We love feeding and attracting hummingbirds, but unfortunately lots of pesky critters are attracted to nectar also.

Ants are easy to remedy. Ant traps will be your new best friend! Just hang one above any hummingbird feeder and fill it with water. Ants won't cross the "moat."  Simple, cheap and easy. As an added bonus, songbirds love to drink out of them - especially Goldfinches!

Bees, wasps and yellow jackets can be much harder to deter. Try some of the options below: 

Saucer-type feeders are better than gravity-fed bottle feeders since they do not leak or drip. Just make sure not to spill or slosh nectar when hanging up the feeder.

Multiple feeders will not only attract more hummingbirds, it will give them a better chance at finding one that is free of bees. You may also try using a feeder that does not have yellow flowers, as bees are more attracted to yellow.

Hornets and yellow jackets are mostly carnivorous, and can often be lured away to a small piece of meat, preferably in a yellow plastic dish with some nectar. Move it a few feet away from feeders daily.  

 Wasp traps are a good solution also. We carry a decorative wasp trap (pictured above) that works quite well.

Bee guards and nectar tips can help, but hummingbirds do not always like them. Give your birds a few choices and see what works best.