Take me to the Steps

hummingbird feeder.2

Our backyard hummingbirds were not happy! A trail of hungry ants was climbing into our hummingbird feeder, fouling the sugar water, and keeping the birds away. The ants were undeterred by folk remedies like bay leaf barriers, and pesticides were out of the question. Ugh — but what to do?

My bin of toy parts yielded the answer. Drill a hole in the cap from a plastic vending-machine toy capsule. Attach the inverted cap on top of the feeder with a bit of Sugru or bathroom caulk. Use another dab to seal up the center hole and hanging wire. When filled with water, the cap makes a tiny water moat the ants refuse to cross. The hummingbirds are back enjoying the feeder — sweet!

Share it: #antfreefeeder

SUGRU IS A HANDY SUBSTANCE

It molds like putty and cures at room temperature to form a strong, flexible
silicone rubber that can be used to fix, protect, improve, and innovate.

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Sugru is available in the Maker Shed.

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Project Steps

Gather materials.

You’ll need a hummingbird feeder, vending machine capsule toy lid, and some Sugru.

Take off the top.

Remove the cap and the hanger wire.

Drill hole.

Check cap ( and drill a center hole big enough for wire to pass through).

Assemble and hang.

Place Sugru in a blob under the cap, thread the hanging wire through, add some more Sugru on top of the cap, then form Sugru together to level and seat the cap onto the lid. Smooth out with a moistened finger.

Let set for 24 hours, then use: refill feeder, assemble, hang the feeder outside, then fill the cap “moat” with water.