Everytime I fill up my feeder within a day or two it is covered inside and out with little tiny ants. It is hanging over my porch. Is there anything I can do to keep them away yet still have the hummingbirds come and drink?
2006-06-12 12:47:03 · 9 answers · asked by jjenkinskelso 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Try spraying the surrounding area and down the the feeder hanger with ant spray. My mom sprays around hers and it doesn't seem to keep the birds from coming.
2006-06-12 12:51:01 · answer #1 · answered by misspolly1969 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had a friend build an ingenious device to stop ants with his hummingbird feeder. I assume the feeder is hanging by a wire or a string. He placed on the wire a small cup (think like a small plastic salsa bowl), with the wire running through the cup. The hole in the cup he sealed against the wire with silicone (like kitchen/bath silicone). Then he keeps the cup filled with water. The ants can't make it across the lake to the other side, and so they leave it alone.
There are all sorts of variations you can make to this plan with other pieces of hardware, but the key is to allow no means for the ants to cross the "pond".
2006-06-12 12:55:57 · answer #2 · answered by Rob W 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Put petroleum grease on whatever the feeder is suspended by. Also you can boil some chewing tobacco. Let it cool. pour the solution into a sprayer and dilute it by 25% X 75% water. Spray it around the perimeter of your house and porch once a week for three weeks.
The lil' buggers could be coming up from under the house also whereas the grease would be the final line of defense.
good luck mate,
2006-06-12 12:54:45 · answer #3 · answered by BP 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have hummingbird feeders on shepherd hooks, I spray the shepherds hooks with pam cooking spray from the ground up, also have feeders hanging from the gutters on the house and spray the hooks they are hanging from with pam, you can take reqular veg. cooking oil and put on the yellow flowers or bee shields of the feeders, it won't bother the hummers and the ants don't like it. You will have to repeat this process several times thru the season.
2006-06-12 13:12:31 · answer #4 · answered by judy_derr38565 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you have the solution in the feeder too rich with sugar.
Dilute it to 1 part sugar in 4 parts water. Do not use honey or it can kill the hummingbirds.
2006-06-12 13:27:03 · answer #5 · answered by Texas Cowboy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ants come from the ground, so they must be crawling up the side of your house somewhere. The best suggestion I have is to treat the ground perimeter of your entire house with a product like Ortho Home defense or Ortho Max. These products will break the chemical trail of the ants...
2006-06-12 12:56:42 · answer #6 · answered by browneyed girl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
build a moat--Put a lid or something that will hold water at the top of the feeder--the ants can't cross the moat to get to the sugar water and it won't hurt or interfere with the hummers at all--my mother-in-law taught me this
2006-06-14 06:28:18 · answer #7 · answered by curlyQ 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Try this site:
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2000/7-28-2000/humming.html
2006-06-12 12:57:07 · answer #8 · answered by Mad About Purple 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
good question, i dont think u can....try to wash it down w vinegar.
2006-06-12 12:52:49 · answer #9 · answered by mazzygirl83 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