Hummingbird feeders

[BEAR!]

I have a question. My hives are at my place in the country and we are usually only there on the weekends. Last weekend we filled our two humingbird feeders and when we went back today one was empty and the other one had 10 to 12 bees at a time feeding on it.

Is this a bad idea? I'd hate to have take them down as we enjoy watching the hummingbirds almost as much as the bees.

I watched them for an hour and they would leave the feeders and make a beeline to my topbar hive about 40 yards away. None seemed to be going to my daughters langstroth hive.

The hummingbirds don't seem to mind the bees, they just brush them aside and start feeding.

[Adrian Quiney WI]

It will mean the honey you harvest won't be as pure, it will be contaminated with sugar syrup. How often does this happen? No one really can say?

[Joseph Clemens]

There are devices to help reserve the humming bird food for the humming birds and prevent honey bees from getting to the hummingbird food. They are little plastic cages that go on the feeding tubes.