I only have problems with ants getting into my two feeders so I've never 
bothered with the bug guards. I couldn't find any ant moats so I 
improvised and made my own by poking a just-big-enough hole in a lid 
(from a used lunch meat product), and ran my hanging feeder string 
through that. Then I wipe vegetable oil on the lid, top and bottom, and 
ta-da, no more ants. For my window feeder I just wipe vegetable oil in a 
circle on the glass around the suction cup. The ants just can't deal. A 
little soap and water during each feeder refill keeps things from 
getting gummed up and yucky.

Good birding,
Chris Ordiway
Accokeek, MD


Bill & Carol wrote:
> I just "upgraded" my hummer feeder to a Humzinger 12 oz. model, as my old 8
> ouncer got too shopworn.  Included in the new box were some little plastic
> "bug guards" that fit over the inside of the feeding ports.  They are
> allegedly to stop the bugs, but are supposed to let the tongue of the bird