Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Mystery of hummingbird feeders drained overnight solved

Two nights ago I discovered the one feeder to be emptied overnight. I thought it might have been tilted causing the fluid drain overnight. I checked for a sticky mess on the wood rails and for ants on ground. NONE.

Yesterday morning I took the dogs out at 3:30 am and a fluttering animal left the porch. I thought was that a bat?

I had to fill that feeder again yesterday morning!

I checked both feeders last night before dark. One was full, the other 1/2 full. This morning both were totally empty. Neither were tilted or otherwise disturbed, just empty.

I did some searching and found this:

Bats:
In some parts of the American Southwest bats drink from hummingbird feeders. These gentle mammals ( Mexican long tongued bat) are voracious nectar lovers, but they are also vital pollinators of saguaros, other giant cacti, and the large agaves. Bats can empty your feeders overnight, every night. If this is a problem for you, use a feeder with bee guards. Taking feeders in overnight will keep the bats away, but remember that hummers start feeding as early as 45 minutes before sunrise, and they really need the energy after a cool night.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_long-tongued_bat

Would be interesting to set up a trail camera

Do it. It would be great to see some pictures.

We have about 12 bats living under our shutters at our house.

They've been migrating to our house since we moved in 12 years ago.

These are the standard brown bat variety you see in Ohio. They usually stay until early November.

I wouldn't mind if they drank from our hummingbird feeders but that must just be the Mexican variety.

I'm surprised that you're surprised. In this part of the world, nectar feeding bats are notorious for draining hummingbird feeders. There are three different species that summer in the southwest. When one bat discovers a feeder (or feeders), it very quickly brings the whole gang.

The area around Tucson is thickly populated with agaves and once the agave flowers are gone the bats switch to alternatives. However, they will hit feeders opportunistically just about anytime from late spring until about early to mid-October when they migrate south. Chalk it up to incidental expenses...

I had trouble with a type of oriole draining mine - until I replaced the "flower" looking kind of feeders with Best-1 feeders. Haven't had a problem since. And they really are the best ones.

LINK

Orioles drained mine right after the Labor Day fires two years ago. Only time I ever had em on the place. And they've never come back.

I did have problems with those pesky roadrunners eating my hummers!!

Bats and orioles will drain a feeder in a day, here in southeastern Arizona. The worst part, is a result of the bats erratic flight pattern. The sides of my house in patio area is splattered with red bat [bleep]....just looks like the nectar itself and washes off easily. They don't eat it....they just rent it.

A few years ago, when Dad was still alive, he had a feeder and not only hummers, but white winged dove would also try to hit the feeder.

Me and my birds like the 3051 shown in the link. It has a big mouth on the jar and the bottom comes apart for cleaning. Lots of holes for lots of birds. They seem to come to those first. I have noticed that they would rather feed on a hanger out in the open instead of one hanging in a tree. Grease of some type on the wire or stand keeps ants away. miles

thats what i would be doing.....hard to pass up this sort of opportunity for interesting photos.....hell ild be setting up my regular camera on one of my remotes and staying up one night to get pics with my regular camera....

I don't mind feeding bats.

I put up separate feeders for the Orioles .They are only around for 2 or 3 weeks.

It figures - free loading Mexicans!

I have had hummingbird feeders for years. Bats never hit them before. Flickers, verdins and occasional orioles visit as do broadbilled, anna's, rufous, and costa's hummingbirds.

A friend says he will loan me a trail camera.

Got up early while it was still dark. Left the lights off and and looked out the kitchen window to see several bats flying around the two feeders!

My neighbor is going to setup his trail camera tonight.

According to my research the bats are the lesser long nosed bat formerly called the Sanborn long nosed bat.
http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/animals/mamm_llnb.htm

They roost in caves in Pima Canyon.

I hope to post some pics soon.

very cool....cant wait for the pics.....stuff like this is why i keep telling the wife we need a trail cam....

My wife saw a Yellow Belly Sapsucker on one of our feeders yesterday!

I know it's dry here, but not THAT dry!

Ed

http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=PY63020RC&src=exrbSrch

Set up trail camera last night. At dusk turned out kitchen lights and watched. Somewhere between 20 and 30 bats descended upon the back porch and two feeders! What a show! The camera was constantly taking pictures.

Will check memory card and then decide if relocation of camera is necessary for best resolution.

I couldn't see the actual feeding till I turned on the porch light. While many left the others still fed. They hover and feed for approximately 3 seconds.

Here is a link showing some pics of what the show looks like, including a video.

pics http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2006/10/11/tucsons-hummingbird-feeder-bats/


video http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2008/09/18/tucsons-hummingbird-feeder-bats-movie/

Huh, didn't know this