Humingbirds & Ants!

[Sniper03]

Does anyone here feed Hummingbirds?
Or as we say in Tennessee, Himminbirds!

And do you have a problem with Ants?

If so, like us in the past, they gave my Wife and I fits!
First of all, once the Ants found the path to the feeders on the porch. It was like a Parade and we would continually be flipping them off the Feeders and the Porch Rail. I tried putting various things on the feeders like petroleum jelly, Vicks and other solutions only to have them fail at least in time. Including when the heat would melt the solution or the rain would wash it off.
And when you would bringing the Feeders in to wash and refill them. And some of the Ants were down inside of the Feeders and would run out into the sink and you would have to chase them down and kill them before they got lose in the house.
Until "FINALLY" we found the solution to the Ant problem. I was On Line trying to find something to solve the problem. An we FINALLY found this item. It works 100%!
Obviously we have Plant Hooks on the Porch for our Feeders. And I was using some Decorative Chain to hang the Feeders directly on the Hooks. But the Ants would simply climb down the Chain and go to the Feeder. So to install the new items I cut the Chain in two pieces and added the new water filled Aunt Dams) "TRAP IT" units to the Chain. You pour Water in them about every third day or so depending on the Suns Heat. And the Aunts will not climb down on the Chain and Swim across the water to get to the opposite side to get to the bottom section of the Chain and on to the Feeder! Works like a Champ "Great Product"!

03

Read More

 

[The Heretic]

I don't feed them; I have flowering plants that they love though. Bumble bees and butterflies too.

 

[DB is Here]

I don't feed them; I have flowering plants that they love though. Bumble bees and butterflies too.

100% this.

 

[Mikej]

I have one of my feeders that has a moat on the top of the bottle. The problem is I need to remember to fill it. Not such a problem now as I have plants to water every day/other day. But I forget earlier in the year or the non watering times. The feeder in the front gets ants but generally about the time the feeder needs filling anyway. The birds will still use it with ants in it too for awhile.

 

[Alexx1401]

Thanks, I feed them year round here and love watching them. In the winter if we get a cold snap they will sometimes freeze. When I come home in the morning the birds are out there waiting for me to put some fresh juice out. Feeding out of it while I am hanging new one. I had never heard of these but in the warm weather have had to fight the ants. Just ordered a set of these to try. Looks like a great damn idea!!

https://www.amazon.com/REZIPO-Hummingbird-Feeders-Accessory-Brushes/dp/B07R56P5RV/ref=pd_lpo_86_t_0/130-3990272-5736646?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07R56P5RV&pd_rd_r=b1cce948-e426-4c4d-94df-97d2399a8344&pd_rd_w=8L1aE&pd_rd_wg=ckV6m&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=3G0B3ZG97FND4HSXAXFQ&psc=1&refRID=3G0B3ZG97FND4HSXAXFQ

 

[L84Cabo]

If you have an ant problem, Termidor SC or Taurus SC will solve it (one is the generic but they both work)...as long as you can get the ants to cross over it. It will take care of a lot of other things too.

Good luck!

DEATH TO ANTS!

WOVERINES!

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Does anyone here feed Hummingbirds?
Or as we say in Tennessee, Himminbirds!

And do you have a problem with Ants?

If so, like us in the past, they gave my Wife and I fits!
First of all, once the Ants found the path to the feeders on the porch. It was like a Parade and we would continually be flipping them off the Feeders and the Porch Rail. I tried putting various things on the feeders like petroleum jelly, Vicks and other solutions only to have them fail at least in time. Including when the heat would melt the solution or the rain would wash it off.
And when you would bringing the Feeders in to wash and refill them. And some of the Ants were down inside of the Feeders and would run out into the sink and you would have to chase them down and kill them before they got lose in the house.
Until "FINALLY" we found the solution to the Ant problem. I was On Line trying to find something to solve the problem. An we FINALLY found this item. It works 100%!
Obviously we have Plant Hooks on the Porch for our Feeders. And I was using some Decorative Chain to hang the Feeders directly on the Hooks. But the Ants would simply climb down the Chain and go to the Feeder. So to install the new items I cut the Chain in two pieces and added the new water filled Aunt Dams) "TRAP IT" units to the Chain. You pour Water in them about every third day or so depending on the Suns Heat. And the Aunts will not climb down on the Chain and Swim across the water to get to the opposite side to get to the bottom section of the Chain and on to the Feeder! Works like a Champ "Great Product"!

03

Just use diatomaceous earth. That will kill any ants near the feeder or on trails etc.

We had 3 nests in the yard this year producing 6 healthy young. They r all doing good and are fun to watch/listen to. The babies will fly right up to you to see what you are. They do recognize the person that feeds them also.

Feeders have been shown to double the life expectancy for hummers. The most crucial time for our Anna's are in the cold morning in the winter. If you hang a light bulb next to the feederr that will keep the feeder from freezing at night in the winter. They need energy when they first wake up or they won't make it. a few pics from this year:

 

[Mikej]

Just use diatomaceous earth. That will kill any ants near the feeder or on trails etc.

We had 3 nests in the yard this year producing 6 healthy young. They r all doing good and are fun to watch/listen to. The babies will fly right up to you to see what you are. They do recognize the person that feeds them also.

Feeders have been shown to double the life expectancy for hummers. The most crucial time for our Anna's are in the cold morning in the winter. They need energy when they first wake up or they won't make it. a few pics from this year:View attachment 728259
View attachment 728260
View attachment 728261
View attachment 728262

How'd you get lucky enough to find a nest!

We finally have front yard and backyard hummers that don't try to kill each other. They grew up with us so they'll come right in behind me close enough to feel the breeze from their wings. Or land on the feeder when 'm almost close enough to touch them.

