I put up a hummingbird feeder about a month ago and I am having a big problem with ants invading it. I have it hanging on a 5' tall shepherd's hook. It was fine for the first week or so until they found it and now that they have I am finding it incredible how fast they can empty one.
What are some possible solutions I can try to eliminate the problem? I know I can't eliminate the ants, but is there something I can put on the pole to create a barrier? I read somewhere mentioning vaseline, but I am wondering how effective that would be for more than a day or two. Wonder if double-sided tape would work? Any thoughts or suggestions?
Oh, I also need something that would not poison my 3 year old who plays in the area daily. Even if I put it well above his reach I would not put it past him to figure out a way to get to it!
Thanks,
Matt
-
urban farmer
- Newly Registered
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2009 12:24 pm
- Location: Oklahoma
I have seen hummer feeders that have a container that is attached to the hanger above the nectar container. You fill the top container with water. The ants are getting to the nectar by climbing down the hanger. They will not be able to get through the water, so they won't be able to get to the nectar reservoir.
I even made such a water container out of the lid from a spray can. I drilled a hole in the top of the lid, through which I threaded the wire I used to hang the feeder. You want the lid to be upside down, so it will hold water. I used modeling clay to seal the hole around the wire, so the water wouldn't leak out. I'm sure something like caulk or even hot glue or rubber cement would work equally well. I was just using stuff I had on hand around here.
If you want to try this, the trick is finding something that will be stable on the wire/cord/chain/whatever that you use to hang the feeder. As I recall, the lid I chose had an indentation in the lid, which allowed the wire to pass through up near to the same level as the rim. (I know; that's as clear as mud!
) If you use a container that has a flat bottom, unless you're very careful to drill the hole exactly in the center, so it is perfectly balanced, it will be inclined to tilt to one side, allowing the water to run out.
If you successfully make one of these water barriers, remember that you'll probably need to fill it daily, due to evaporation.
I no longer bother trying to keep ants out of the feeders. A friend of mine who rehabs hummers (and raises orphaned baby hummers.
) told me that the hummers actually eat small insects that are in the nectar in flowers, and that it's an important source of protein for them. [img]https://bestsmileys.com/clueless/4.gif[/img]
I even made such a water container out of the lid from a spray can. I drilled a hole in the top of the lid, through which I threaded the wire I used to hang the feeder. You want the lid to be upside down, so it will hold water. I used modeling clay to seal the hole around the wire, so the water wouldn't leak out. I'm sure something like caulk or even hot glue or rubber cement would work equally well. I was just using stuff I had on hand around here.
If you want to try this, the trick is finding something that will be stable on the wire/cord/chain/whatever that you use to hang the feeder. As I recall, the lid I chose had an indentation in the lid, which allowed the wire to pass through up near to the same level as the rim. (I know; that's as clear as mud!
) If you use a container that has a flat bottom, unless you're very careful to drill the hole exactly in the center, so it is perfectly balanced, it will be inclined to tilt to one side, allowing the water to run out. If you successfully make one of these water barriers, remember that you'll probably need to fill it daily, due to evaporation.
I no longer bother trying to keep ants out of the feeders. A friend of mine who rehabs hummers (and raises orphaned baby hummers.
) told me that the hummers actually eat small insects that are in the nectar in flowers, and that it's an important source of protein for them. [img]https://bestsmileys.com/clueless/4.gif[/img]
Return to “Wildlife - Gardening with Local Critters in Mind”