- Ants see a leaking feeder as an open invitation. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says they will consume and contaminate the nectar, and hummingbirds will often avoid an ant-infested feeder. Bottle-type feeders leak when hot weather heats and expands the air inside the container and forces nectar out through the ports. Saucer-style containers eliminate this problem. Feeding ports on the cover allow hummingbirds to sip the nectar in the saucer, and gravity keeps it from leaking. Wipe up any drips around the ports with a wet sponge.
- An ant moat is a water-filled container, usually 3-inches in diameter or wider, suspended between the hanging wire and the feeder. Ants can't swim, so they will either turn around or take a likely fatal plunge. Some moats come built into the center of saucer feeders. The moats must be kept filled and clean. A pile of drowned ants can became a bridge for live ones. Ants will also use debris like twigs or leaves to cross a half-evaporated moat.
- A monofilament line hanger for a hummingbird feeder is an ant deterrent. The line is slippery so ants have trouble climbing down it to the feeders. Apply a bit of vegetable oil to it once a week to make it even more difficult for an ant to cross. The combination of a slippery fishing line and an ant moat should eliminate the ant problem.
- Do not use pesticides near the hummingbird house. While it may stop the ants, it can also kill the hummingbirds. Don't use petroleum jelly, insect repellent, pungent rubs, or any kind of sticky tape inside the house. Those substances will get on the hummingbirds and make them sick or damage their wings. Even if a pesticide does not hurt the birds directly, it could kill flying insects essential to a hummingbird's diet.
Saucer Feeders
Ant Moats
Fishing Line
No Chemical Deterrents
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