I live in Texas, and we do have a huge ant problem. Moats have not worked for me because I can't keep them full. Between wind shake and evaporation, they are usually empty even with close attention. I simply put a tiny bit of wheel bearing grease at the very top of the hanger, and they will not cross it. I have fire ants, carpenter ants, and other smaller types that I can't identify. They all stay off. My grease is not down where a hummer is likely to get into it, and I have never seen any evidence of it getting on any hummers. Texas gets pretty hot, but I have never seen the grease melted or running. On one feeder several years ago, I continued to have problems even with the spot of grease, so I soaked a piece of coarse cotton string in grease and wrapped it a few turns around the very top of the hanger. They never crossed it. I suggest one other thing. Put up more hangers than you have feeders and move each feeder that gets invaded. After a day or so, they will appear to have abandoned that spot, but they keep checking it occasionally for several days. Just leave that spot idle for as long as needed. Regardless what solution you use, somebody will call you an idiot. Be sensible, but know that most things we do can POSSIBLY harm something SOMETIME. I have seen just about every kind of aerial combat these birds engage in, and I have seen some predicaments they get themselves into while fighting, but we can't make the world entirely safe for them. I have seen them run into door screen, windows, feeders, and each other. Let's just be sensible and feed the birds.

I have a hummingbird feeder hanging from my kitchen window, and a chianti sunflower that I planted just below it finally became big enough to be near the feeder. I have a group of 50-60 Lesser Goldfinches that terrorize my sunflowers each day about 1:30pm, as they get out of the heat of the day (105-110 degrees is a bit toasty for the little guys! ) Well, the hummingbirds don't like the Goldfinches one bit, and they will sit and "guard" the feeder as though the goldfinches want anything to do with the feeder. Then, on occasion, the hummingbirds will swoop over the goldfinches, or hover in front of them, until they flap off. I saw that for the first time just a couple weeks ago - HILARIOUS!!! Yup, they'll go after ANY BIRD near their feeder. --Gene.

That is a great idea! I have a sprinkler system for my lawn that I set to go off at 2:00 in the morning so I don't normally run a sprinkler during the day time. However, on rare occasions I've turned the dial on my waterhose gun to a gentle shower and hung it from a tree for the birds to play in when I am home early. I've gotten a few photos of a hummie bathing before...but have been working until 8pm the past couple of weeks so haven't had the chance to give the birds a treat again. Gotta put that on my list of things to do again...real soon! ~ Cat Here are some of my hummie bathing photos. Sorry, they are a tad blurry...they were taken before I figured out what all those buttons on my camera were for :o) DISCLAIMER: I do not agree with nor endorse the use of "Sponsored Links" possibly embedded in my posts by the owner of this or any other website. You can blame the village idiots for that.

Cats are a problem where I live. I don't know what to do about them. Water seems to attract birds. I had an irrigation valve that leaked and filled up the plastic pipe that went straight down to the valve. That seemed to be a favorite drinking place for small birds. It was always full of cold, clear water and it was out in the yard so the birds felt safe coming to drink from it; no sneak attacks from cats. I'm sorry to say that I fixed the leak. I may try to replicate that little feature in the back yard. I also have large basins full of water for the ducks in my back yard. All sorts of critters come to drink from that. Ducks, crows, doves, etc. I keep some chicken scratch available for the ducks. I get quite a few regulars coming to eat that. Ducks, doves, and small birds. I built a large birdhouse and mounted it on a post, intended for flickers, but I've had everything from hawks to grackles nest in that. I should make a whole bunch more birdhouses for my acre place. I've only got three.