Looking for the best ant-moat hummingbird feeders? You’ve come to the right place! In this fresh guide for 2024, we’ll highlight the top hummingbird feeders equipped with ant-moat systems designed to keep pesky ants and other crawling insects at bay.
An ant-moat system serves as the first line of defense against crawling insects, creating a barrier that deters them from reaching the nectar inside the feeder. While many feeders come with a built-in ant moat, some provide a separate hook that can be attached with an S-hook. Simply fill the ant moat with water or another deterrent to keep ants away.
Although hummingbirds enjoy insects, they’re not fans of ants invading their feeders. Ants that enter the feeder ports and die inside can pose a threat to hummingbirds. One additional tip is to apply Vaseline on the feeder hanger, creating a sticky barrier that ants can’t pass through.
Now, let’s explore the top hummingbird feeders equipped with ant moats to ensure your feathered friends can enjoy their nectar in peace.
Our Top Pick
Best Overall: LUJII Hummingbird Feeder
LUJII is a colorful handblown glass feeder in the list with five red flower ports and a 36-ounce nectar capacity.
Budget-Friendly: More-Bird Hummingbird Feeder
It’s a perfect budget-friendly hummingbird feeder with all the features to provide a good feeding station to hummingbirds.
LIST OF BEST HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS WITH ANT MOAT 2022
1. LUJII Hummingbird Feeders
This colorful feeder is the best choice for you if you are looking to feed the hummingbirds with maximum ant protection and increased backyard beauty. It’s mostly a red color hummingbird feeder with unique hand-blown glass material. The double-layer pigment is embedded on the glass layer to prevent fade and damage. Don’t worry about the cleaning and filling as the wide-mouth reservoir and two-part base provide you maximum ease. It’s a height arc design to provide a convenient feeder to hummingbirds for flying and resting.
Capacity and ports
It has five red flower ports with quality metal perches, which offer comfortable feeding to hummingbirds. This 36-ounce nectar capacity feeder doesn’t need refilling again and again.
Separate ant mote
A separate ant moat hook is included in the package. Fill it with water or any sticky liquid and hang the feeder with it.
Aging quality base
The aging quality resistance base is perfectly manufactured to stay longer with the glass reservoir. But, you must tighten the base to prevent leaks.
WHAT WE LIKE:
It has 5 ports with 36-ounce nectar capacity.
it’s made with rust-proof metal and provide Ant-moat hook.
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
All the glass feeders are little expensive and heavier than the plastic feeders.
2. REZIPO Hummingbird Feeder
REZIPO hummingbird feeder comes with 1 ant moat, 1 metal hook, 1 cotton lanyard, and 1 small brush for easy cleaning. It’s a unique combination of red, green, and yellow colors to attract hummingbirds from long distances. The high “T” shaped perches provide good feeding and resting places to hummingbirds. The sturdy metal base, along with a durable hand-blown glass bottle, makes it a reliable feeder for long periods. Its special type of S-hook allows you to hang it on your porch.
Capacity and ports
It has one of the biggest bottle reservoirs with a 38-ounce nectar capacity and 4 flower feeding ports.
Sealing ring
A special kind of leak-proof rubber ring is used to prevent leakage issues. Make sure to tighten the base along with the ring before hanging it outdoor.
Easy to clean
It’s easy to clean this feeder with a two-part base and wide-mouth reservoir. So, don’t worry about the refilling and washing.
WHAT WE LIKE:
The 4 ports with 38-ounce nectar capacity don’t need refilling again and gain.
A special leak-proof rubber ring is used to prevent leaks.
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
Little Heavier with 1.84 pounds weight.
3. More Birds Hummingbird Feeder
It’s another feeder in our list with the glass and plastic combination to attract more hummingbirds to your garden. It has a built-in ant moat system compared to the other glass feeders on the list, which prevent the ants from reaching the sweet nectar. The favorite red color base and red color top with white color ports are very attractive for hummingbirds. Refrain to put it in the dishwasher as simple hand cleaning with soapy water is recommended to prevent cracks and other damages.
