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The Ant Moat Accessory for All Sweet Feeding
Not just for hummingbird feeders, the all-important ant moat will protect nectar in butterfly and oriole feeders, they’re ideal for jelly feeders too! Ants adore sweet sticky anything, so as long as there’s a hanger, you can use an ant moat. It just comes between the feeder itself and the hook from where said feeder will hang.Because ants can’t swim, the water inside the moat keeps them from reaching nectar. The pesky things must exude something quite distasteful as one single ant ruins a whole batch of nectar in the feeder, hummingbirds won’t touch it!
Basic colors are red, black, clear and orange for orioles. Some oriole and hummingbird feeders offer built-in moats, but they must be maintained and filled with water to serve their purpose. Let the moat run dry and like magic… ants will appear if they’re anywhere in close proximity.
Here’s a great “how to” video to make your own ant moat. So if you’re the crafty type, and have the time and patience to do these kind of projects, check this video, and ants be gone for good!
https://www.facebook.com/teresa.crain.94/videos/10152707295271986/?pnref=story -
Try a Hanging Bird Bath for Mother’s Day!
Did you find the perfect Mother’s Day gift yet? If not, best to shake a tail feather! Printing a nice big color photo of your gift and placing it inside a box that’s gift-wrapped is always an option if you’ve snoozed.Another good idea to keep in mind: don’t shortchange your mom with a short-lived gift! Yeah, that’s a good one to remember because well, she’s your mother and the reason you’re here 🙂
Long-lasting gifts bring the most joy, and birding gifts bring a relaxing connection with nature… unlike jewelry or little “chatchkas” that gather dust.
Perfect for any space in the garden or even on the deck, a hanging bird bath rocks! Fresh water entices more birds to the garden, and we can promise, whether a novice or experienced birder, Mom loves to watch her feathered friends!
Hanging birdbaths can even be used as feeders, offering seed, suet, peanuts or fruit to lure migratory birds. The colorful Tiffany inspired bath above offers a traditional appeal, while contemporary styles in solid copper are most mod. Ceramic hanging baths are offered in vibrant and whimsical styles… and all are sure to entice more beaked buddies to the garden!
Why go to the trouble of finding something unique that will actually last? Because on her special day- which comes only once a year- she really does deserve something that brings smiles and real pleasure for many seasons to come!
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PB & J in Your Glass Bird Feeder?
Who doesn’t love a good ol’ PB & J sandwich?Peanut butter’s pretty good for bird and squirrels in winter too, the extra fat and protein provide calories to stay warm. It’s the base for many types of commercially made suet cakes, and you can easily make your own!
We smear some peanut butter on squirrel corn and right on tree trunks during frigid weather. Nuthatches, woodpeckers and warblers love it! But when spring migration rolls around, it’s all about the grape jelly, plus living in Hotlanta, the peanut butter will melt too quickly!
Orioles and cat birds adore grape jelly… but don’t try and get away with the cheap stuff, they seem to prefer Welch’s!
Because it has a glass, and for all intent purposes, this fun oriole feeder is posing as a glass bird feeder for today. The cup holds enough for a few days of food, depending on your bird traffic. One really cool thing we’ve discovered with this feeder is that it can be used year-round, when migratory friends are long gone.
Swap peanut butter for jelly, and suet for the orange halves… you’ll have some very happy resident birds! Lots of online recipes for making your own suet, including no-melt varieties for warm weather feeding, find a few quick suet recipes on our site too. Form suet balls and simply cut them in half to use with this feeder in cold weather!
Check out these orioles up close, chowing down on their favorite food!
Birding Tips, Information & News
