions to take and let someone else handle a busy feeder.

What Not to Put on or Near the Feeder

Insecticide sprays. The University of Maine extension is blunt: by no means use a pesticide, because it would harm the hummingbirds. The Intermountain Bird Observatory also says to avoid insecticides near a feeder, and Penn State Extension points out that pesticides reduce the insects hummingbirds eat.

Oil or petroleum jelly around the ports. Here the sources disagree. Penn State Extension and the Georgia column both describe coating the area around the feeding holes with cooking oil, mineral oil, or petroleum jelly to make it harder for insects to land. The Intermountain Bird Observatory advises against greasy solutions because the substance can get on hummingbird feathers, and the Arkansas extension warns that petroleum jelly on the feeder itself could gum up feathers. The feeding port is where a hummingbird puts its bill and face, so we follow the cautious advice and do not recommend coating any part of the feeder.

Watered-down nectar. Some online tips suggest a weaker mix so bees lose interest. Penn State’s warning that weaker solutions are less attractive to hummingbirds means you would be discouraging the birds along with the bees.

Honey Bee Swarms and Nests Nearby

Occasionally the bees at the feeder lead back to a swarm (a large cluster hanging from a branch or fence) or a colony in a hollow tree or wall; UC IPM notes honey bees often nest inside cavities in trees or houses. For a swarm, the N.C. Cooperative Extension office in Moore County advises not interacting with it, since a swarm can defend itself if it feels threatened, and suggests contacting your local Cooperative Extension office, which can help coordinate with a reputable beekeeper who may be able to collect it. For an established colony inside a wall, contact that office or a licensed professional rather than spraying it yourself.

How We Put This Guide Together

We read pages from UC IPM, Iowa State, Penn State, the University of Arkansas, the University of Maine, the University of Georgia, N.C. State, Ask Extension, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Intermountain Bird Observatory, and Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and kept only statements we could match to those pages. Where they disagree, as on oil around the ports and on placement near flowers, we show both sides and say which we follow. Where none of them gives a number, such as how far to move a feeder, we do not supply one. Our general method is on the How We Review page.

Bees and Wasps at Hummingbird Feeders FAQ

Do bees and wasps hurt hummingbirds?

The sources differ. Iowa State says these insects may have little impact on hummingbirds, and that when wasps and hummingbirds “argue” over a port, the birds usually find a spot with no wasps. The Georgia column says late-summer yellowjackets pose a real danger to hummingbirds and to the people who maintain feeders. Treat honey bees as a nuisance and heavy yellowjacket traffic as a reason to act.

Will taking the feeder down drive the hummingbirds away?

Not for a day or two, according to the Arkansas extension, which says bees and wasps give up looking for a feeder sooner than hummingbirds do. Penn State Extension adds that hummingbirds will find a feeder once they are attracted to an area, which is why a short break or a modest move is worth trying.

Do saucer feeders and bee guards stop wasps as well as bees?

They help, but wasps are harder to discourage. Iowa State notes that wasps may persist in trying to feed even when guards keep most bees away. Keeping the outside of the feeder free of sugar matters more with wasps, and if they still crowd the ports in late summer, use the extra steps above.

Can I just leave a few bees alone?

Often, yes. The University of Maine extension says that if insects are not gumming up the feeder or otherwise doing harm, you should leave them be, and points out that insects are an important part of the ecosystem that birds feed on too. Act when they crowd the ports or the hummingbirds stop feeding.

Final Thoughts

To keep bees out of hummingbird feeder ports, work on reach and residue: a saucer or guarded design, no drips or sticky film, no yellow, and the standard recipe of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, kept fresh. If they still come, move the feeder or give it a day or two off, and save traps for yellowjackets only. Skip oil, grease, and insecticides. For more on feeders, nectar, and upkeep, see our Hummingbird Feeders section.

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