Capacity and ports
It has unique 7 white color ports with a 40-ounce nectar capacity. The softer feeding ports are specially designed to provide maximum safety to hummingbirds.
BPA-Free
Don’t worry about the plastic material’s toxic chemicals, as the BPA-Free material is used in this feeder to provide maximum safety.
Easy cleaning
The detachable flat base and wide mouth opening make it very easy to clean and refill.
WHAT WE LIKE:
There are 7 ports along with 40-ounce nectar capacity.
BPA-Free plastic material is used with Built-in ant moat.
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
Not safe to wash it in dishwasher.
4. Juegoal Hummingbird Feeder
Juegoal is a unique tray-style hummingbird feeder with a built-in ant and insect moat. The long hanging rod allows you to hang it anywhere in your garden, including the tree branch or a wire. It’s completely a plastic material feeder with a detachable Maggift cover. Make sure to fill the feeder on time as some hummingbird’s tongue can’t reach the base of this feeder.
Capacity and ports
There are 8 feeding ports of this feeder with a 12-ounce nectar capacity, which may require you to refill the feeder more frequently than other feeders.
Easy to clean
This is the simplest hummingbird feeder on our list, with a detachable cover and compact design. Make sure to clean it regularly, especially during the warm weather.
WHAT WE LIKE:
It has 8 ports with 12-ounce capacity.
Built-in ant moat prevent the ants and other crawling insects.
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
Only 12-ounce nectar capacity, which is not ideal with 8 feeding ports.
5. SEWANTA Hummingbird Feeder
This is a good hummingbird feeder with ant-moat in a low price range. The package includes the attachable ant guard and adjustable rust-resistant hanging chain. You can attract many species of the hummingbird with bright red color along with the number of ports. The circular perch of the feeder allows the birds to feed with maximum comfort. The clear nectar reservoir allows you to monitor the nectar level without opening the feeder. You don’t need any tool to install the simplest SEWANTA hummingbird feeder.
Capacity and ports
The 12 yellow ports allow the multiple hummingbirds to feed at a time with a 32-ounce nectar capacity. These Yellow color ports also discourage the bees from entering the port.
Leak-Proof
SEWANTA feeder is specially built with a hermetic screw-in seal to eliminate the leak when the feeder is upside down. It also prevents the rainwater from contaminating the nectar.
WHAT WE LIKE:
It has 12 ports with 32-ounce nectar capacity.
Leak-proof with Ant-moat guard to provide maximum comfort to hummingbirds.
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
Not good in too hot weather conditions
Different ways to keep the ants out of hummingbird feeders:
It’s very frustrating for the hummingbird lowers to see the ants attack on their feeder whenever they put their feeder outdoor. Ants attack is equally frustrating for the hummingbirds as well, as they don’t like to feed on a feeder under an ants attack. But it’s possible to keep these small insects out of the hummingbird feeders to provide a comfortable environment to hummingbirds. Let’s see the different ways to keep them away.
Install ant moat
Ant moat is specially designed to keep the ants and other crawling insects out of the hummingbird feeders. It’s a good barrier for the ants to keep their attention away from the nectar inside the feeder. Many feeders come with a built-in ant moat or a separate ant moat hook, as discussed above. But you can also buy a separate ant moat hook for any feeder. You need to fill this special device with water or any other sticky liquid to block the ants.
Stop the leakage
Ants and many other insects are mostly attracted to the leaked feeders as it’s spread more nectar scents around space. All the sweet things are actually like a magnet for the ants; that’s why ants are usually found on the hummingbird feeders. So, make sure there is nothing any loose part in your feeder and tightly twist it after every cleaning and refilling. You can also buy a special hummingbird feeder with a leak-proof rubber ring. Old feeders are usually more prone to leakage issues; try to regularly check your feeder and replace it if you found any big damage.
Hang feeder on fishing line
A thin and slippery fishing line can be a perfect choice to hang the hummingbird feeders as it’s hard for the ants to grip it. But whichever fishing line you are using, make sure it is strong enough to hold the nectar-filled feeder. The fishing line itself is enough to unbalance the ants, so don’t smear any oil, petroleum jelly, or any other sticky substances on the fishing line.
