Hey all!
I love having birds in my garden, so I always hang a selection of bird feeders, each aimed at attracting a specific type or group of birds. The staple feeder of any garden is of course the hummingbird feeder. Who can resist those little suckers? They are gorgeous jewels that zoom around, feed, fight each other over food and make a ton of (non-annoying) racket.
What is annoying is the stupid ants have decided the hummingbird feeder is also their feeder. I honestly wouldn’t mind it- ants do serve a purpose in the garden- but their presence on the feeder often repels the hummingbirds, especially if they are of the really pheromone-y variety that stink to high heaven.
The best natural solution I’ve found for this problem is to use an hummingbird feeder ant moat (also known as an ant guard) that hangs between the feeder and whatever it’s hanging from to deter the ants from going after the sugar water in the feeder. Ants will not attempt to cross the water in the ant guard because they can’t swim and can drown in even a drop of water if they get caught up in it.
I could just buy an ant guard since there are plenty of them on the market, but almost all of them are plastic (which doesn’t last long outdoors) and, frankly, pretty ugly. I have seen some pretty ceramic ones for sale as of late, but they are pretty pricey. So I decided to make some of my own and try to come up with something eye-catching and save myself a few bucks to boot.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 1 1/2″ terracotta flower pot (find them at craft stores)
- 2 2 1/2″ x 3/16″ eye screws
- 1 3/16″ connecting nut
- 2 3/16″ nuts
- waterproof silicone sealant
Screw one of the nuts all the way down on one of the eye bolts:
Insert bolt through the bottom of the pot:
Put a dab of silicone around the bolt on the inside of the pot, then screw down the other bolt on top of it, holding the bottom bolt firm and forming a watertight seal:
Screw the connecting bolt halfway onto the eye bolt in the pot, then screw the other eye bolt onto the other side:
Allow silicone to dry for 24 hours. 
Attach ant guard to wherever you hang your hummingbird feeder, fill pot with water, and hang your hummingbird feeder from it.
Feel free to paint this if you like… I left mine au naturel for now, but I might paint it later. Also, feel free to experiment with different sized pots and hardware. I like the look of the tiny pots, but in summertime I have to refill them with water almost daily. A bigger pot would not have to be filled as often.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and it helps keep the hummers in your garden happy! ๐
Michelle
katherine says
August 14, 2014 at 1:57 pmAwesome, thanks
Michelle @ The Painted Hinge says
August 14, 2014 at 7:18 pmYou betcha! ๐
Nana says
August 19, 2014 at 7:10 amYou are SO creative!!! Thank you for a pretty alternative!!!
Michelle @ The Painted Hinge says
August 19, 2014 at 8:15 amYou’re welcome Nana! ๐
Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures says
October 18, 2014 at 5:45 amWhat a perfectly charming solution! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Michelle @ The Painted Hinge says
October 18, 2014 at 6:11 amThank you Marci! ๐ Before I did this, I tried everything short of buying the plastic ant moats, so I’m glad it worked so well, and looks good while doing it. ๐
Stephanie J. says
April 6, 2016 at 8:39 amIngenious!!
Michelle says
April 7, 2016 at 7:04 pmThanks so much Stephanie! ๐
Chris says
May 2, 2016 at 5:03 pmAre the little clay pots waterproof? Seems to me the water would evaporate through the sides of the pot as well as the top. Do you think spray painting them would help them to retain water better? I have used a commercial ant trap previously and have floated Ivory dish soap on top of the water. It really cuts down on the evaporation. Love your idea and plan to try it soon.
Michelle says
May 2, 2016 at 9:25 pmHi Chris!
They are waterproof to a point… the clay pot absorbs some of the water, which holds the rest of the water in. I’ve since painted the pots (haven’t gotten around to post the pics yet) and they do hold the water better and don’t dry out as fast. Using dish soap in place of water is an awesome idea! ๐
Happy you loved my idea and thanks for sharing the dish soap tip!
Dusty says
May 9, 2016 at 10:22 pmI paint them, but turn them upside down & use Vaseline inside the pot. I was afraid of mosquitoes even changing their feeder every few days. Ants don’t go over the vasiline. Just wash & reapply when needed.
Connie S. says
June 12, 2016 at 9:25 pmI am so excited to make these for my husband for Father’s day. He has feeders and the ants are a problem. Thank you for sharing.
Michelle says
June 15, 2016 at 6:59 amYou’re welcome Connie! ๐ Your husband will love them!
onmyporch says
February 18, 2017 at 3:54 pmAwesome! A couple of my hummingbird feeders have built in ant Moats on top. The chickadees love to drink from them, so maybe a little larger pot would attract them also!
Nashville Nana says
April 25, 2019 at 3:21 amMaybe try making it with the saucer for the terra-cotta pots? You should be able to use a fairly big one that the bird will love drinking out of but still stop the ants?
