How can I make an ant moat for my hummingbird feeder?

Answer 1

Drill a hole slightly bigger than the hang wire through an old spray can lid. Slide the lid onto the wire. Seal the gap between the hole and the wire with silicone or hot glue. Pour some water in the cap. Do not use oil, because some small birds drink from ant moats. The best way to use an ant moat is to put the cap on upside down, then coat the inside of the cap with a product called Tanglefoot, which is available at nurseries and maybe Wal-Mart type stores. Something else that's sticky but won't dry out would also work.

Answer 2

To make hummingbird food use 1 part sugar 4 parts water. Heat it almost to boiling temperature, take it off the heat source. Let it cool until its a little bit above room temp. Then pour it into the feeder change after 2-3 weeks or until bugs and junk get in it.

1 cup of sugar

4 cups of water

bring to a boil while stirring occasionally and cool

DO NOT add red food coloring

refrigerate excess

once you have attracted hummingbirds, the mixture can gradually be made as weak as 7 parts water to 1 part sugar

Hummingbird nectar is a very simple concoction consisting of four parts water to one part sugar. Cane sugar is preferable as it is more easily digested by the birds. It is advisable to boil the water for five minutes prior to adding the sugar to drive off some of the chlorine and fluoride in the water. Although hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, adding red food coloring to the nectar is not necessary if the feeder is red. Red food coloring has been shown to cause beak deformities in hummingbirds in captivity. Feeders are best hung in the shade as heat will hasten spoilage of the nectar. When the nectar starts to become cloudy looking (sometime around a week) the nectar should be replaced. The feeders should be cleaned with a vinegar solution and thoroughly rinsed.
Boil 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of sugar. Let cool. Pour into clean hummingbird feeder. (Do NOT add red food coloring. It's bad for the little guys!) Change mixture every 2-3 days.
One part sugar to four parts water.

Answer 3

One part sugar to four parts water.