Will Vaseline keep ants off Hummingbird feeder

Ants are the bane of hummingbird feeder owners, so a short swift solution to deter them can be on hand with the rather effective moisturizer, Vaseline.

Vaseline will keep ants off an hummingbird feeder, but only if using a lot, so its not cheap. Vaseline is not made for exterior use either so can quickly dry up in sun, or wash away in rain - but can work in a sheltered area. Hummingbird feeders must have one access point, with this point coated in the sticky goop.

Where you hang a hummingbird feeder in your yard is vital to how successful this anti-ant Vaseline solution is, but would we'd only know that later, not right away.

Vaseline must only be spread on a single entry point, or else it becomes more of a chore than a quick way of keeping ants off the feeder.

I would then suggest you to isolate the hummingbird feeder to its own hanging point, preferably via a bracket on a bird feeding station - while it can also benefit from a new location where ants are actually not present.

What else can be an issue is not cleaning a hummingbird feeder very often, so get the taste of sweet nectar in the feeder and off the ground below it as a way of deterring ants.

Why this is important to know is because the use of Vaseline is neither 100% guaranteed to work, or is it cheap to use for this purpose.

Vaseline is not made to be used outside, thus it can quickly fade away off plastic or metal - or even wood posts or tree branches - where it would be coated on a feeder open to the elements.

In the end, you may resort to using proper ant trap pads, or better still non toxic double-sided tape, to trap ants in their tracks.

Lastly, refer to what is known as an ant-guard with a moat that traps ants at the point of where a hummingbird feeder hangs off a bracket.

Ants will get stuck in Vaseline

Resilient as ants are of any species, Vaseline is certainly an humane way of keeping ants off hummingbird feeders.

Not guaranteed to be 100% effective, but for the most part, ants would find it difficult to pass over a layer of thickly spread on Vaseline. Its not really sticky to trap them, but the goop is hard to walk over.

Vaseline on a hummingbird feeders' hanging bracket or hoop varies; but a thick coat of Vaseline would be needed to prevent ants simply walking over the thick jelly.

What you can do is begin by spreading a thin layer on the pole, bracket or hoop that leads onto the hummingbird feeders, before gradually using more until you can be sure the ants can no longer pass.

Ants want to descend down a pole or up a post to reach the sweet sticky nectar in a hummingbird feeder, thus the need to add a thick layer of Vaseline can only stop them for a short time.

Expensive as Vaseline can be to buy, cheaper options can be hair gel or similar.

However, having said all that, to spread Vaseline on an outdoor object for the time it needs to stop ants, might not be enough.

Short Vaseline lifespan

Whilst Vaseline spreads nicely into our skin to moisten our hands, the heat of the sun would quickly dry Vaseline up, resorting in a white stain on the feeder equipment.

Its simple, Vaseline is not made to be an exterior, hard wearing gel that can be spread on any object in an outdoor setting.

Heat of the sun would quickly dry it out, while wet or cold conditions can wipe off the gel in know time at all.

I would estimate you'd get a few short hours in the summer months before Vaseline dries up, whilst wet weather would wipe away Vaseline on any hummingbird feeder setup out in the elements, so a sheltered area could benefit you.

Vaseline has an incredibly short lifespan when used outdoors, so to deter ants with it can only be for a few hours at most - but this can be widen to all day if you continue to replace lost Vaseline with a fresh coat.

With all this, I am referring to spreading Vaseline onto metal or plastic feeders and their corresponding hanging equipment thus far, but not wood.

I can tell you to stop ants accessing hummingbird feeders via a wooden passage such as a wooden post or a tree branch would make this method of using Vaseline near impossible.

Need to isolate Hummingbird feeder

For you to successfully prevent hummers climbing up or descending down onto a hummingbird feeder of any kind, this feeder must be isolated.

Remember hummingbird feeders are mostly hung using a single hoop where the feeder hanger hooks onto. Its this hanging equipment that needs a coat of Vaseline, its just a matter of finding the sweet spot.

Aim for spreading on Vaseline to prevent ants ever getting onto the equipment, or save the expensive Vaseline for only the area where ants can use to finally descend on the hummingbird feeder.

What else can be a problem is when the need to stabilize a hummingbird feeder using straps or rope to prevent it spinning in the wind, would simply act as not one but several alternative routes ants can take to reach the feeder.

I don't recommend Vaselining up fabric as it can damage the gear, but you may have to risk hummingbird feeders being less stable than continue to use more routes for ants.

Isolate your hummingbird feeders with only one route insects can take. This route must be made in metal or use the plastic hook the feeder uses as a hoop for hanging on a bracket.

If your hummingbird feeder is sat on a table or amongst a flower pot, then remove it to its own location - whilst being completely isolated from garden objects or vegetation.

Better to use temporary traps

You may not know it but there certainly is more effective ways of keeping ants off a hummingbird feeder, with no Vaseline in sight.

Hummingbird feeders hang using a metal or plastic hook, so why not wrap double-sided adhesive around this hook to stop ants in their tracks.

Its cheap, the double-sided tape last ages if the weather allows it, and its humane.

For sure a cleaner solution to wet and sticky Vaseline, but then there's specialty ant traps; a non-toxic sticky pad that can be stuck on areas outside of a hummingbird feeder, before ants are given a chance to reach the feeder.

Alternatively, and especially a big consideration for those who use hummingbird feeders that hang - is the need to invest in a simple, universal ant-guard with moat to trap ants before they are given a chance.

What it involves is rather than hanging the feeder on a bracket or branch directly or via a feeder hanger - is to use this ant-guard in-between the hanging points.

Ants simply climb into this ant-guard with a built-in ant moat, whilst never allowing ants to escape.

And if you like, you can add a little bit of your Vaseline on the outside of this device to double up on your chances of keeping ants off.

To summarize

I believe Vaseline is a safe, humane way of keeping ants off your hummingbird feeder, but you must be setup in the best possible way to act as a proper deterrent.

Hummingbird feeders must be hanging, as to spread on Vaseline on the single route ants can descend down on; usually on the bracket and pole equipment used to hang.

Downside to using Vaseline is its not made for exterior use, thus the Vaseline would dry out in a matter of hours. On the plus side, with a little commitment you can continue to add an extra coat to stop it drying.

Isolate the hummingbird feeder to force ants to take one route, as overhanging branches, flowers and even ropes to prevent the feeder from spinning can be a point of access.

Better solution to messy Vaseline is the use of purpose made ant traps, but only if the outdoor weather permits.

It involves non toxic sticky ant pads that can be stuck onto the feeder pole where it hangs, or indeed a cheap double-sided adhesive tape is all you need.

Finally, I refer you to use a specialty ant-guard that acts as a hanging point between the feeder and the bracket above - the ant-guard features a ant moat to trap ants inside.

Vaseline will keep ants off temporary, but there's cheaper, cleaner solutions to consider.

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