Last year, and this year I have been having problems with bees (bumble types), wasps and hornets invading my birdhouses. I have cleaned them out, but they come right back, and chase out my birds. A local friend is having the same problem. If I can't get rid of them safely, I will have to burn my birdhouses. I don't want to use sprays because they could poison my birds. How do you keep bees/wasps/hornets out of your birdhouses?
Hi Ann...I had some in a couple of my bird houses so I put tin foil on the inside ceiling of the house and they haven't come back. I'm not sure why ??? but it worked for me. I stapled the tin foil on the inside ceiling. I had the types that the front flipped up so I could get inside.
Great tip Sherry,..i would never have thought of that,..i guess they can not get a good grip on the smooth tin foil,..delighted to know it works for you.
Hmm. I can do that in the bluebird house, but may have to burn or take apart the others and remake them? I had suggested to my friend to soak hers in water to drown the bees, but she thinks it would ruin them? She also has major trouble with squirrels and coons tearing up feeders and houses.
Has she thought about putting wire around them that is big enough for the birds to get through but not a squirrel or coon? We have our feeders on heavy dog chain and you could put an end on it so they couldn't get it off of it. Years ago we had raccoons steal the whole feeder, so that is why we use chain now, plus it is heavy and the feeders don't fly around in the wind. The birds would be safe from the predators with a wire cage surrounding the house.
Thanks for the tip about tin foil, Sherry. The wasps and hornets are bad this year. I don't like to use any kind of poison in my yard but I saw a hornet crawl in the nose hole of one of the black cast iron horse heads and, sure enough, it's building a nest. They edge a flowerbed and I'm always bumping them when weeding so it has to go.
2 of us. Here are a few natural things that wasps do not like. One is Coconut soap which you could make into a spray and spray the outside of the birds houses. Another good one that I used to keep the wasps from building a nest inside of our front eaves by our front door. You mix 1table spoon of Peppermint oil w/4cups of water in a spray bottle. I add a few drops of dish soap to keep the oil suspended. Shake the bottle every once in a while as you spray it on whatever. Wasps hate Peppermint and the ones that where building a home near our front door are no longer there. I do spray those areas every time I think of it just in case they try and return. Also I saw on the TV that Cabalas Sporting goods store has a Pyrethrum spray which is lethal for wasps and they will avoid it. This year here in Wis. the wasps are not bad. I think having some frosty nights once they where out and about killed many.Some years they where so bad that you had to watch out going out our back door as they would be fighting with each other and fall on you. We could not go out on our upper deck and enjoy siting out there as they where always flying around. I like having them out in the wild but not around my house.
Thanks, Tooty2. I'll try the peppermint oil. I really don't want to bump one of the horse heads and get stung!
Peppermint oil is an extremely strong smelling oil. I have some here and one drop was so powerful I was almost sick. Inever realised it was for massage not drinking in water...ugh!! Here is something that may help: fill a jar with water, then place an upside-down flower pot on top, with something sweet like jam smeared under the rim of the hole. The wasps will be attracted to the jam, fall into the water and drown. Good tip Sherry. Thanks! K
2ofus--the peppermint oil should work. You probably could put it around the hole of the bird houses to keep the wasps out. It really works great. Kate that is a good suggestion. I will keep that in my file under getting rid of wasps.
thanks for the ideas. Maybe I can try the peppermint oil on the bird houses I have left. I hate to burn the one, it is a little wooden 'mailbox' that a neighbor made, but it doesn't have a little door for cleaning. It is full of very large bumble bees. ? If I can get rid of the bees in it, I could remake it a tad, and put a little door on it. The wrens used to use it. I have Bewick's Wrens and the little brown house wrens here. They are so cute. I did hang a basket of peppermint plants on my front porch. I had to spray to get rid of the ANTS that took up residence in the pot. Not sure how long before I can use the peppermint, but am watering it generously to wash out the poisons... Ants have been a major problem this spring.
Mighty strong that Peppermint oil Nightowl.Watch out,there may be a queen Bee they are feeding. You would'nt get me anywhere near it..well you might if I owned a spaceman outfit...HAHAHA! Ants will not hurt you but are a menace if they come into the home. For ages l have had tiny flying Insects around the Acer Trunk. It could be to do with my Violas at the foot of the tree. May see whats happening later this evening. K
Well I forgot about the wasps and not only bumped the horse head but had my hand on it while bent over to pull a weed when I heard a bunch of buzzing! OOPS!! I jumped away and didn't get stung but Mike heard me yelp so he came out and sprayed starter fluid inside the horse head. It didn't kill the hornets but they moved out of the horse anyway. I'm going to the big town tomorrow and will get some peppermint oil for sure!
2ofus,..that was a close encounter,..thankfully you didn't get stung,..usually when they are suddenly disturbed by someone a few stings are usually the result. A friend of mine was cutting tall grass with a Scythe,..came across what looked like a light colored brown paper bag,..swatted it,..of course it was a Wasps Nest,..face and neck and hands were stung
I read that Philip a couple of years or more ago, was that your friend? Maybe someone else did that too. Easy with the Peppermint 2ofus, it stinks to high heaven, even in water. K
