Will ants in Hummingbird feeder hurt the birds

Concern over hummingbirds getting hurt is due to risk of hummers ingesting ants, while the truth is hummingbirds will simply avoid an ant infestation feeder in the first place.

Ants in a Hummingbird feeder will hurt hummers due to cross-contamination only, as hummers are likely to avoid sipping on an feeder seen with dead ant bodies floating in the nectar. Hummers know a bad nectar source so will forget about it, although for hummers that try, do clean hummingbird feeders regularly.

Its unlikely ants can hurt hummingbirds in a feeder, due to hummers avoiding an insect infested hummingbird feeder to begin with.

Hummingbirds can certainly continue to sip on hummingbird feeder food as normal even with ants present - only less hummers will use it with the more ants are seen.

Hummers will avoid contact with dirty nectar by not sipping on this sweet treat due to discoloring, mold or generally unkempt feeders.

Much like people, a dirty nectar source is obvious to hummingbirds thus they prefer to avoid it all together rather than risk becoming ill, as its in the nature to avoid it at all costs.

Hummingbird feeders can also get a little messy with mold or an unkempt feeder seen with a misty nectar reservoir - all of which is a danger to hummingbirds. It won't hurt hummingbirds, but it will more likely kill them if you are not super careful.

Never allow hummingbirds to feed on a hummingbird feeder infested with ants or if dead ant bodies are seen floating around in the nectar.

Hummers won't touch the nectar but for those hummingbirds that do they can become ill.

What keeps ants off a hummingbird feeder in the first place is a well kept hummingbird feeder; clean it once or twice a week while always replacing contaminated nectar.

Ants don't have to be seen before changing the nectar, its just a matter of hygiene to stay on top of fresh nectar to offer our backyard birds.

Hummers will NOT be harmed

I can assure you hummingbirds cannot be physically harmed with ants in an hummingbird feeder - with hummers avoiding ingesting ants with no risks of choking.

Risks do exist other than a choking or ingesting accident, with the possibility of ants contaminating the sugar water.

Hummers can become poorly but in regard to being physically hurt due to the presence of ants, its possible but really unknown.

With no possibility of hummingbirds being hurt in the process of feeding on a hummingbird feeder seen with dead bodies floating around in the nectar - or if dead ants are in the port wells - you certainly cannot keep it this way.

Hummingbird feeders can hurt hummingbirds if not properly cleaned and maintained, thus its vital any signs of ants on the bird feeder body or internally, must be removed.

Not removed with a cloth or quickly wiped off, I mean by properly cleaning the hummingbird feeder by dismantling it first hand.

Hummingbirds will go without

Fortunately, hummingbirds will probably be unhurt due to an ant infested hummingbird feeder simply because hummers will avoid using it.

Hummers know a bad source of nectar when they see one in which the presence of floating ant bodies within the nectar reservoir - with ants also clogging up the port wells - resulting in hummingbirds avoiding it at all costs.

Lack of maintenance on a hummingbird feeder will be see no use by hummers, thus its over to you to keep the feeder body free of ants - as an accessible hummingbird feeder by ants will in the end lead to ants floating in the nectar.

You'd have to keep ants off hummingbird feeders by employing ant deterrents; among them is an effective ant moat that is used to stop ants accessing the feeder.

Never hang hummingbird feeders off a bird feeder pole if its infested with ants; if so use the ant moat to hang the hummingbird feeder below it - then ants will not be able to access the feeders at all.

Hummingbirds are unlikely to feed off an hummingbird feeder if its infested with live or dead ants, thus the chance of hummers being hurt won't happen if they don't use it.

Feeder unused until clear nectar

Nothing a hummingbird loves more than the sight of clear homemade nectar visible in the reservoir of a hummingbird feeder bottle.

It can be seen to be clear if its within a safe to use plastic hummingbird feeder, or perhaps you upgraded to a red glass hummingbird feeder - for the appearance of red homemade nectar - rather than actually using dangerous red food coloring.

Either way if the nectar is seen to be kept clean over the course of its used, then hummers will know doubt be happy to feed off it.

Cause of hummingbirds not using a feeder, even if they are seen to perch on it - is a change of mind due to hummingbirds noticing poorly maintained homemade nectar.

Its not just the presence of ants floating around in the nectar either, as hummingbirds may be discouraged due to ant bodies or even black mold at the port wells.

Hummingbird feeders are safe to use by hummers although it can depend on you to keep it this way, by staying on top of maintenance.

Avoid issue to begin with

While hummingbirds can by seen to use a hummingbird feeder crawling with ants, or if ant bodies are floating around in the nectar - it will stop if the issue gets worse in time.

You must then employ what is ant deterrents on a hummingbird feeder; as ants can sense the presence of what they love most - which is sugar of course - available to them in a currently easy to access hummingbird feeder.

Begin with a cheap, simple to set up ant moat that hangs above hummingbird feeders.

Similarly, your current or any hummingbird feeder you buy in the future could have an ant moat installed by default. To which you simply fill up the ant moat to the top with plain tap water, while keeping it full to stop ants in the their tracks.

If not then you only need a simple ant moat for hummingbird feeders which appears to be a water dish on a hook - only its filled with water with the hummingbird feeder dangling below it.

Your hummingbird feeder is likely to be hanging off a pole, to which I suggest you make sure it does because ants can only be kept off hummingbird feeders on a pole.

Never place a hummingbird feeder on a surface or stuck on a window that would make the nectar fully accessible to an ant infestation.

To conclude

I don't believe ants in a hummingbird feeder will hurt hummers, as these birds tend to avoid a hummingbird feeder infested with ants in the first place.

On top of that if dead ants are seen floating around in the nectar, then hummingbirds will quite happily avoid it at all costs.

Ants can clog up the port wells which will deter hummers just as any mold visible to hummers will.

Hummingbirds can't get hurt in regard to accidentally choking on ants, or in the case of ingesting dead ants - hummingbirds are likely to carry on as normal.

What does lead to risk with the relationship between hummingbirds and ants is that ants can contaminate the homemade nectar. Of which hummers will become ill in rare circumstances.

Hummers will go without if ants on seen to crawl over the body of the feeder or if ants are clogging up the port wells - or seen floating in the sugar water within the bottle.

Birds like hummingbirds have standards to which a messy hummingbird feeder can be unused until its cleaned up.

What you must do then is stay on top of cleaning and maintaining all the hummingbird feeders you operate in your yard - while setting up effective ant deterrents.

An ant moat must be used as it has a high success rate for keeping ants off hummingbird feeder - of which it will succeed if the hummingbird feeder is hung only.

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