Posted in Farm Life
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We have a ton of bees slurping up all of our sugar water here in So. California. I have heard others places around the country are experiencing the same problem. While I really do like bees, and understand that honey bees are in danger due to disease, I really wish I could persuade them to leave my feeders alone!! I actually think these might be meat bees though. I normally do not stop feeding the Orioles that migrate here from South America, until late August, but HAD to stop as the bees would drink it all in one day!! It was kind of comical actually. I'd put the feeder out and a couple hours later to check on it and all I'd see are all these bee bottoms sticking out of the Oriole feeder holes. haha I'd chase them off and they'd back themselves out and fly off, angry at me. But even though I move the feeder, they find it very quickly. Sigh. My poor Orioles. And the Orioles of course could not drink. It makes me sad to hear them while I am milking my goats, looking for their breakfast. :o( I have been feeding them for 7 yrs and look forward to their arrival in March until August when they migrate back. Here are some links to information on Orioles and their migration. We get Baltimore but primarilyScott's Orioles come here to breed and raise their young here in So. Cal http://www.learner.org/jnorth/spring2002/species/oriole/Update042602.html http://www.prbo.org/calpif/htmldocs/species/desert/scotts_oriole.htm How to brighten your yard with Orioles (start planning for next year!) http://www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?issueID=73&articleID=1038 Now these bees are all over my hummingbird feeder so had to stop feeding them too!! I feel so bad as it is over 100 degrees out and not much flowering. They must be so thirsty. At least the bees cannot get INTO this feeder! I just found an interesting Oriole feeder http://www.rachelsrobin.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-3959 Will have to get that one for next year! Over the weekend we decided to put out a wasp trap but not one wasp or bee has been caught in 3 days. Sigh. Shalom! Fern |