DIY ‘Ant-Stopper’ for Hummingbird Feeders

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Since both of our feeders hang from small tree branches in the backyard, we have experienced an issue with ants… And not just a couple- I’m talking a bunch of them! (Our feeders used to hang on a fence in the yard, but now that we are transitioning for our move, we have them hanging on branches.)

If you have found that the ants like the taste of sugary-sweet nectar just as much as the hummingbirds do, then this tutorial is for you!

With the help of some Pinterest research and my handy husband (thanks, babe!), I was able to come up with a really awesome accessory to help keep the ants off of our feeders!

I wanted to pass along the info so that you can make your own for around $5! I’ve listed the steps below, so keep scrolling to learn how to make this DIY ‘Ant- Stopper’ in just a couple of minutes!

Please feel free to re-pin these images to your favorite wildlife board on Pinterest. You can also save them to your camera roll for easy access when you need to refer to them later on! Remember, sharing is caring!

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It might not look like there are a lot of ants on the outside of the feeder, but when they crawl into the openings to get some nectar, a lot of them don’t make it back out. This means that when you open up the feeders to clean them out, you’ll be overrun with ants just waiting to make their getaway… usually right in your kitchen sink. Now that’s a totally different issue that nobody wants to run into!

With this ant-stopper, the ants will make their way down the bolt hook, and then turn away once they realize there’s a pool of water with no way around it. And just like that, your ant problem is solved!

With that being said, let’s get to it! 🙂

Here’s what you’ll need:

You’ll be able to find these supplies at your local hardware store for just a couple of bucks. The mason jar lid was a perfect fit for me (I bought it at the dollar store in a 4-pack), but you can use any kind of small cup or container that you’d like – just make sure it has a small hole in the center for the bolt to go through!

Step 1:

Take your bottom eye bolt and put one of the washers on it. Then, you’ll put the bolt though the bottom of your lid (as pictured). Don’t worry about lining up the nut/washer yet… You’ll be able to make adjustments in a minute.

Step 2:

Put your second washer on the top side of the container, as shown.

Tip: My mason jar lid came with a rubber insert where the straw goes, which means I already have a good water-proof seal. If you use a different container, you may need to use a sealer, like glue or rubber cement, to make sure that water doesn’t leak through the center hole.

Step 3:

Take your coupling nut and spin it until the eye bolt is about half way through.

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Step 4:

Keeping the coupling nut in it’s place, raise the container and tighten the bottom bolt so that it’s snug in place.

Step 5:

Now for the top half! Take the second eye bolt (OR bolt hook*), and screw it into the coupling nut. I suggest holding onto the coupling nut while spinning the bolt into it, that way the bolts are equally spaced half way through the nut.

*Depending on where your feeder hangs, you can use either the eye bolt (shown above), OR you can use a bolt hook. The difference is having a closed loop and an open loop, hence the name ‘hook’. I’ll show you what this looks like in a couple of steps.

Step 6:

Wind down the top nut, and make sure everything is tightened up!

Step 7:

Attach your new ant-stopper to your hummingbird feeder and fill it up with water – You’re good to go!

Important: Since we’re dealing with hummingbirds, we want to make sure we keep them healthy while we’re trying to deter ants from their feeding stations. That’s why you should ONLY use water in your ant-stopper, as opposed to other deterrents such as bleach or other chemicals. The water will be enough to keep the ants away, and it is effective as soon as it gets hung up! 🙂

Since you’re already cleaning your feeders every 2-3 days (see my other DIY post on this topic below!), this ant-stopper can get cleaned and refilled at the same time!

Update (as of April ‘23!) ~ You can now purchase a printable PDF of my Hummingbird Nectar Measurement Guide through my Etsy shop, TheVinylCactus! With an updated and refreshed look, it’s the perfect quick reference guide to help ensure your nectar ratios are just right.

Making the Perfect Hummingbird Nectar – Recipe Included!

As I said above, you can use a bolt hook if you’d like. I use one of each for my different feeder locations- the bolt hook (shown below) hangs directly on a small tree branch, and the eye hook hangs on a hanger extension. This is a DIY project, so it can be customized to fit your needs!

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Have you experienced a problem with ants getting into your hummingbird feeders? What have you done to fix the issue?

I hope you enjoyed this DIY tutorial!