I plant a Black/Blue Salvia ever year is big pot on the deck every year. It gets 3'-4' tall. Stunning plant and the humming birds absolutely love it.

Black & Blue - Salvia guaranitica | Proven Winners

Proven Winners - Black & Blue - Salvia guaranitica blue blue-true plant details, information and resources.

www.provenwinners.com

 

[ilikegunspdx]

How'd you get lucky enough to find a nest!

We finally have front yard and backyard hummers that don't try to kill each other. They grew up with us so they'll come right in behind me close enough to feel the breeze from their wings. Or land on the feeder when 'm almost close enough to touch them.

I plant a Black/Blue Salvia ever year is big pot on the deck every year. It gets 3'-4' tall. Stunning plant and the humming birds absolutely love it.

Black & Blue - Salvia guaranitica | Proven Winners

Proven Winners - Black & Blue - Salvia guaranitica blue blue-true plant details, information and resources.

www.provenwinners.com

Cool! I hear you on fighting each other. I've found that if you hang feeders out of line of sight such as one in the front of house and one in the back, that prevents a single male from patrolling (eyeballing) two feeders at once.

Re finding nests, I look for places in the yard where you see them again and again as you are walking by, and then watch them (females only I mean) for a while until they go to nest (March-June is nesting time for Anna's I think). The Mama this year is smart cuz she made nests right above places I usually walk and that seems to help with scrubjays, crows, and starlings taking the young. But of course the fact that most of those birds commit suicide by jumping in front of airgun pellets may have something to do with that...

 

[Mikej]

Cool! I hear you on fighting each other. I've found that if you hang feeders out of line of sight such as one in the front of house and one in the back, that prevents a single male from patrolling (eyeballing) two feeders at once.

Re finding nests, I look for places in the yard where you see them again and again as you are walking by, and then watch them (females only I mean) for a while until they go to nest (March-June is nesting time for Anna's I think). The Mama this year is smart cuz she made nests right above places I usually walk and that seems to help with scrubjays, crows, and starlings taking the young. But of course the fact that most of those birds commit suicide by jumping in front of airgun pellets may have something to do with that...

I've heard hummers start their nest building in February. I've got into birds over the years. got about a $40.00 a month habit. I like the Scrub Jays and crows. The Crows make better neighbors the the people that live around me. Crows tell me when there's a cat in the yard so i can spray it with the hose or chase it off. We have a Scrub Jay, that this year, takes peanuts out of hands. Come to the window, or slider and jump around until we notice it. The Jays also alert to cats. Can't help myself. Seeing parent crows, with two babies this year, trying to teach their dummies that they need to pick the food up themselves, rather than get it from the parents pecker, is pretty funny.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I've heard hummers start their nest building in February. I've got into birds over the years. got about a $40.00 a month habit. I like the Scrub Jays and crows. The Crows make better neighbors the the people that live around me. Crows tell me when there's a cat in the yard so i can spray it with the hose or chase it off. We have a Scrub Jay, that this year, takes peanuts out of hands. Come to the window, or slider and jump around until we notice it. The Jays also alert to cats. Can't help myself. Seeing parent crows, with two babies this year, trying to teach their dummies that they need to pick the food up themselves, rather than get it from the parents pecker, is pretty funny.

Well it's up to you but every year we have crows decimate our song bird babies. Last year I watched house finches raise their young and the morning they were to fledge a crow ate them all. The year before that it was robins. The crows identify the nest and then they disappear. Then they come back at the exact right moment when the babies are their fattest but can't fly yet and eat them. Scrub jays are nearly as a bad. We had zero successful hummingbird nests until the scrub jay, crow, and starling population was taken care of.

 

[Alexx1401]

Cool! I hear you on fighting each other. I've found that if you hang feeders out of line of sight such as one in the front of house and one in the back, that prevents a single male from patrolling (eyeballing) two feeders at once.

Re finding nests, I look for places in the yard where you see them again and again as you are walking by, and then watch them (females only I mean) for a while until they go to nest (March-June is nesting time for Anna's I think). The Mama this year is smart cuz she made nests right above places I usually walk and that seems to help with scrubjays, crows, and starlings taking the young. But of course the fact that most of those birds commit suicide by jumping in front of airgun pellets may have something to do with that...

I hang 3 here for just that reason. All 3 are in a place where one can't run off others. This spring was the first time I had ever seen multiple birds feeding at the same time without squabbling. A few time there would be 4 birds at a time on one feeder. Have one of them with a camera on it so I can watch with my phone. Never seem to get tired of watching them. They will often feed while I am trying to hang them out. Amazing little birds. It would be great to see a nest like that. Never have seen one.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I hang 3 here for just that reason. All 3 are in a place where one can't run off others. This spring was the first time I had ever seen multiple birds feeding at the same time without squabbling. A few time there would be 4 birds at a time on one feeder. Have one of them with a camera on it so I can watch with my phone. Never seem to get tired of watching them. They will often feed while I am trying to hang them out. Amazing little birds. It would be great to see a nest like that. Never have seen one.

I think u will probably have one or more next year if u have those birds around. They like to build close to where there is a reliable supply of nectar. The hard part is someone can tell u exactly where to look and you will never see it cuz they r about the size of a golfball and are very well camouflaged. But if you see a female in a bush or tree in the same area a lot and watch where she goes u will see here land on it/build it. They like to hover all around the nest area before landing when the babies are there so that kind of helps give the location away too. When the babies first fly it is really funny. Massive amounts of wing flapping for virtually no lift. Also another clue can be if you see female gathering lots of spiderwebs. Here is the remains from a spring nest this year to show size FYI: