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Back to Nature | Commentary by Paul A. Levine

Paul A. Levine | Thursday, Jul 17, 2014

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I suspect a great many readers have hummingbird feeders in their yards. I know that I do. In fact, I have two, and I just gave one as a gift to a dear friend.

It is fascinating and enjoyable to sit and watch the hummingbirds swirl around the feeders, the iridescent red, gold and green glinting off of their heads depending on the angle the sunlight hits them. Particularly in the summer months, I am commonly refilling the feeder at least once a day and on the hotter days, sometimes twice.

However, the sugar water attracts more than just hummingbirds. Bees love it, as do ants, and they have an uncanny knack of finding this free buffet. With bees, gently blowing them off of the feeder is sufficient, but I really do not like ants crawling all over my hands and arms when I take down the feeder to fill it – and I definitely do not want to bring the feeder into the kitchen where I refill it each day.

If you have a feeder suspended from a shepherd’s hook, this is an easy problem to solve. Coat a vertical portion of the shepherd’s hook with Vaseline jelly. This will prevent the ants from reaching the feeder.

Vaseline method.

One should coat a portion of the shepherd’s hook where the hummingbirds will not be sitting, I have chosen the vertical segment for about 6 inches. The Vaseline will eventually melt in the heat and flow and might have to be reapplied periodically, but if there is no other access to the feeder, the ants have absolutely no way of reaching it.

Also cut away the branches of any plants that might otherwise touch the feeder itself, or the ants will abandon any and all efforts to crawl up the shepherd’s hook and use the plant highway instead.

Paul A. Levine is a docent-naturalist at Placerita Canyon Nature Center and an avid butterflier.

Photos by Paul A. Levine

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14 Comments

Tracy Brandis says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

Spray orange oil on the top to keep the ants off

Reply
Andrea Sutter says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

Thanks for this tip! Ants are the reason I haven’t been filling mine.

Reply
Lana Fuentes Rossi says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

Mine are covered with honey bees. The hummingbirds have to fight to find an open feeder.

Reply
Teresa Kenney says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

If you have the feeder on a Sheppards hook you can also go to Green Thumb and purchase a ant moat for about $6. Place it on the hook and then the feed on the ant moat hook…..fill it up with water. we love our ant moat

Reply
Sue Anderson Liberto says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

These work! All of my feeders are hanging from one. Vaseline is not a good idea. Lowes carries them.
http://www.amazon.com/Perky-Pet-245L-Guard-Bird-Feeders-Single/dp/B00EZRVZIK/ref=sr_1_1/180-3751886-5257208?ie=UTF8&qid=1405620473&sr=8-1&keywords=perky+pet+ant+guard

Reply
Sue Anderson Liberto says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

Use white sugar only. One cup sugar to,4 cups water. Boil the water first, add sugar let it cool. No red dye, no organic or brown sugar, no agave, or honey. Avoid the red premixed stuff.

Reply
Laura Steger says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

We have the ant moat as well,it works great

Reply
Sue Holets-Kennedy Thornton says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

If I could hang mine that would be great but we have been having bear issues so no feeder

Reply
Maria Revilla Boxler says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

Just put cotton on the top

Reply
Teresa Kenney says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

This is the one we have. Never have to replace it just add water

Reply
Sue Anderson Liberto says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

Ant moats dry up too fast here due to wind and heat.

Reply
Sue Anderson Liberto says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

Ant moats dry up too fast here due to wind and heat.

Reply
Debi Maloy says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

what about bees how do you get rid of them?

Reply
Patt Kerr says:

Thursday, Jul 17, 2014 at

For years ,I have put vegetable oil on the rope / wire that the feeder hangs. It works—no ants.

Reply

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