# Hummingbirds and yellowjackets



## NancyNGA (Sep 28, 2016)

The hummingbirds are just about ready to take off here, and the yellowjackets have started invading the feeder.  Every so often I find a yellowjacket INSIDE the feeder floating.   The opening is only 1/8 inch. 

When I've watched, the yellowjackets seem to actually chase the hummers away.  Is this possible, or was it a coincidence?

Have any of you had this problem?  Any solution?

Probably too late for this year, but it happens every year at times.


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## Bobw235 (Sep 28, 2016)

My hummingbirds took off at the beginning of September and this year I've not had much problem with yellowjackets (thank goodness!) Maybe because it's been so dry up here.  Two years ago had a major nest on my back hill under a rock. Took a lot to get rid of them. Aggressive little bastards. Had to spray the nest several times at night.


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## NancyNGA (Sep 28, 2016)

So you went after the nest. Hmmm...  Have no idea where my YJ's are coming from. 

 I'm wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea just to put some sugar water out for the YJ's that is easier for them to get at than the feeder.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Sep 28, 2016)

Our hummingbirds have already left. I have a problem with yellow jackets getting inside the feeder as well as black ants all summer long. I also wish I had a solution for that. I'm not sure if the bees are actually chasing the birds away. Maybe the Hummers just don't like them around. I have noticed that sometimes the hummers don't even get along with their own kind.


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## Bobw235 (Sep 28, 2016)

NancyNGA said:


> So you went after the nest. Hmmm...  Have no idea where my YJ's are coming from.
> 
> I'm wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea just to put some sugar water out for the YJ's that is easier for them to get at than the feeder.



Yellowjackets are tough because they build underground or in tight spaces, in additional to under the eaves of a house. I just happened to notice one go in a hole under one of my landscaping rocks. Within weeks I had a massive hive under there. Made it difficult to walk too close to my waterfall feature.

Go to a hardware store. There are special traps you can get just for yellowjackets.  Here's a simple trap you can make yourself.  http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Yellow-Jacket-Bottle-Trap/


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## NancyNGA (Sep 28, 2016)

RUTH:  Yes the ants.  I've been lucky recently.  The ants would get inside the feeder and get so fat they couldn't get out.  The trick was to get a feeder that didn't leak and hang it from the ceiling of the porch.  Once it leaks on the ground THEY WILL FIND WHERE IT'S COMING FROM!


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## NancyNGA (Sep 28, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> Go to a hardware store. There are special traps you can get just for yellowjackets.  Here's a simple trap you can make yourself.  http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Yellow-Jacket-Bottle-Trap/



Hey, thanks.  That's a great idea.


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## jujube (Sep 28, 2016)

My hummers seem to be really irritated by the bees and act like they are trying to drive them off.   Every time I take the feeder apart to refill it, I have bee carcasses floating in the reservoir.


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## Ed Mashburn (Sep 29, 2016)

Good morning to all-
Yes, I hate yellowjackets.  The best way of dealing with them- once you've found the nest- is to pour a cup of gasoline down the hole, and then run away. Sprays don't get down in the nest itself- gasoline does.
Don't do this if the nest is close to plants you want to keep- gas kills just about everything it touches.
I don't like those little yellow bugs at all- good day to all- Ed


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## Bobw235 (Sep 29, 2016)

Ed Mashburn said:


> Good morning to all-
> Yes, I hate yellowjackets.  The best way of dealing with them- once you've found the nest- is to pour a cup of gasoline down the hole, and then run away. Sprays don't get down in the nest itself- gasoline does.
> Don't do this if the nest is close to plants you want to keep- gas kills just about everything it touches.
> I don't like those little yellow bugs at all- good day to all- Ed



I read a column from a guy who has dealt with them over the years. His recommended method was to go out at night, use indirect light from another person holding a flashlight, use a quick spray to take out the "guards" who sit at the edge of the nest, then dump a bunch of dirt over the hole. The bees will suffocate.

After I sprayed my nest, the following night I had the kitchen light on. The bees came to the window, attracted by the light since they couldn't go into the nest. It was creepy! Found a bunch of dead ones along my screen porch windows. But, I took out the nest. A few years earlier they built a nest under a juniper bush at the top of my driveway. No way to get them. My landscaper took care of them and then dug it out. Said it was massive. The good news is that the bees die (except for the queen) over the winter then nest somewhere else.

Sorry, I took this off-topic a bit as this obviously doesn't help with the problem of hummingbird feeders.


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## Sliverfox (Sep 29, 2016)

In August  the Hummers  were rushing to the feeders (3 ).  Would sit on our swing & try to count them.
Yellow jacket & ants  were using the feeders also.

