Do Bees Feed on Hummingbird Feeders?

Features

• Artificial nectar in hummingbird feeders attracts bees because of its similarity to natural nectar. Nectar is the sweet liquid in flowers. Worker bees collect nectar and bring them back to the nest to share with the colony.

Considerations

• Bees actually prefer a stronger sugar to water mix than hummingbird nectar has, but they'll take it in a pinch. The bees do not pose a physical threat to the birds, but they could pose a contamination threat to the water.

Prevention/Solution

• A bee guard looks like a plastic grate that fits over the feeding port of a hummingbird feeder. A hummingbird's beak can get through but a bee can't. Bee guards are not always reliable because the bees can still get at nectar splashed out by the birds. You could also move the feeder around or take it down a few days. Hummingbirds won't give up on the food source, but bees can be fooled into thinking it's gone for good.