It's a little late in the season for this tip but if needed, it works well. I put packaging tape on my feeder to catch the ants as they crawl down to get to the sweet stuff. Since I have been doing this, I have had no ants in my feeder and the tape still works after it rains. I have been using this method for several weeks and have replaced the tape only once.
I noticed that the ants were disappearing but not showing up inside the feeder and was wondering what was happening to them. Then, I saw a bird perched on the feeder reaching up and pecking an ant off the tape.
Supplies:
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This shows how the tape works. These are the big red ants and some of them are strong enough to get across the tape. Where is my bird when I need him?
I don't have ants that size, just the teeny tiny ones, & they come up the metal pole, so I just put a gob of vaseline around the pole near the curve, & they can't go through it.. it's away from the birds.
Please never use packing tape near or on a feeder. Hummingbirds can get stuck to the tape and if ihe sticky gets on their feathers they can not clean it off and will not be able to fly.
my light post has a hook, I place my hummingbird feed on the hook, so, the ants like traveling up the pole, but I get your idea, and I will try the packaging tape, thanks
The packaging tape does work well. When I was using that method, my feeder was hanging in a tree and actually inviting ants to come and drink. Ants were a real problem. Since then, we have cut the tree down and I put my feeder on a pole. I got some Home Defense insect spray from Walmart. It is the kind that is safe to use inside your home.
That is such a simple easy and cheap solution.
I think it's great your solution of using the packaging tape has worked out for you in as far as keeping the ants out of your hummingbird feeder. I would offer one word of caution though. I used to volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center. A little wren was brought in one day to the center completely featherless.
Packing tape did not work!
Shriljacaw, I'm sorry the tape did not work for you. We actually had the hummingbird feeder hanging in a tree and naturally the ants crawled up the tree. The tape worked for me but I had to change it often.
Since then, we cut the tree down and now I hang the feeder on a pole where the tree was. I spray the ground around the bottom of the pole and up the pole just a little above the grass line using "Home Defense" that I got from Wal-mart in the garden section. It says on the container that it is harmless to animals after it drys.
It kept the ants off the pole and out of the feeder. I had no problem with them all during the summer. I had to spray after each rain as the spray I use is for indoor use.
We had lots of hummingbirds. Here in North Carolina, we don't see many starting in September as they leave and go South.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the tips! Our feeders hang off a post on our covered deck, so we wrapped the post in strapping tape, top and bottom of the feeder hangers. We'll see if it works!
Kill ants, very useful creatures, to feed another animal. Super animal unfriendly. Can't anyone think of something better?
I learned the hard way not to use any sticky tapes on any feeders of any sorts. I once found a chickadee stuck to some tape and luckily I was able to remove it from the tape before any major damage was done. A hummingbird wasn't so lucky when I innocently tried this tip several years ago.
Please dont do this. The birds could get adhesive from the tape on their wings. Do not put anything sticky or slick or oily near the hummingbird feeder. USE AN ANT MOAT.
I wonder if double sided tape would work the same?
Our feeder is on a pole. I prefer to spray a little Home Defense, from Walmart, at the bottom of the pole up to about 9 inches from the ground. The ants will not crawl across it. It works wonders for us. I have to repeat it every few weeks if it rains. Does not harm the hummingbirds and has not stopped ants from building their nests in our yard. We still have plenty of ants. I also spray Home Defense around my windows, doors, corners of eaves and foundation to our house. It really cuts down on problem with ants and spiders.
NEVER use anything sticky around hummingbirds! They will get stuck and/or loose feathers making it impossible to fly and they will die. Ant moats are an easy/cheap fix to ants.
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