The Bumblebees are swarming the Bee Balm. This hardy perennial is also known as Bergamot and comes in a wide variety of colors. No matter what the color, it’s a magnet for Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. This Bee Balm plant languished in another part of the yard for years and never bloomed. I moved it to the sunny front yard and it came alive! I’ve ordered more Bee Balm in other colors so the pollinators will be even happier next year. So will I!
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Hummingbirds are notoriously territorial so three peacefully sipping nectar from the feeder is something I've never seen. Maybe they've put their differences aside because these tiny green jewels are busy bulking up for their long migration to Central America. I'm enjoying the Hummingbirds while I can because in just a few weeks, they'll vanish overnight and it will be time to bring in the gaudy red feeder for the winter.
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Salvia is usually an annual, but this is the second winter the red and blue salvia survived. What's the secret? A mild winter and I didn't cut down the dead stalks in fall. The bed looked a bit ragged over the winter, but it was worth it. Now the plants that line the walkway are about 3 feet high and covered in blooms. Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies love the flowers.
The blue salvia has delicate trumpet-shaped blooms.
Red, white, and blue salvia makes a patriotic display.
When the seeds form in late summer, the goldfinches flock to salvia.
If you're looking for a plant to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, a salvia is the ticket. There are hundreds of varieties to fit any yard and the best part? Salvia is almost maintenance free.
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Hummingbirds are very territorial, so two on a feeder is a rare sight. Luckily they're perched on opposite sides so they hidden from each other as they enjoy their nectar.
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Isn't this an awesome flower? It's a Spider Flower or Cleome which gets it's name from the long spidery stamens that radiate from the center of the bloom. A popular annual, it can grow up to 6 feet high. The Spider Flower tolerates heat and dry conditions well and will bloom throughout the summer. Hummingbirds and bees love the purple, lavender, pink, or white flowers.
These spectacular annuals look great alone or can be planted in groups to fill up a large space. You'll enjoy the flowers and see hummers all summer long.
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Seeing this little hummer enjoying nectar on a bee-free feeder is a victory. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the problem I had with bees covering the hummingbird feeder (see http://www.georgiabackyardnature.com/georgia_backyard_nature/2011/08/battling-bees.html). This had never happened before and I couldn’t figure out why bees were suddenly drawn to the feeder. I used the same formula for nectar (4 parts water to 1 part sugar) and put the same feeder in the same location as years past.
When I made the next batch of nectar I realized that last year I used a measuring cup to get the right amount of sugar. This year I used a ¼ cup scoop. On a hunch, I cross checked the scoop with the measuring cup. The scoop held more than ¼ cup of sugar—almost 1/3 cup, making the nectar too sweet. I went back to using the measuring cup for the sugar. Like magic the bees disappeared, but the hummers didn’t even notice.
I’m glad I finally solved that problem. The hummers are swarming the feeder now as they bulk up for their long migration. I’d hate for them to battle bees for that much needed nutrition!!
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A few days ago, a friend asked me how to get rid of bees on the hummingbird feeder. I didn’t have an answer because in all the years of feeding hummers, this is the first year I’ve had that problem. In fact, the bees are so tenacious, I have to blast them off the feeder with the garden hose to refill it. From time to time, even the hummers have a problem finding a spot to feed.
After doing some research, I learned that this is a common problem, but there seems to be no one perfect solution. Some of the suggestions seem to rely on the fact that bees aren’t that smart: remove the feeder for a few days or move it a few feet and hope the bees won’t find it again. Another is to move the feeder to a shady spot because insects prefer to feed in full sun.
The best option seems to be selecting a feeder that’s insect resistant and surprisingly, doesn’t have yellow accents. Apparently insects are attracted to the color yellow. As you can see, my feeder has yellow flower feeding ports.
One thing for sure is NEVER use insecticides around the feeder because they’ll harm the birds. Also, cooking oil and petroleum jelly may deter insects, but isn’t a good solution either because the oils can get on birds’ feathers and make it difficult for them to preen and fly.
I can’t figure out why I suddenly have this problem with the same feeder, same location, and same nectar. I checked and the feeder isn't leaking but I read that sometimes hummers dribble nectar when they feed. The first thing I’ll try is moving it to a spot a few feet away with more shade and hope that my bees aren’t clever enough to find it.
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I put the gaudy red hummingbird feeder out at the end of March and waited eagerly for the tiny birds to return from their winter migration. The first hummingbird was spotted today--he's a beauty, too. Now I can look forward to months of their antics right outside my window.
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Hummers are normally very territorial and vigorously chase intruders away from “their” feeder. But sometimes, they land on opposite sides of the feeder where they can’t see each other. Both sip nectar peacefully, unaware that an interloper lurks just inches away.
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I finally caught some video of a ruby throated hummingbird at the feeder. Only males have the iridescent red throat. In the video, you can see the throat looks dark then flashes bright red in the light.
These hummingbirds feed on nectar from red and orange tubular flowers like bee-balm, honeysuckle, and lantana. They love the red salvia in my front yard. Ruby throats also eat insects and can catch them in mid-air and sometimes pluck bugs from spider webs.
Male ruby throated hummingbirds are very territorial and will aggressively defend feeders, chasing off intruders and engaging in dogfights. Hummingbirds winter in Central America.
Even though I was skeptical, I put out my first hummingbird feeder several years ago, after hearing several people say that hummingbirds would actually show up. The hummingbird feeder comes out every year in late March, nestled among hanging baskets containing colorful flowers to make sure hummers will take notice since it’s high up.
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