Keeping Ants Out of the Hummingbird Feeder

A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I had the problem of having ants in my hummingbird feeder. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a couple of small plastic bowls and some super glue. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the bowl and ran the wire from the feeder through it and covered the bottom of the bowl with the glue where the wire passes through. Let it cure for a few hours, and voila! No more ant problem after putting water in the bowl! Now both of my feeders are ant-free. Cost about $4.00. Good luck.

By Chris

---

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

Try putting Vaseline on the wire or string you have it hanging with. I mean alot too. The ants have a hard time walking thru it and get stuck. This is the only non-chemical way i found to ward them off. (06/11/2005)

By Kat

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

Try smearing Vaseline around the hanger. The ants won't be able to get through it. (06/11/2005)

By seagrape

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

I tried the Vaseline last year and it seemed to help but this year the ants have gotten smarter. They seem to walk through the Vaseline. They move very slowly and very eagerly but a few still manager to get through, maybe the rest turn back. If you are going to put it on be sure to put it on thick and from every angle that they might find to come toward the feeder. Good Luck! (06/11/2005)

By Connie

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

I have one of those long poles meant for hanging two plants, but decided to hang two humming bird feeders this year. The ants climbed up the tall pole and filled the feeders. I heard that ants don't like bay leaves so i tied a couple to the pole and it worked, they won't cross the bay leaf. Just tie a bay leaf to the wire that is holding your feeder on the hook. (06/11/2005)

By LEONA

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

Go to your local plant nursery. I ordered through our nursery here last year and got them to bring in for me... an ant moat. (Just google this item for a picture). It works wonderful. Ants will not cross water. Easy to attach to the hummingbird feeder and just fill with water. I ended up paying about $10 each (ordered 2) after shipping and handling but it was worth it...no more large black ants to clean out of the feeders!

Last year I tried vaseline. Vaseline collects dirt and is messy to work with. I found that it sort of deterred the ants but not really.

The ant moats can be used year after year. I attached it to the top of the hummingbird feeder and filled it with water. It deterred the ants. Next time I had to refill the hummingbird feeder I did not use the moat and found that the ants did not come back because they thought that the moat was still there.

Now to deter them from my retaining wall! (06/13/2005)

By valleyrimgirl

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

The ant moat idea works. My mother-in-law made her own out of a paint can lid. Just drill or poke a hole in the center of it and thread it down the wire or string hanger and fill with water. (06/14/2005)

By firemanswife90

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

Is there not a big drawback with using any water-filled obstruction, namely, you are creating the perfect environment for mosquito-breeding? (07/16/2005)

By Woogie Monster

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

We have tried white grease on the wire holding the feeder... no luck. Tried Vaseline... no luck. We tried fishing line (they are not supposed to be able to climb it)... no luck. We have now moved the feeder to a different area, about 15 feet from the original spot. I heard this sometimes works. Our feeder fills up with so many ants, the birds won't feed! We live in a sandy area, and ants are a big problem and almost impossible to get rid of. Our next try will be the moat as mentioned here. (07/21/2005)

By mamajuice43

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

You know I have tried the Vaseline, thick, thin, backward, forward. I am not convinced that it is my key. I have tried peppermint oil that I heard may work, smells good but didn't work. I am now convinced the only thing that will work is fire. I love my birds and am ready to give up.(08/07/2005)

By Marcie

RE: How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder?

Hey Mama, I had the same problem. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a couple of small plastic bowls and some super glue. I drilled a hole in the bottom of the bowl and ran the wire from the feeder through it and covered the bottom of the bowl with the glue where the wire passes through. Let it cure for a few hours, and voila! No more ant problem after putting water in the bowl! Cost about $4.00. Good luck. Chris. (08/14/2005)

By overcj

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Be careful with vaseline, it can gum up the birds wings. (04/26/2007)

By birdlover

---

A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Since summer is here, I'm sure a lot of people have hummingbird feeders. Well here's an idea of how to keep ants out. If you have the feeder hanging from a small pole, go out and buy the sticky paper that catches flies and wrap it around the pole. It works great. You could also use contact paper, it is much prettier. Just put the paper on with the sticky side out. No more ants. By Sandy from Bluff City, TN

More Answers:

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

A great idea. I'm going to try it (06/20/2007)

By Doris Goehring

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I agree with the post about being careful with using Vaseline. I know it's said to be dangerous for use around birds - gums up their feathers if they brush against it and it's also not healthy for them to get on their feet or accidentally to eat some. I would be DOUBLY careful with anything sticky used on or around the pole. Hummers weigh less than some bugs and could easily become stuck and injure themselves trying to get free or become panicked and die from fright. The water barriers are said to really work pretty well. I wish you luck outsmarting those ants! (06/20/2007)

By bd

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I found a dab of Vaseline on the hanger works great also. (06/20/2007)

By okscooter

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I live in south western Spain and have a big problem with ants as does everyone in south western Spain. Across the road from me is a little Spanish man called Manolito who has always worked the earth. He came into my garden and wrapped old t shirts around the trunks of all my fruit trees ( oranges, lemons, apple, pears and figs) and then painted everything with old, used cooking oil. About 6 inches up from the t shirt and then soaked the t shirt and then all the way down to the ground. He told me to renew this about once a week with old cooking oil. I have done this and, VOILA! it works! The ants don't like it and mainly the snails don't like it either. (06/22/2007)

By Sue Whelan

---

A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I hung a hummingbird feeder last year, no problem. I hung one this year and the ants took it over. Any suggestions?