I tried  oiling the   plastic  flowers around the feeder openings,,,,,,,worked  for awhile.

Last year I noticed one of my  bird  houses  looked odd.
Looking  closely at it realized  it was  covered in  a hornet or yellow jacket nest!

Hubby used bee spray on it.


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## NancyNGA (Sep 29, 2016)

We had only 4 hummers this year.  They fought like cats and dogs all summer. So much wasted energy.  Hope they make it back next spring.  The latest I ever saw one here was October 9th, two years ago.  Probably passing through.


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## RadishRose (Sep 29, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> My hummingbirds took off at the beginning of September and this year I've not had much problem with yellowjackets (thank goodness!) Maybe because it's been so dry up here.  Two years ago had a major nest on my back hill under a rock. Took a lot to get rid of them. Aggressive little bastards. Had to spray the nest several times at night.



Why would you get rid of them?


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## Bobw235 (Sep 29, 2016)

RadishRose said:


> Why would you get rid of them?



For a long time I ignored it, but the nests became bigger and the bees more numerous. Yellowjackets are easily agitated. I worried that someone might inadvertently disturb the nest, especially a child or a landscaper. The one on my back hill was within 4' of the edge of my wall where just walking by you'd get bothered by them. The one at the top of my driveway was a hazard to anyone walking around the front of the car. I let them be as long as I could.


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## Sliverfox (Sep 29, 2016)

As a child had a brown wasp  get under my  dress, on my back.
It stung me  as it walked  down  my back. 

Have never been stung  by a bald face hornet ( black with  white on head ) ,,, watched one  sting my father   through his  ball cap.
He sure did a Mexican Hat dance on that cap!

Yellow  Jackets aren't  fun to be around.
They have no  discrimination over who they sting or where they  sting.

Notice if you aren't wearing perfume or hair spray ,,they  don't   follow  a person as much   as some one  with  can of pop .


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## NancyNGA (Sep 29, 2016)

RadishRose said:


> Why would you get rid of them?



Yellowjackets will come after you and sting if you walk near their nests.  Most wasps and bees have to be trapped first before they sting.  Don't know about hornets.  I saw one hornet nest once hanging from a dead tree.  Detoured around it.


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## Gemma (Sep 29, 2016)

Yellow jackets are attractive to the color yellow, so make sure the feeder is all red. Feeders also come with bee guards, which help.   Just moving it a couple feet from where it is located now, sometimes helps. Also, into a shady area, since they prefer sun to shade. 

Regarding nuisance ants, if they are getting into your feeder, just use a little bit of vaseline around the hook where it hangs.  Ants will not cross it.


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## Bobw235 (Sep 29, 2016)

Gemma said:


> Regarding nuisance ants, if they are getting into your feeder, just use a little bit of vaseline around the hook where it hangs.  Ants will not cross it.



I took duct tape and made it double sided, then wrapped it around the pole leading to the feeder. Never had another ant after that.


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## DaveA (Sep 29, 2016)

Bob - -We're only a relatively short distance north of you, in western, Maine (about 25 miles from N. Conway).  We had a ton of hummingbirds here, in the Spring but when we returned, at the start of September, they were mostly gone, and  also this Fall, we haven't seen any yellowjackets.  One thing of interest has been the Downy Woodpeckers, who regularly drink from the hummingbird feeder.  Something we haven't seen in previous years?


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## Bobw235 (Sep 29, 2016)

DaveA said:


> Bob - -We're only a relatively short distance north of you, in western, Maine (about 25 miles from N. Conway).  We had a ton of hummingbirds here, in the Spring but when we returned, at the start of September, they were mostly gone, and  also this Fall, we haven't seen any yellowjackets.  One thing of interest has been the Downy Woodpeckers, who regularly drink from the hummingbird feeder.  Something we haven't seen in previous years?



I've seen more Downy Woodpeckers this year than I can ever remember. They are all over my other bird feeders, but never bother with the hummingbird feeder. I have 8 feeders up on two poles, so the birds are well taken care of. I get a huge block of raw suet for the woodpeckers and they love it. I also made my own "bark butter" last year, which they devoured as soon as I put it up.


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## Carla (Sep 29, 2016)

I only had trouble with one yellow jacket and he got me good. Didn't see him but once he stung me, I knew what it was! He stung my finger and it was swollen for several days! Their stings really burn!


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## Gemma (Sep 29, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> I took duct tape and made it double sided, then wrapped it around the pole leading to the feeder. Never had another ant after that.


That's a good idea too!


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## Bobw235 (Sep 29, 2016)

Carla said:


> I only had trouble with one yellow jacket and he got me good. Didn't see him but once he stung me, I knew what it was! He stung my finger and it was swollen for several days! Their stings really burn!



