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Thanks for all of the replies so far! Sounds like I might have to just try and see how it goes. At worst, as Woody Allen said in Annie Hall: "entymology is a rapidly growing field".
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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I've read in a number of places that wasps HATE peppermint oil. As long as it wouldn't repel hummingbirds a drop of oil somewhere on the feeder might do the trick.
On a side note I've had a few run ins with wasps and they're nasty. If anyone has a source of relatively cheap peppermint rather than the pure organic types commonly used in diffusers I'd love to hear about it. I have some shrubs that need trimming and i've seen wasps around them frequently, I'd like to mix up a peppermint oil solution and spray before I start cutting.
We've got some bumblebees, no hummingbirds, no butterflies and no honeybees. I haven't seen any praying mantis, either. I did hear a tree frog in the front tree which was a first.
Back in early June I did see monarchs and tiger swallowtails in the mountains and forests towards the center part of Pa. We also have buzzing cicada now which we call locusts. And spotted lantern flies are everywhere.....
Last year I noticed grasshoppers were scarce and the tick population never materialized like they forecast. Also ladybugs were much fewer in that late summer and fall. Stinkbugs also weren't as bad as in years past.
As always... Damn you, Monsanto.
Hey I have black peppermint growing right under the hummingbird feeder which I use in tea. I'll try rubbing some leaves on the feeder.
The answer is in a quality feeder, that is not gravity fed. This type of feeder will become a problem when the sun beats on it. What happens is the juice expands from the heat, and causes it to leak at the ports. This is the type you want to set up. While I am not endorsing this particular brand, it is the one I've used for years. Aspects Hummingbird Feeders
I am wondering how those feeders work, exactly? How do the birds get to to nectar when the level gets low?
I went to the website, but it didn’t really explain.
I’ve given up in the gravity type too, because they’re so hard to clean. I keep things blooming in the yard for them instead.
I am wondering how those feeders work, exactly? How do the birds get to to nectar when the level gets low?
I went to the website, but it didn’t really explain.
I’ve given up in the gravity type too, because they’re so hard to clean. I keep things blooming in the yard for them instead.
The bowls are shallow enough so their beaks, combined with their long tongues can reach all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Different sizes, equal a different radius.
The bowls are shallow enough so their beaks, combined with their long tongues can reach all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Different sizes, equal a different radius.
Has anyone had any practical experience with being able to attract Hummingbirds to a feeder, without also attracting Wasps (etc.)? I have a small balcony, not a yard so planting flowers to attract the birds isn't a real option; was going to try a feeder. We see both Wasps and the occasional Hummingbird, so they're both in the area. It seems like what attracts one would attract the other. Thanks for any suggestions that might have worked!
I don't know about others but we have tried. We do get hummingbirds just by some natural nector but we cn not use anything any stronger. Hubby is terribly allergic to wasp stings. When we have tried mixtures to attract the birds, the wasps are everywhere.
Has anyone had any practical experience with being able to attract Hummingbirds to a feeder, without also attracting Wasps (etc.)? I have a small balcony, not a yard so planting flowers to attract the birds isn't a real option; was going to try a feeder. We see both Wasps and the occasional Hummingbird, so they're both in the area. It seems like what attracts one would attract the other. Thanks for any suggestions that might have worked!
I had to quit feeding hummingbirds because I couldn't keep wasps away. So, I'll be watching for tips too.
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just became a clumpy mess!
