Hummingbird Feeders & Ants....what's the secret?!!!

OK, does anyone have any tips for keeping ants out of the hummingbird feeders?! I seemed to have developed a problem recently with this. I worked all day yesterday out in the yard. The day before, I moved the feeder to a different spot. I saw the hummingbird "find" the new spot and drink from the feeder. Well yesterday, I never saw the birds once...and I could see the level had not gone down. So, noticing that the ants were no longer climbing up & down to get to the feeder at the old spot, I refilled the feeder and moved it back to the old spot. Within 20 minutes, the ants were back and by the end of the day, half the level had dropped. WHAT is the secret to keeping ants away?!!!!

You will have to get an ant moat (which is filled with water) to keep the ants out, or get a dripless feeder. Those are really your only options as they will continue to get into the feeder.

Is the ant moat something you can attach to any feeder or do you have to buy a feeder with an ant moat already attached? My feeder does not drip. I just tried finding a pic of my feeder online to show you, but I just can't remember where I bought it.

Mine has a moat, and the ants get in anyway. Of course, it doesn't matter since I don't think we have hummingbirds...I didn't see even one all summer since I got it.

The ants may as well have mine.

Originally Posted by SophieC

Is the ant moat something you can attach to any feeder or do you have to buy a feeder with an ant moat already attached? My feeder does not drip. I just tried finding a pic of my feeder online to show you, but I just can't remember where I bought it.

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There are feeders that have ant moats in them. If you do a search on hummingbird feeders on yahoo, you should be able to find some with ant moats in them.

I read somewhere to put vasoline around the bottom of a dog food dish to keep ants out...maybe that would help if they are climbing up the pole to get to it? I didn't try it myself so I don't know if it really works or not, but the ants aren't supposed to be able to get a grip to climb up. It's worth a try. Good luck! I love hummingbirds!

I put my feeders on the iron "shepard's hooks" that you drive into the ground, and every few days I will "draw a ring" around the diameter of the hooks shaft about halfway up with 3 in 1 Machine oil. Ants won't try to cross oil Has worked for years.

Vasoline will work, but its effect seems to wear off after a day or two. If the feeder is on a shepards hook, you can sprinkle a nice layer of red pepper on the ground below the feeder. It will not harm the plants or animals, but will keep the ants away Just make sure you redo the pepper after it rains.