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Date: 7/7/25 3:56 am From: John Gregoire <johnandsuegregoire...> Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] ants in bird-feeders
A diagram or photo of your invention would help as most use an open cup between hanger and feeder. Any amt of soap could well be harmful to a hummer's very small mass. On Mon, Jul 7, 2025 at 6:38 AM Paul Schmitt <pschmitt9...> wrote: > You perhaps misunderstand? It is not a one-cup liquid measure. That > would be huge! Fabricated mine using a copper 1/2 inch pipe cap soldered > to a short length of heavy copper wire. Anyhow, a single drop of Dawn is > hardly toxic. > > Paul > > Sent from my iPad > > On Jul 7, 2025, at 6:30 AM, John Gregoire <johnandsuegregoire...> > wrote: > > > Strongly advise against your suggestion to use soap Paul. Physically, > breaking the surface tension is as you describe BUT, many birds including > hummers drink from the ant cups. > John > > On Sun, Jul 6, 2025 at 5:48 PM Paul Schmitt <pschmitt9...> wrote: > >> Ant guards only work if you add and a small, very small bit of soap to >> break the surface tension. Think Dawn. Similarly, I add a drop or two of >> dawn to the dandelion treatment so the treatment wets the weeds natural >> surface barrier. >> >> >> Mine are hung from the house overhang by a 16 gauge wire with the ant >> guard at eye level. There is a S hook next to accept the feeder. >> >> Also, NO RED DYE please. >> >> Good luck. >> >> Paul >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Jul 6, 2025, at 2:41 PM, Sandra J. Kisner <sjk3...> wrote: >> >> >> >> Any suggestions for keeping ants out of hummingbird feeders? My >> sister-in-law has one, and even with an ant-guard on it they get in (and >> drown). >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME.htm> >> Rules and Information >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES.htm> >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/<cayugabirds-l...>/maillist.html> >> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> >> ABA <https://www.aba.org/birding-news/> >> Please submit your observations to eBird >> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! >> -- >> >> -- >> Cayugabirds-L List Info: >> Welcome and Basics >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME.htm> >> Rules and Information >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES.htm> >> Subscribe, Configuration and Leave >> <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> >> Archives: >> The Mail Archive >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/<cayugabirds-l...>/maillist.html> >> Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> >> ABA <https://www.aba.org/birding-news/> >> Please submit your observations to eBird >> <http://ebird.org/content/ebird/>! >> -- >> > -- (copy & paste any URL below, then modify any text "_DOT_" to a period ".") Cayugabirds-L List Info: NortheastBirding_DOT_com/CayugabirdsWELCOME_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/CayugabirdsRULES_DOT_htm NortheastBirding_DOT_com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave_DOT_htm ARCHIVES: 1) mail-archive_DOT_com/cayugabirds-l@cornell_DOT_edu/maillist_DOT_html 2) surfbirds_DOT_com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) aba_DOT_org/birding-news/ Please submit your observations to eBird: ebird_DOT_org/content/ebird/ --

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