Place feeder over water
It’s strange and irrelevant for many people to position the feeder over water, but it helps prevent the ants from crawling towards the feeder as they prefer to stay away from the water. Although it’s not completely repellent for the ants, we know they are not good swimmers. You can use a sturdy pole design to hang your feeder over water.
Use adhesive tape
Adhesive tape is one example of sticky material that you can use to block ant ways. Apply some adhesive tape on the way of the ants to the feeder that is exposed to the ants. The gum side of the tape should be outside so that the ants stuck to this gum while moving to your feeder. You can put this tape around the wire or pole that holds your feeder. But the adhesive nature of the tape may be gone after some days due to heat and other environmental effects, so make sure to change it after a few days every time.
Place feeder n shaded location
A partially shaded area is a perfect position to hang the hummingbird feeder, but it should not be too dark such that even hummingbirds can’t locate it. If your feeder is exposed to sunlight, the nectar will heat up quickly, making the feeder less attractive for hummingbirds. The big disadvantage of the sun and heat is the leakage issue, which is the major attractive factor for ants. So, the ideal area is always the partial shade.
Make the feeder slippery
Apply something slippery on your feeders’ outer surface like Vaseline or any liquid oil as its works wonderfully well against the ants. You can also use the Vicks VapoRub if you don’t have any sticky oil or Vaseline. It’s observed that ants don’t like to walk on sticky surfaces and repellent Vicks smell. The best way is to spread the Vaseline on the feeder’s hanging rod as the hummingbirds can also get into trouble when the sticky material attach to their wings.
Periodically change feeder location
Sometimes, the feeder’s periodic movement is enough to misguide the ants, bees, and other insects. Please don’t move it far away; a few feet of periodic movement is enough to keep the ants out of the hummingbird feeder. Actually, when an ant group travels to your feeder, it leaves behind a scent trail for the other ants, making it very easier for them. But don’t move the feeder too much as it can through off the hummingbirds as well.
Clean the feeder regularly
The regular cleaning of the feeder is also necessary to provide the hummingbird’s protection against ant invasions. Try to clean your feeder daily and constantly check that it is not leaking. So, don’t overthink about feeder cleaning as it only takes 30 seconds.
Use bay Leaves
Have you ever used the bay leaves to protect your feeder against ants? These are the perfect repellent for the ants; tie them around the feeder pole or wire to discourage them. This technique is even beneficial in case of small leaks as well.
Use insecticides sprays
You can also use Insecticide sprays to repel ants and many other unwanted insects or spray them on your feeder’s below-ground. But make sure to keep them only low on the ground to avoid harming the hummingbirds. This is one of the major disadvantages of insecticide sprays.
Use household ingredients
Are you don’t have the budget or access to all the above-listed methods to repel the ants? Don’t worry; many simple household ingredients can efficiently repel the ants. These items include cayenne, pepper, lemon water, and vinegar.
[acf field=”faqschema”]Frequently Asked Question:
What can we put in ant-moat to prevent ants?
You can fill the ant moat with water, as the ants will not travel which water layer. But you can also fill it with oil or any sticky material. Water is more-preferable as it’s easy to clean the water containing ant moats compared to the oil or greasy liquid ant moats.
Are the ants hurt the hummingbirds?
Many people think it’s ok if the ants approach the hummingbird feeder as they are like to eat the insects. But the people need to understand that hummingbirds don’t eat ants. Sometimes, ants become very dangerous for hummingbirds when they arrive in groups and swarm over the feeder, especially when they mix with the sweet nectar.
Can I use Vaseline to keep the ants away?
Yes, you can use it as it’s a perfect thick ointment to stop the ant’s movement to your feeder nectar. It’s equally beneficial for many other crawling insects as they can’t get through this sticky barrier.
Can I use the dryer sheet to keep away the ants?
A dryer sheet is a good repellent for the ants and bees as well. The fabric sheet contains the chemicals that repel ants and other insects. You can put this sheet near your feeder to repel many unwanted audiences from your feeder.