Had what I suspect was a queen sting my hand one time when I was cleaning out a gutter. There was lots of debris in one corner, so I reached my hand down there to dig it out. Really swelled up. Looked in the gutter and there it was, now dying after having stung me. Was very large compared to most that I see. Assume it was attempting to hibernate there over the winter.


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## DaveA (Sep 29, 2016)

As regards to ants in the hummingbird feeders - -our daughter purchased these small plastic cups (I think at a hardware store). They are outfitted with a hooking point. top and bottom.  You just fill them with water and shouldn't have any ant problems after, at least we haven't.







And Bob, at the suet blocks, we have some of the Hairy Woodpeckers in the mix.  Look similar but the size difference is notable compared to the Downys . Also here in good numbers are the Nuthatches with their "upside down" approach.


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## Bobw235 (Sep 29, 2016)

DaveA said:


> And Bob, at the suet blocks, we have some of the Hairy Woodpeckers in the mix.  Look similar but the size difference is notable compared to the Downys . Also here in good numbers are the Nuthatches with their "upside down" approach.



Yup, same here. Nuthatches, Carolina Wrens and sometimes chickadees hit the suet blocks. I get a big chunk from the meat aisle of the supermarket and put it in a cage. They are on there all day.


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## RadishRose (Sep 29, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> For a long time I ignored it, but the nests became bigger and the bees more numerous. Yellowjackets are easily agitated. I worried that someone might inadvertently disturb the nest, especially a child or a landscaper. The one on my back hill was within 4' of the edge of my wall where just walking by you'd get bothered by them. The one at the top of my driveway was a hazard to anyone walking around the front of the car. I let them be as long as I could.



I thought they were far enough away, Bob but apparently they are not. It's just that we must protect out pollinators, if they are gone, an estimated 75% of the flowering plants on Earth would not produce seeds or fruit. 

I've read they are on the decline, then I read something that says they're not, so who knows. I just don't go near them.


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## Bobw235 (Sep 29, 2016)

RadishRose said:


> I thought they were far enough away, Bob but apparently they are not. It's just that we must protect out pollinators, if they are gone, an estimated 75% of the flowering plants on Earth would not produce seeds or fruit.
> 
> I've read they are on the decline, then I read something that says they're not, so who knows. I just don't go near them.



Totally agree with you on pollinators and that's one reason I initially left them alone. I have lots of flowering plants that attract bees, but I don't think yellow jackets fall into the same category as bees. Found this info and thought it would be useful to pass along to those reading this thread.



> In spring and early summer, yellow jackets are carnivores, feeding mostly on insects to provide protein to developing larvae in their colony. In doing so, they help keep garden pests, such as caterpillars, in check. As the season progresses, their population grows and their diet changes to include more sugars. As natural food sources become scarce, they turn to scavenging, and that's when you'll find them lurking around garbage cans and pestering picnickers. A few yellow jackets here and there are a nuisance, but a nest of them in your yard can pose a real hazard.
> 
> 
> Yellow jackets often nest underground in rodent burrows, so if you see lots of flying insects emerging from a hole in the ground, they're probably yellow jackets. By late summer, a colony may contain thousands of individuals that will aggressively defend their nests from intruders. They're easily provoked and will attack in force, chasing the perceived threat for large distances. What's worse, each yellow jacket can sting multiple times. Sounds and vibrations, such as those from a mower or trimmer, can trigger an attack, even from a distance.



Full article here.


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## RadishRose (Sep 29, 2016)

LOL, so those are the buggers that zoom in on soft drinks! It's true, they don't pollinate as much as bees as they aren't fuzzy but every bit helps. Good for you to give them the time you did. 

They've gone from my condo parking lot since early Sept where they actually nested down into a long crack in the asphalt!

Thanks for the interesting article.


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## fishmounter (Sep 13, 2017)

I had a yellow Jacket get down inside of my can of Dr. Pepper that I had sitting in my boat while I was out fishing a few summers back.  I took a big drink and felt something weird in my mouth.  I thought it was part of my mustache getting into my mouth.  (I had a big mustache then)  All of a sudden I had this electric, sharp pain in my mouth and tongue and spit out the soda as hard as I could in the bottom of the boat.  There had been TWO Yellow Jackets in my mouth and both of them now were almost dead from hitting the boat so hard!  I got stung on my tongue and on my lower gum.  I quickly started rinsing my mouth out with lake water, over and over again.  People fishing nearby probably thought I was going crazy.  The stings did swell up some, but I stayed and kept fishing for a few hours more.  I will NEVER leave a soda can without some kind of cover on it!


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