The appearance of bees and hummingbirds simultaneously at backyard feeders often prompts the question of whether these two species can coexist. Both groups are drawn to the concentrated sugar solution, creating potential conflict over a shared resource. This interaction involves resource acquisition and interspecies dynamics. Observers often wonder if this shared feeding space results in harmful competition or is simply a peaceful arrangement.
Competition for Nectar Resources
Competition between bees (particularly honeybees and bumblebees) and hummingbirds is exploitation competition, where one species consumes a resource, making it unavailable to the other. In natural settings, this competition leads to resource partitioning. Hummingbirds use their long bills and tongues to access nectar deep within tubular flowers, often reaching levels inaccessible to shorter-tongued bees.
At artificial feeders, this natural separation breaks down because the sugar solution is easily accessible to both. Bees are methodical foragers and can quickly recruit hive mates, leading to swarms that rapidly deplete a feeder’s contents. Hummingbirds are territorial and often defend the resource against rivals, including other birds.
Hummingbirds often react minimally to the presence of bees and wasps. They may ignore individual honeybees, as the energetic cost of chasing every insect outweighs the benefit. If the feeder is heavily monopolized by insects, hummingbirds may be discouraged and temporarily abandon the site. When they react, a hummingbird’s defense is usually a swift, aggressive charge designed to startle the insect away, asserting dominance over the food source.
Physical Risk and Safety Concerns
The size difference between a bee and a hummingbird raises concerns about physical safety, yet direct physical harm is statistically rare. A single sting can be fatal to a hummingbird because their small body mass cannot effectively process the venom. This risk is highest when an insect is trapped or when a bird is overly aggressive in its territorial defense.
Bees and wasps do not view hummingbirds as a threat to their hive or personal safety. Their stinging defense mechanism is reserved for large mammals or direct threats to their nest. A hummingbird’s high-speed, erratic flight pattern makes it a poor target for a defensive strike, and the insects’ focus remains on gathering the sugar solution.
The physical interaction is sometimes reversed, as hummingbirds are insectivores that rely on small arthropods for protein. While their diet mainly consists of small spiders and gnats, some hummingbirds have been observed consuming small bees and wasps found near the feeder. This predation suggests the bird perceives the insect as a dietary supplement rather than a danger. The physical danger posed by foraging bees is minimal, but high insect traffic can cause nectar contamination, posing a greater indirect health risk.
Strategies for Bee-Proofing Hummingbird Feeders
Managing the interaction between these species often requires intervention through thoughtful feeder design and placement. The most effective method is utilizing a bee-proof feeder, typically designed in a saucer shape. These feeders ensure the nectar surface is recessed at least one-half inch from the feeding port, a distance too far for the short tongues of most bees and wasps to reach.
Another practical approach involves manipulating the feeder’s visual elements, as color plays a significant role in attraction. Bees are strongly attracted to yellow, which mimics the pollen guides of many flowers, so avoiding feeders with yellow plastic accents is recommended. Conversely, the color red is attractive to hummingbirds but less so to bees, making red feeder components a useful deterrent.
Adjusting the sugar concentration can also discourage bees without harming the birds. While the standard hummingbird ratio is four parts water to one part sugar, slightly diluting this to a five-to-one ratio can make the solution less appealing to bees while remaining acceptable to the birds. Finally, simply moving the feeder by 4 to 15 feet can be effective, as hummingbirds will quickly re-locate the source, but insects relying on a memory of the exact spot will often be confused and fail to find the relocated feeder.