Hummingbirds and bees have a complex relationship. While they both play vital roles in pollinating flowers, they also compete for nectar resources. This can lead hummingbirds to avoid areas where bees are active. There are several key factors that cause hummingbirds to steer clear of bees:
Differences in Flower Preferences
Hummingbirds and bees are attracted to different flower types. Bees prefer flowers with ultraviolet “bullseye” patterns on the petals that act as nectar guides. They also favor flowers with short, wide tubes that allow easy access to nectar. Hummingbirds prefer blooms with long, narrow tubes that match their slender beaks. This means bees and hummingbirds tend to forage on different flowers.
However, there is some overlap. Both bees and hummingbirds seek out flowers with ample nectar rewards. If a prime nectar source is dominated by bee activity, hummingbirds may avoid it to limit competition.
Food Resource Competition
Bees and hummingbirds depend on nectar for energy. A single hummingbird needs to consume more than their body weight in nectar each day. Bees also have high food demands. A colony of bees may collect over 4 pounds of nectar per day. This puts the two species in direct competition for limited food supplies.
Because bees are social insects, they can quickly exploit and deplete flower patches. A whole colony will forage in an area simultaneously. Once bees have harvested nectar from flowers, it takes time for the blooms to replenish. Hummingbirds may avoid flowers where bees are active to find less-depleted nectar sources.
Differing Foraging Strategies
Bees and hummingbirds have very different foraging styles. Bees methodically work in a concentrated area, visiting every suitable flower. Hummingbirds dart rapidly between scattered blooms. Bees will tenaciously guard and defend rich flower patches, chasing away other insects and birds. Hummingbirds avoid confrontation and will flee areas where bees are patrolling flowers aggressively.
The Threat of Bee Stings
One of the biggest reasons hummingbirds avoid bees is to reduce their risk of being stung. Bee stingers cannot penetrate the thick feathers of birds. But they can sting the thin skin and fragile bones of hummingbirds. A sting to the face, eyes or throat could cause serious injury or even death for a tiny hummer. Most bee species get aggressive when defending their hives or food sources. So hummingbirds are likely to avoid areas where bees are concentrated to steer clear of potentially dangerous stings.
Nectar Depletion by Bees
Bees often rapidly deplete flowers of nectar as they forage in large numbers. A group of bees can quickly gather the nectar reward from flowers in an area. Since hummingbirds need to visit hundreds of flowers daily to meet their high metabolism, nectar depletion by bees forces hummers to avoid areas and seek out new blossoms. This prevents hummers from getting adequate nutrition.
Differences in Size and Foraging Abilities
Due to their small size, hummingbirds are unable to compete with the larger size and numbers of foraging bees. Bees have larger energy reserves that allow them to forage for longer periods. Their social structure and recruitment communication allows them to quickly locate and monopolize flower resources. The much smaller hummingbird is at a disadvantage and may avoid heavily bee-foraged areas where they have to exert more energy.
Adaptations to Minimize Competition
Certain adaptations of hummingbirds and bees help minimize competition between the species:
| Hummingbirds | Bees |
|---|---|
| Long, slender beaks access deep flowers | Short mouthparts prefer open, shallow flowers |
| Hovering ability lets hummers feed while bees are on flowers | Bee body design necessitates landing on blooms to feed |
| Small size requires less nectar per flower visit | Social structure means multiple bees can access one flower |
| High metabolism demands frequent flower visits | Pollen baskets allow bees to gather larger loads |
These adaptations reduce competition for the same blossoms. But bees can still easily out-compete hummingbirds for food resources which may cause hummers to avoid them.
Differing Thermoregulation Needs
Hummingbirds and bees have very different temperature regulation abilities. Bees are ectotherms, relying on external heat sources to control their body temperature. Hummingbirds are endotherms that internally regulate their temperature. This means hummingbirds avoid overheating by seeking shade. Bees congregate in sunlit areas to stay warm. The differing thermoregulation needs contributes to hummingbirds avoiding bees which prefer to forage in fully sunlit flower patches.
Displacement by More Dominant Species
Research shows that in areas where bee activity increases substantially, hummingbird populations decline. The greater competition for food imposed by large numbers of bees displaces hummingbirds from their preferred foraging areas. Hummingbirds are forced to seek out less desirable habitats with fewer nectar resources. This displacement effect causes hummingbirds to actively avoid areas becoming dominated by bee foragers to find available food supplies.
Differing Effects on Pollination
Hummingbirds and bees have very different pollination impacts on flowers due to their anatomy and foraging behaviors:
| Hummingbirds | Bees | |
|---|---|---|
| Foraging Behavior | Dart quickly from flower to flower | Methodically visit all flowers in area |
| Flower Contact | Head and beak only | Whole body rubs against flower |
| Pollen Transfer | Small amounts on beak | Large pollen packs on hind legs |
| Pollination Impact | More outcrossing of flowers | More self-pollination of flowers |
The different pollination effects help reduce competition between the species. But the reliance on cross-pollination also causes hummingbirds to avoid areas dominated by bees. Otherwise, plant reproduction declines due to increased self-pollination.
Conclusion
In summary, hummingbirds tend to avoid bees due to differences in flower preferences, competition for food, foraging behaviors, thermoregulation needs and pollination effects. Bees can also pose a sting threat to hummingbirds. But each species has evolved adaptations allowing them to minimize competition while coexisting in the same habitats. Understanding why hummingbirds avoid bees provides insight into the complex ecological relationships between pollinators.
