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September 2007

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From:
Allen Chartier <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Allen Chartier <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 17 Sep 2007 10:54:10 -0400
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Greg,

Bald-faced Hornets can be a problem at feeders, particularly if they're
present in numbers (usually they're pretty solitary at feeders). Young
hummingbirds seem to be quite afraid of them, and bolt away from the feeders
if one is present. Adults are more cautious and seem to be able to dodge
them most of the time. Sometimes, wasps and hornets (including Bald-faced)
have been known to sting hummingbirds. The hummingbirds can survive these
stings, but sometimes not. I have no data on what species might be more
lethal to a hummer in this situation, but logic just tells me that the
bigger the bug, the bigger the whallop. You are correct that hummingbirds
and stinging insects have been competing for food sources for a long time,
but occasionally they won't get along, and it is usually the hummingbird
that gets it.

Sometimes, the yellow "bee guards" on some feeders will actually attract the
wasps and hornets, so some people paint them red. Another option is to buy
(or make from a 2-liter bottle) a wasp trap that you can hang in the
vicinity of the feeders. This will kill a LOT of the stinging insects,
mostly the non-native Yellowjackets, and will not harm any true honeybees.

I like your thinking about the sugar water. There is no need for the "red
stuff" as feeders typically have enough red on them to attract the birds
(and some birds apparently can taste the difference, and avoid red stuff).
White cane or beet sugar mixed with water is chemically the closest to
natural nectar that we can provide. The optimal mix is 4 parts water to 1
part sugar (measurements indicate 25-30% sucrose in natural flower nectar),
which the birds readily accept at all times of year. Mixtures as strong as
2:1 or 1:1 may be harmful to the birds over time (and they'll have
difficulty ingesting this thick stuff), and your sugar bill will be at least
double than if you mix it 4:1.

P.S. Here are a couple links discussing red dye in hummingbird nectar:

http://www.trochilids.com/faq.html#red

http://www.trochilids.com/dye.html

Allen Chartier
[log in to unmask]
1442 West River Park Drive
Inkster, MI  48141
Website: http://www.amazilia.net
Michigan HummerNet: http://www.amazilia.net/MIHummerNet
===============================================
Every day, the hummingbird eats its own weight in food.
You may wonder how it weighs the food. It doesn't.
It just eats another hummingbird.
---Steven Wright

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