I have a question about a hummingbird feeder with an iron pole holding it up. My daughter gave me this for my birthday. I need to know how I can keep the ants from coming on the feeder and helping themselves. I tried rubbing Vaseline around the pole but two weeks later the ants were back. Can anyone tell me how they solved this problem? How often do I replenish the Vaseline? Thanks, Chuck
Info on Hummingbird Feeders
Hi CBernard. You will have so much fun with this feeder this coming summer! I put 6 feeders up in the summer and my favorite way to foil ants is with an ant guard. I use the ones that are red plastic and look like cups. You fill them with water and your ant problem is solved. You also get the added benefit of chickadees drinking from them and bathing in them. They prefer these to my bird bath lol! Here's a picture of one that I have that from this past summer.
Oh I also forgot to say that I used to use vaseline too but have since read that that isn't a good idea. If the hummer (or any other bird) brushes up against the vaseline and gets it on its feathers it can interfere with its ability to fly and survive.
Dear Lilyfantn,
I have never seen an ant guard like that before....Can they be purchased online? It looks like it would come in very handy. I agree with you on the Vaseline barrier...I was a little surprised when my relatives told me about it.
Thanks,
Chuck
Yes, I'm sure they can. And I seem to remember a post on one of the forums where someone actually made their own with the top of an aerosol spray can and a dowel and some caulk. I will see if I can find that.
Bird Watcher magazine has a section on hummer feeders and I found this link to buying them through the magazine. This is actually quite a bit less than I pay locally at Lowe's and Home Depot (when I can find them)
http://www.birdwatchers.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=WLS10008&reference=/cgi-bin/shopper%3Fsearch%3Daction%26keywords%3Dant_guard_add-on%26searchstart%3D0%26template%3DTemplates/SearchResult.html
This message was edited Dec 16, 2005 9:06 PM
Well, in looking for the home built cup directions I did find this interesting and informative site! And I learned something I didn't know... don't use the yellow flowers around the ports as they will attract bees. I hope I remember this next summer when its time for the feeders to go up again lol!
http://www.hummingbirds.net/feeders.html
Boy am I going to get yelled at because I Take a Qtip, dab it in Vicks VapoRub and dab it at the top of the hanging wire, right where it starts down to the feeder. Of the 4 feeders that I've made, I've only found ants at the opening of one of them. I guess that the dab of VapoRub didn't completely go around the wire, so they made it past it. I have a Mother Hummer and 2 babies that have eaten from them, since I started making them. Maybe the smell of VapoRub makes them stay away from the top of the wire too. Anyway, good luck. justnakenny@highstream.net Out in the desert where the wind blows and the sun blisters. Desert Hot Springs, Calif. Actually Sky Valley and I love it.
Do you have hummers year round justnakenny? Here in NE Tn. they arrive in mid to late March but I really only see them in good numbers in July and early Aug. When the parents take the babies out to the feeders for "happy meals" lol!
Lilyfantn
Honestly, I don't know, I think I do but I've never really given it much thought. I have a very bad memory of Hummingbirds, that still makes me feel bad to this very day. I grew-up shooting just about everything with a BB gun and one day I shot a poor little Hummingbird through a flower. I can't even describe how sad I was, when I went around to the other side of the flowers and saw him laying there on the ground, dead. I never shot another one but the damage to Him and to Me had already been done. Even writing about it today makes me cry and that was many, many, many years ago.
Now you have me wondering if they do stick around here all year and I'll make a point of seeing if they do.
I can't answer for you, Justnakenny, but according to the local Inland Empire Bird Book that my son got me for my last birthday, here in Perris we have three species of hummingbirds here: the Costa's Hummingbirds (Calypte costae)which was originally a desert oasis feeder and now have moved to our area as a permanent resident, the Black-Chinned Hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) that nest here through April to September and during the winter fly to Mexico and Central America; and the Anna's Hummingbirds(Calypte anna) who are permanent residents in the Inland Empire. I really would like to be able to discern between the species so I keep my bird book out on my patio.
Thanks for asking,
Chuck
I have found an online shop (The Bird Shed) that sells what they call HummZingers Hummingbird Feeder. The feeder has a moat where you keep water to keep the ants out as well as an overflow tube for when it rains. The 'blossoms' can't be feasted on by bees. It is in a saucer shape in either a 8 oz or 16 oz size. All in all, I was so pleased with the one that I ordered and received that I ordered the 16 oz size.
Thanks so much!! I just ordered the HummZinger 16 oz. I had not planned on feeding hummers because when I tried to up North, all we got were bees. I am excited to try again with this one. Karen
Karen,
I hung up my big hummingbird feeder yesterday. For the first time since I started watching hummers, I saw two hummingbirds eating together at the same feeder. It was really neat....I am sold on the Humzinger Excel. I hope you have as good luck as I have had with their feeders.
Good luck,
Chuck
I already received it and it is up. Now to wait for the hummers!! Karen