We started having a problem with hornets gravitating to our hummingbird feeder in the front of our house.....I mean, LOTS of them. And with the kids running around out there, we knew we had to do something. Grandpa loves searching out things on the internet so it did not surprise me when he came up with this idea (above). Simple water bottle, top cut off and tipped upside down, couple of strings, filled with sugar water and a little dish soap and we were ready to take on the swarm. Success!!!
But as we know, Grandpa is always looking to upgrade an idea so now we have the 'new-improved' version. We were at the Farm and Tractor store yesterday and he found this nifty little kit to create this one. Yes, that is a Mountain Dew bottle with some fancy attachments. I love the circle sticker that hornet being crossed off. It also camewith little hornet stickers.....one of which ended up on the window above the kitchen sink. I guess he thought I needed some entertainment while working in the kitchen.
Anyway, our hummingbird feeder is back up along with this hornet trap and the problem seems to be solved. Oh, and while waiting for Grandpa to shop around the store, I browsed through a "Backyard Bird" book and discovered a tip to keep hornets and wasps off your feeder. Take a little cooking oil and spread it around the petals of the flowers where the hummingbirds feed from. They do not have to land to eat BUT the wasps or hornets do......so, now you have a slippery slope when they land and they change their minds and move on. Follow this little tip and you too can have a a hummingbird feeder without 'unwanted' visitors.
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