In a message dated 8/19/2005 10:15:52 AM Eastern Standard Time,  
 writes:

read  somewhere that rubbing Vicks Vaporub around the hanging part of
the  hummingbird feeder would keep ants out.  

I tried it, and to my  total surprise, it works!





I'm under the impression (from what I've read) that you aren't  supposed to 
treat hummingbird feeders with anything that might be harmful to the  birds.  
I've even heard that you shouldn't run the feeders through a  dishwasher 
because of the soap residue that remains.  There is a  really simple, effective and 
beneficial way to deal with the ant problem:   get an "ant moat".  It's a 
thing that hangs between the hanger hook and the  feeder.  You fill it with water 
and the ants won't cross it.  Your  feeder remains ant-free (unless it's close 
enough to something the ants can jump  from), the water is non-toxic, plus 
I've seen other birds actually drinking out  of (or getting bugs that are 
attracted to) the moat!  I had a terrible ant  problem earlier this summer, the ant 
moat has solved it  completely.
 
Sarah
Cabin John, MD
BirdNerd3 at  a*o*l*c*o*m
www.pbase.com/sarahbee