Sandie from Morganton, NC

---

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Do a search for Ant-Off by Artline. They sell a bell that the feeder hangs from. Put Vaseline inside the bell. This will not harm the hummingbirds. Just hang your feeder on a longer line. I've used it 2 summers now and never have an ant problem. Hope this helps with your problem (07/31/2007)

By maggie3956

Editor's Note: See ornithologist's caution below.

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Tried Vaseline and gear oil and almost everything else. They all failed. My feeder is off a hanger on the porch, I used Terro liquid on the ant path, within a week and a half the ants were gone, dead. No more ants in my house either. Great stuff. (08/02/2007)

By mcmillan968

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I had a terrible problem with ants in my hummingbird feeders, so checked all the helpful suggestions here and found the bay leaves to be the best. I have several feeders that were constantly full of ants and now - none. I tied two bay leaves each to the top string of feeders and have no more problems. Thanks. (08/12/2007)

By Rhonda

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I put a little bit of oil on the top of the hummingbird feeder or you can put it on the hook that the hummingbird feeder is hanging from. I haven't seen any ants on it. (08/21/2007)

By doubletroubletammy

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

We found that coating the hanger and top of feeder with Vicks Vaporub is very, very effective way to keep ants out of our hummingbird feeder. (09/02/2007)

By Shirley B.

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

No grease, Vaseline or anything sticky should ever be exposed around a hummingbird feeder. Even if you do not think or see that a hummer has come in contact with it, it may have. The bird will fly off, try desperately to groom itself, expend valuable energy and become stressed. Consequences are that it is sure mortality. (06/12/2008)

By Guest Ornithologist

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Another use for DUCT TAPE. I put duct tape on the pole that holds the hummingbird feeder. I simply wrap the tape inside out, it sticks to itself and the ants stick to it. I only put it 10-12 inches up the pole so there is no way the birds can touch the sticky tape. It lasts quite some time. (08/06/2008)

By Verna

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Hang the feeder with monafilament fishing line. Ants can't get to feeder, works great. (08/28/2008)

By lovebirds

---

A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

How do I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeders?

By smiles56 from M-ville, KY

---

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Try tying some bay leaves to the top of the feeder. thriftyfun.com (05/16/2009)

By Anonymous

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Rub cinnamon on your fingers and slide it down the cord or hanger to your feeder, ants do not like cinnamon and will not cross it. (05/16/2009)

By theseamstress

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Re: Water filled moats. Add a drop of dish soap to the container. I use old pudding cups or other snack cups and a piece of coat hanger wire. Very frugal. (05/22/2009)

By mapl1948

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Oil the feeder post or hanger. The ants slip off. Vegetable oil works well. (05/25/2009)

By catastrofy

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I have read NOT to use oil or Vaseline the post or hook or anything near the Hummingbird feeder! If those precious little birds get it on them it can impair their flying. Google it. (05/25/2009)

By Ariela

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

The most effective method we have found for keeping ants out of hummingbird feeders is an ant moat or ant guard. While some people make their own, Parasol Garden makes a great ant moat. It looks like an upside down umbrella, and has a loop on top for hanging on the hook, and a hook underneath to hang your feeder on. The ants won't cross the water to get to the feeder.

These moats come in a black umbrella shape, red flower shape, or green leaf shape. We carry these under Hummingbird accessories in our CreekTreeUSA store. They really do work. (05/27/2009)

By CreekTreeUSA

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

We found a fantastic solution for keeping ants and earwigs out of our feeder. Get a plastic takeout container and make a small hole in the center at the bottom. The hole needs to be small enough to require some pressure to pull the cord through, as you want it to be a tight fit.

The container we found fit perfectly on the top of the feeder (see picture below) and has high, smooth sides. Fill the bottom of the container with cinnamon. Firstly, ants don't like cinnamon and it doesn't take long before they don't come calling again. Secondly, the cinnamon coats the sides of the container too and, once the ants and earwigs are in the bottom they cannot get out as they keep slipping down.

It did not take long before neither ants nor earwigs were coming around anymore. We keep the container up to prevent this from happening again. The lid on top of the glass cylinder screws off, making it easy to clean the feeder without having to pull off the plastic container from the cord each time. (08/24/2009)

By midastouch

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

So far I've tried the fishing line. In less than 10 minutes the ants had become bold enough to climb down the line. The next thing I tried was the cinnamon. They crossed right over it like it was nothing. I guess I'll try the moat now. (04/21/2010)

By cookiepls

---

A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I need help with ants in the hummingbird feeder.

By Linda from Port Angeles, WA

---

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Try spraying cooking spray on the hanger (cover the feeder with plastic wrap before spraying if feeder contains food, just to keep ports clean). I sprayed some on my mom's feeder, and didn't see any ants even near the feeder for the 3 days I was there. May have to reapply every so often, but I'm not sure. (05/30/2010)

By agdb1958

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

I put a blob of Vaseline on the hook that is attached to my porch that I hang the feeder from. Just a good coating on the straight part of the hook will keep them from climbing down. (05/31/2010)

By Glenn'sMom

RE: A Remedy for Ants in the Hummingbird Feeder

Vaseline on the cord it is hanging from will do the trick. Peace and blessings from Texas (06/01/2010)

By jantoo1

---

Keeping Ants Out Of Hummingbird Feeders

You will need a plastic cap from spray paint or a cosmetics top. Drill a hole in the center of the cap.

---

Keeping Ants Out Of Hummingbird Feeders

How can I keep ants out of my hummingbird feeder when it's hanging in a tree? I don't want to harm the tree.