If you have a hummingbird feeder you are most likely attracting ants as well as the hummingbirds. Placing a solution of sugar and water outside is very much like asking for ants to visit. But, the ants have a bad habit of entering the feeder and drowning, and that leaves all of the little bodies littering the sugar solution. And although it is easy to clean and replace the solution, it begins to be a waste of money to keep replacing the sugar solution.
I have always been an advocate of synergy when it comes to letting nature control it's own destiny and sometime it works well and at other times it requires some intervention. The photo on the right shows a suet feeder suspended near the hummingbird feeder. I have several woodpeckers, both Hairy and Downy, that visit the suet frequently year around and they have an interesting habit. They first land on the tree, climb up and down, and in the process eat ants traveling toward the hummingbird feeder. And although ants are their favorite food, the number of ants are greater than the woodpeckers ability to get them all. So, they fly to the suet and feed on the seeds.
But this year I have found a really good way to stop the ants from getting to the sugar solution. And it is simply by using duct tape! Here are the photos:
I have always been an advocate of synergy when it comes to letting nature control it's own destiny and sometime it works well and at other times it requires some intervention. The photo on the right shows a suet feeder suspended near the hummingbird feeder. I have several woodpeckers, both Hairy and Downy, that visit the suet frequently year around and they have an interesting habit. They first land on the tree, climb up and down, and in the process eat ants traveling toward the hummingbird feeder. And although ants are their favorite food, the number of ants are greater than the woodpeckers ability to get them all. So, they fly to the suet and feed on the seeds.
But this year I have found a really good way to stop the ants from getting to the sugar solution. And it is simply by using duct tape! Here are the photos:
I simply used a 1/2 inch diameter piece of PVC pipe with an end cap and wound some duct tape around the pipe with the sticky side out. The feeder is hanging from a coat hanger and when the ants get to the sticky duct tape, they get their feet stuck. Problem solved! When the tape becomes weathered and less sticky I will just add another layer. I am sure that you could also use a good double-sided tape or any tape with a good adhesive. Now the woodpeckers are happy, I'm happy, and the ants are baffled. Life is good again...
RSS Feed
