Thank you for the best feeder suggestion I have had in a long time. I sprayed 
the hummingbird feeders with Pam first thing this morning. The bees  seemed 
furstrated in their efforts to land.

thank you, Winger



----- Original Message ----
From: Winger and June West <>
To: 
Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 6:02:51 PM
Subject: [MDOSPREY] Hummer Feeder Question

The following is some advice I received from my brother who is a hummingbird 
bander:


There is a discussion of how to keep bees from your feeders in the book "Do 
Hummingbirds Hum?" by George C. West & Carol A. Butler. First is to use feeders 
without any yellow around the ports, second, use only sucrose and water - no red 
dye and no purchased hummingbird food, third if the bees are feeding from the 
ports, spray some Pam on the ports as the bees do not like to get their feet in 
the Pam, while hummingbirds do not perch there and ignore the Pam around the 
port. Feeders that have the solution a distance below the port opening - far 
enough so a bee cannot reach the liquid - will deter bees of course - like a 
"satellite" feeder. Otherwise, make up a 2 to 1 solution - two parts water and 
one part sugar for one feeder. Place this feeder a distance from the others. 
Bees will locate this higher concentration of sugar and ignore the 4 to 1 
solution in the hummingbird feeders.


Winger West
Millersville, MD