Keeping Ants from Hummingbird Feeders

I have had success protecting my hummingbird food from ants by putting a pile of food-grade (not for pools) diatomaceous earth around the bottom of the shepherds hook. It kills anything with an exoskeleton (ants, spiders, roly polys, etc.) but is not harmful to mammals or birds if they eat it or touch it.

I also put it into the built-in moat on the hummingbird feeder. I add a little more each time I fill it. Ants will not cross it and will die shortly after if they do. I learned about it from Wolf Creek Ranch (online) and they use it to clean wolf rescues (and all others on their ranch) from worms. I tried it in hummingbird feeders and it works. Google it, but make sure to only use food-grade diatomaceous earth.