I haven't had any experience with the bee issue. I do have a few bees but my
humming birds population has gotten so big they would keep the bees away
with all of their activity. My population of hummers is almost twice what I was
seeing last year. I have 4 big feeder that have to be filled about every 4th
day. I'm even seeing them share this year. I am seeing up to 3 feeding on the same feeder at once. I never saw this last year.

I doubt that the vaseline will help with the bees since they fly in rather than
crawl in. The ants would have to walk over the vaseline.