Feeders filled with sugar water or jelly attract sweet-tooth birds, such as hummingbirds and orioles. But sometimes, not-so-welcome guests, including ants, wasps and bees, crawl into feeders and create problems. “You can deter insects while remembering they’re part of nature, too,” says Emma Greig, the project leader for Project FeederWatch of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
For frustrated backyard birders, it may be tempting to use pesticides or oils to deter bugs, but Emma advises against these options because they may harm birds, as well as the bees whose populations are declining. Instead, try some of these all-natural solutions. The birds (and bees!) will thank you.
• Choose red saucer feeders. With their long tongues, hummingbirds can reach the nectar—but insects can’t. Plus, while hummingbirds prefer the color red, bees…
