Anyone else have an unusually large number of hummingbirds this year?

[oosik]

If I could attract just honey bees or even yellow jackets - I'd set a shallow plate of sugar water out on the porch. But it would also attract the hornets. There is a hornet nest somewhere close, around the house or out buildings.

 

[ArlyA]

If I could attract just honey bees or even yellow jackets - I'd set a shallow plate of sugar water out on the porch. But it would also attract the hornets. There is a hornet nest somewhere close, around the house or out buildings.

When the wasps here get into the hummer feeders, the rubies will give them some distance.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I hang a yellow jacket trap about 3' from the feeder. It keeps the population down.

 

[sixdogs]

Our locals seem to have left but we still have some transients stopping by from the north. Things were relatively quiet this year with visits down maybe 75% from last year's unusually high numbers.

 

[goeduck]

If I could attract just honey bees or even yellow jackets - I'd set a shallow plate of sugar water out on the porch. But it would also attract the hornets. There is a hornet nest somewhere close, around the house or out buildings.

We have the bald faced devils too. When I am on the brush hog I mow pretty fast, so far so good. In the not too distant future we will be dealing with the Giant Murder Hornets from Asia since our friends to the north do not have them under control.

 

[reb]

This year has been unusual. The hummer population has been lower than usual and we have seen no young ones.

 

[dragoneggs]

My activity has been picking back up a little as we near fall. Nowhere near a quart a day as it was in spring but increasing.

I guess I better refill mine. Let them go dry the last month. Felt guilty but was out of town in Yellowstone/Grand Tetons for the last couple of weeks. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Oaktree]

My activity has been picking back up a little as we near fall. Nowhere near a quart a day as it was in spring but increasing.

A quart a day??!?? We don't go thru much more than that in a month!

If I could attract just honey bees or even yellow jackets - I'd set a shallow plate of sugar water out on the porch. But it would also attract the hornets.

You must have a different kind of hornet than we do, I'd take them over yellow jackets any day of the week. Our hornets generally won't bother you unless you bother them first, but yellowjackets are nasty!!

Our locals seem to have left but we still have some transients stopping by from the north. Things were relatively quiet this year with visits down maybe 75% from last year's unusually high numbers.

Same here. My wife saw an article not long ago saying that bird populations in general have been down this year. I'm sure some will blame it on climate change, but it's more likely just one of those cycles.

 

[goeduck]

You must have a different kind of hornet than we do, I'd take them over yellow jackets any day of the week. Our hornets generally won't bother you unless you bother them first, but yellowjackets are nasty!!

Our bald faced hornets are closely related to yellow jackets. Basically a black and white yellow jacket. I thought they were back east as well.

 

[kenmbz]

They are here in PA, took out 4 nests of BFH so far. Very aggressive. 2 surrounded me at one point and flew back and forth, so fast I could not see them while moving.