Birds or bees or both?

When I fill the hummingbird feeders I have to be very careful because I seem to be feeding both birds and bees. I feed the hummingbirds because with the heat and lack of rain there aren't too many flowers available. When I thought about it I think it very probably applies to the bees, too. So, it seems I am feeding both the birds and the bees!


bees on the hummingbird feeder ( photo / image / picture from dooley's Garden )



Hummingbird about to dive in for dinner or maybe breakfast ( photo / image / picture from dooley's Garden )



Hummingbird at this feeder. ( photo / image / picture from dooley's Garden )




Blending in with the post! ( photo / image / picture from dooley's Garden )



Bee on bottom of feeder. ( photo / image / picture from dooley's Garden )


I had another picture but it doesn't seem to want to load. I'll try again later.

So, would you feed the birds or the bees or both?
I'm doing both.

dooley

 

I keep several buckets of water around with boards that float on the top. The bees tend to go there and leave my bird feeder alone.

However, the wasps love the humming bird feeder and the bee water. So, when the wasps get too bad, I put out a wasp trap.

I used to feel bad about the wasp trap until I got stung. Forgot how awful wasp stings could be since I hadn't been stung by a wasp since I was a kid.
Don't feel guilty anymore.

Three things I can't stand to see in my garden: big ole wasps, aphids, cucumber beetles...oh yeah... there's a fourth...bermuda grass.

 

My feeders haven't been bothered too much by bees or wasps this year.
One trick to keep the wasps from the feeder is to smear the bottom with Vicks Vaporub ever-so-often. Works like a charm.

 

This year I didn't do anything to keep them out and the orioles and hummingbirds didn't mind them at all. I think they bothered me more to see them than it did the birds to get at the sugar water and jelly.

 

One thing I did do when I was watering was rinse off the feeders with water.