Is there a way to keep ants out of bird feeders?

Ants are attracted to nectar bird feeders. The sweet sugary snack is a magnet for these pests. By adding an ant moat above your Hummingbird or Oriole feeder you can easily eliminate these unwanted pests at the feeder. The cup shaped device holds water and when the ant climbs down the hook, they are trapped in the pool of water and your feeder will be free of ants.

A clever trick is to also take a Q-Tip and place mint extract around the food port of the nectar feeder. Some people swear by this. Under NO circumstances grease a hook or pole all the way up thinking ants will get stuck or squirrels will be deterred. Birds that get grease on their feathers can't fly and will eventually die.