Matt says
March 26, 2017 at 11:45 amThe feeder itself is beautiful! Where can I get one like it? Thanks!
Michelle says
March 26, 2017 at 12:27 pmHi Matt! I got it at Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nkXgi6
Paul says
June 19, 2017 at 7:09 pmI made one similar to yours with a spray paint can cover using a fishing swivel. The key to your water problem is to use cooking oil of your choice. It lasts all summer.
Michelle says
June 20, 2017 at 8:42 pmThanks for the tip Paul! I’m definitely going to try that! ๐
Paulette says
August 4, 2017 at 8:51 amOh my gosh!!! This is perfect!!! Thanks!
Michelle says
August 5, 2017 at 8:17 amYou’re very welcome Paulette! ๐
Angela Woywod says
August 7, 2017 at 6:28 pmWater is the safest substance to use in an ant moat. Dish soap and oil could harm the birds that are drinking from the moat.
Michelle says
August 8, 2017 at 11:47 amThanks for the info Angela! Definitely want to keep my hummers safe and healthy! ๐
JG says
August 17, 2017 at 6:01 amWhat an amazingly awesome idea! I love the natural look of the clay pot with the feeder in my garden!!!
Michelle says
August 17, 2017 at 6:56 pmThanks so much! ๐
Cyndi says
November 2, 2017 at 12:08 amVaseline on the hanger also works . . ants won’t go on the vaseline
Stephanie says
January 18, 2018 at 5:06 amWhat a fantastic idea. After reading some of the comments saying the hummingbirds drink from attached pieces. I thought maybe the saucers for the clay pots might be an idea. They would probably need to be filled with water everyday. But such a simple thing for watching the beautiful birds. Thanks for sharing your wonderful ideas.
Michelle says
January 20, 2018 at 9:16 amHi Stephanie! I have tried some of the other suggestions that have been shared here, but I feel better about just using water and refilling it often, both for the health of the hummingbirds and to keep the feeders and our deck clean. I did try using vegetable oil once and it worked well for ant control, but when it rained the oil would overflow and spill all over the hummingbird feeders and our deck and made quite a mess. It’s just plain ol’ water for me for now on! ๐
LB says
February 27, 2018 at 3:19 pmI’ve done this but used a can (Delmonte Green Beans or San Marco Pealed Tomatoes). I’ve either removed the label and spray painted the outside of the can red to help attract hummers or left the label and sprayed it with a sealant so it lasts through the season. Just drill a whole in the bottom and attach the bolt, etc. the same as with your example. I’ve only used water as birds do drink from it. Liked how the label looked, kind of farm chic.
Michelle says
March 1, 2018 at 8:58 amThanks for sharing this with us LB! What a great idea to use a can and finding a way to preserve the label on it! Very cool!
Judith says
April 5, 2018 at 3:50 amI think if you sprayed the inside or outside (or both) of the clay pot, which as a gardener, I really like the look, it would keep the water in a little longer.
Just a thought.
Michelle says
April 9, 2018 at 10:42 amThanks for sharing your wonderful tip Judith! ๐
Cindy says
April 16, 2018 at 7:41 amLove this, going to make this with my feeders. I have been putting baby powder on the top of mine and the ants won’t cross it. Have had lots of problems with ants where we lived but not since since using the powder. My problem also was bees, haven’t solved that one yet.
Michelle says
April 16, 2018 at 10:02 amThank you Cindy! ๐ We’ve had the bee problem too, and I haven’t figured out how to keep them out either.
Monica Westerfield says
May 23, 2018 at 11:51 amThank you so much for this post. I am extremely tired of having to replace the water in my feeders.
Ron in Ohio says
July 16, 2018 at 8:51 amNot a “Bee problem” – Due to mostly pesticides, we have not seen a Honey Bee all Summer. And we are in the middle of a prime Apple and Peach growing region.
What we HAD around our Hummingbird feeders were various Wasps and Yellow Jackets. No more! I cut out a fine mesh, store, onion bag and placed it between the nectar reservoir and the beak openings. The pesky Wasp types become quickly discouraged and go away leaving the Hummingbird’s visits alone. It deters all but the smallest Ants too. I don’t remember where I found this idea on the Internet to give attribution to. It works!
I’m still gonna’ build a few of these Ant Moats though. For nothing else but to give water to our Chickadees and maybe they’ll the little drowned ants too. I will use a few of the plastic Terracotta look-alike’s instead to lessen the water loss.
Michelle says
July 21, 2018 at 8:27 pmThanks for the info Ron! We have yellow jackets here too (a.k.a. arseholes with wings) and tips to discourage them are always welcome ๐
Patti Luzzo says
April 24, 2019 at 5:59 amThanks, on my things to do today list. And sharing with my sis.