Bees and Ants

[Por_sha911]

Ants are easy if the feeder is on a deck (as opposed to a pole stuck into the earth). Just put each of the feet of the hanger that holds the feeder in bowls of water. The ants won't cross the water.
The yellow jackets are another story.

[stevej37]

^^^ No legs on the feeder...it's flat bottomed.
The water barrier that Roswell shows above in post #4 should work...and it's only $3.50

[tops911]

I have my feeders hanging from a metal pole and put some grease on the pole just above the lawn, I think I used disc brake grease this spring. It stopped the ants. I read to use mono fishing line and hang the feeders but it did not work. For the wasps get some wasp traps. my bees (7 hives) dont really mess with the humming bird feeders

[stevej37]

^^^ I hung a wasp trap two days ago....one that uses sugar water mixed with the attraction powder.
Not one caught yet. I ordered a different one from Amazon....

[bernardcoghlan]

I've been there. Try relocating the feeder to a shaded area - bees seem less keen on it. Going for a feeder with built-in bee guards worked wonders for me. And for ants, create a moat around the feeder using water or petroleum jelly. Also, consider hiring a pest removal service if things persist. I had a yellow jacket nest in my yard, and these guys were a great help - https://www.richlandpestbee.com/stinging-insect-control/yellow-jackets/. Good luck!

[stevej37]

^^^ I bought the thing that Roswell had shown in Post #4 last summer...it works great for the ants.
I haven't set the feeder out yet...it's too early here. I can easily move it closer to more shade.

It's 60 and sunny here today....they are predicting heavy wet snow for tomorrow.

[3rd_gear_Ted]

I have an Olive tree that has a bee hive in the upper branches. It has about six folds of honeycomb structure. The bottom of the tree has a void in the trunk that serves as a grand central station. Tried getting rid of them to NO avail, they come back like Elephants.

[The Synergizer]

Talking bees or wasps?

It can be argued that wasps are very good for the environment and prey off other undesirable insects. However, if the wasp nest is in proximity to the feeders or little humans even, then it has to go.

[masraum]

Hey, I noticed that you called them "bees." I wanted to let you know, Steve, that those aren't bees. You know, just in case you didn't know that already. I'm surprised that no one else has mentioned it, and that you don't know the difference between bees, wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets.

[Zeke]

Since this thread appeared in '23 I had a swarm of bees come by for a visit. Fantastic to see that they all hung on each other like a pineapple hanging from a rafter. I called a bee rescue guy and he told me they would leave within 48 hours. He was right and they left nothing behind. Hard to see that they were ever there.

He told me that that swarm was a faction split off from a healthy hive and they were sending scouts out looking for a new home. The best part was how they would move in and out of the ball of solid bees to let the ones on the outside warm up. The whole deal was very dynamic. At night they were all home in the ball but still exchanging places. I wasn't in fear of being stung but I stayed at least 6 feet away while observing.

And then just like the bee guy said, they vanished all at once. I missed that but it must have been spectacular. I missed the arrival too, I just walked out and there they were. This was a big pineapple.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Since this thread appeared in '23 I had a swarm of bees come by for a visit. Fantastic to see that they all hung on each other like a pineapple hanging from a rafter. I called a bee rescue guy and he told me they would leave within 48 hours. He was right and they left nothing behind. Hard to see that they were ever there.

He told me that that swarm was a faction split off from a healthy hive and they were sending scouts out looking for a new home. The best part was how they would move in and out of the ball of solid bees to let the ones on the outside warm up. The whole deal was very dynamic. At night they were all home in the ball but still exchanging places. I wasn't in fear of being stung but I stayed at least 6 feet away while observing.

And then just like the bee guy said, they vanished all at once. I missed that but it must have been spectacular. I missed the arrival too, I just walked out and there they were. This was a big pineapple.

I've never seen a swarm, but would love to. I've watched/seen a bunch of videos, mostly made by bee keeper/rescue folks. It's amazing how docile honey bees can be. I guess not all hives are the same. I've heard/read that some can be more ornery than others. We'd discussed getting some hives when we moved to our current property. I wish we had, but I'm also glad that we didn't. I don't have the time to deal with and worry about them as a beginner. Maybe some day.

I do have some homes hung up for mason bees that do get used, but they are solitary, not collective/hive type bees. I've also seen "red velvet ants" (actually a flightless wasp), cicada hawks, and tarantula hawks here which are also impressive.

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Those aren't bees. Bees are our pals. They make food possible.
When the bees are gone (and they are dying off) then we're gone.

It’s my understanding Colony Collapse Disorder, if that’s what you’re referring to, is cyclical. In these parts they’ve made a healthy comeback.

[stevej37]

The yellow jacket hornets in the my first post was last summer. In the fall, I found this nest in my attic....



When I tore it down this winter, I had to split it to get it thru the small attic door. The hornets looked just like the ones from the hummingbird feeder.

I guess that nectar helped them to build their nest.

[ckcarr]

These are bees...

[masraum]

Also bees

[stevej37]

Many yellow jackets.
(that blue bee above is cool)