How to Keep Wasps Away From Hummingbird Feeders
Keeping wasps away from hummingbird feeders is a little tricky. First, you have to make sure that the sugar water isn’t overly sweet. A standard water to sugar ratio is about one to four. If your sugar water is too sweet, it’ll overflow out of the feeder. Then you have to make sure that the sugar water has a different color than the rest of the feeder.
You also need to make sure that your feeder isn’t dirty. If the feeder is dirty, it will attract more wasps. Also, keep the feeder clean and free of sticky cans and debris. Clean your feeder every few days. This will make the sugar water last longer.
Next, you need to make sure that the nectar isn’t too sweet. The ideal water to sugar ratio for insects is 3:1. You can reduce the sweetness of your nectar by about a half a gram. You can also spray peppermint oil around your feeder. This will deter wasps.
You can also place cucumber peels on the feeder. This will release a pungent smell. It also deters insects from laying eggs on the peels. You can also place fake nests near your feeder. These will keep yellowjackets away.
Finally, you can move your feeder to a different location. You can also move it to a spot that is in the shade. This will make it harder for bees to find the nectar. But bees like to forage in the sun.