Hummingbird Feeder Pests

Many people that are fortunate enough to live in an area that hummingbirds also live in, put up thousands of feeders a year. And with those feeders that are set out, come the pests. The most common is the ant.

Since most people make their own nectar, 4 parts water and 1 part sugar, the ants love it more than the hummers themselves. In order to repel these pests you can buy bell like things that are covered in a thin chemical. Instead of buying one you can make your own pest controller.

• Find a can (preferred: tuna can with tab lid, or any can with No sharp edges) poke a hole in the center of the top.
• Find a rod with a closed loop on one end and a open one on the other (so you can slide on the can). It doesn't matter which way you put on the can,but the open end of the can toward the closed end of the rod is preferred for this type.Slide the can on the rod.
• If the can is loose you can caulk it or use hot glue to seal it up.
• Coat the inside of the can with Vick's Vapor Rub or Vaseline. DO NOT put it on the outside.
• Hang your feeder by the closed loop, and hang the open loop from a high place.

If you put the can so the open end was facing the open loop, seal the hole at the bottom of the can and fill it with vegetable oil. It's not recommended that you put Vaseline or Vick's really close to the feeder, try and put it as far away from the feeder as possible, if the hummingbirds get into it it can effect their flying. If you make this it is also a lot cheaper than buying one.