I did this last year and it worked great, no more ants! The only problem I had was at the end of the season the small house sparrows began using it as a bird bath. I am using the smaller bottle this year. Thanks for sharing this great idea!
After adding a moat, my feeder was ant free for a few days then I noticed they were in it again. I watched them actually skitter across the surface of the water to get to the feeder. Some drown but most made it back and forth. I mixed in a drop of dish soap to break the surface tension and that helped. I will probably switch to vegetable oil in the long run through.
@@chrisnotap I switched to a small amount of vegetable oil and that did the trick. The ants sink right in and it won't evaporate like water. I'll change the oil a few times per month before it gets rancid.
I love ants because they are so amazing but they did the exact same thing walked across the water. They must have a lot of faith. The Bible does say "consider the ant you sluggard." From now on though I'm going to put oil in the ant moat....
This is such a great idea. One thing that makes it a little easier for me is to leave the label on while I cut. That gives me a clearer edge to cut along. I then cut along the lower edge of the label to make a second bowl for another ant moat. For that one, I use the video by the Empress of Dirt. I get two slightly different moats from one bottle. I like this one a little better because of the nice shape that the top of the bottle makes. Thank you for this lesson!
I made this for all my feeders, i haven't had an ant since. Considering commercial ant moats are ~$5 each, this is a great idea. Thank you for sharing.
Update: I left the ant moats up for a week and not once did I see a hummingbird at my feeders for the entire time I had these hanging. I removed them on 2 feeders and left 1 up. Within 30 minutes I saw hummingbirds (2 of them) return to the feeders. I watched them go straight to one without the ant moat and from there one zoomed to the other without a moat and the other headed toward the one that still had the moat attached, looked at it and flew off without taking a sip. Only difference between the 3 feeders are the locations and the moat attached to one of them. The locations were never an issue before I added the moats.
Just finished making these and they work like a charm. We have an Oriole Feeder that has Grape Jelly in it and they (the ants) have been dying in the jelly and the birds won't eat it after it's been contaminated. So Props and Liked for this one...Saved our Oriole feeder. Made 4 more for the Hummingbird feeders as well. Cheers Mate!!
We made one today and I enjoyed watching the ants get frustrated trying to get to the feeder. Dozens were climbing the pole and a few hours later no sign of ants 🐜!! This moat took about 15 minutes to make. Thanks!!
Thank you so much for making this fabulous video! You saved me from having to make a trip to Home Depot to buy a commercial version, and I loved that I had all the supplies on hand. I just finished making it, and my hummingbirds are super appreciative!!
Great video, terrific method. I was just about to over think a bunch of eyebolts.... Here's a tip that's worked for me for over six years. I had a horrendous Argentine ant problem, My dog couldn't have a bowl on the floor. So I made a stand with four cups. In the cups I put a mixture of Dawn Dishwashing soap and water. The water dried out leaving a waxy scum of the Dawn. The ants wouldn't cross it. I could now bump into the tray without sloshing water out of the cups, and I never had to check the level of water or refill them. I've had hummingbird feeders for five years now. I filled the moat with Dawn, let it dry out. That was five years ago. I had one instance where a leaf fell into the moat and made a bridge, and just in case last year I squirted a bit more Dawn into the cup. I've even rubbed a layer of Dawn on a stick from which a wire hung another feeder - no problem. One benefit of the soap is that the ants seem to give up on the whole area near the moat. And if you need to kill the invasive Argentine ants, especially if you've ever used those Terro Baits: Save your money. Get some boric acid powder ($6 for a lifetime supply). Put some sugar water in a cup, add a little boric acid powder. The ants will come. After a day or two, add more boric acid powder, the ants will keep coming until they and their colony are wiped out. I think I had to do this once in the past year or two. Took about 4-5 days. That Terro stuff just feeds them, and makes a profit for the company.
@@aracelieckardt2776 The dog stand. I had a plastic tray about 16" x 20" I hot glued 1/2" PVC to the corners. These are the legs. Then I just hot glued or PVC glued the legs into 1.5" or 2" PVC caps. The kicker is to just fill the cups with dish washing liquid. I've been doing this now for over ten years - the ants will never cross the waxy soap. I never have to renew it or add water. The legs and the tray can be anything, they just need to sit in some kind of a cup so the ants would have to cross the soap to get to the leg. Hopefully this explains it.
What a great idea. I doubt you used a glue gun seal it though. Interested in the changes you made, this would last forever and I woudln't have to get chemicals on my frypan.
Thank you for this info. I did have an ant problem , made the moat the way you show and it turn out great. Will make more for the rest of the feeders I have.
I had a big problem with my hummingbird feeders last year that would dry up on the same day they were filled. I'm going to build some of these this year. Another fantastic idea.
Mix Vaseline and cinnamon together. Then lightly spread it at the bottom of the pole. Ants don't like cinnamon and the vaseline helps keep it from washing away during rainy days.
Great idea and construction instructions. Will definitely try this on our feeders. Only concern is it being a mosquito breeder down here in coastal Georgia. Liked one commentators idea about oil instead of water or soap on the surface. That would probably take care of mosquito larvae. Thanks for a great video!
Hey I finally got around to making one just now. Carpenter Ants had invaded my feeder so bad that some were floating around inside and my hummingbirds couldn't access the ports. They'd fly up to the feeder and hover to see each port covered in ants and fly away without being able to drink. Within 10 minutes of installing the mote and getting rid of ants they were feeding again. Thanks for this great idea!👍😃
Thank you so much for sharing this video. I've been fighting the ants for 2 to 3 years and tried just about everything. What I found that worked a bit was putting sticky tape around pole, but they still manage to climb up. I just finished making the ant moat from your video and I have confidence that it's going to work just fine. Again, thank you so much.
I made two of them, one for each feeder. Took about 10 minutes after I had gathered the materials, and it DOES WORK!!! The ants were getting inside my feeders and soiling the nectar almost immediately. Not anymore! Now if I could just get rid of the wasps it would be perfect! Thanks for the tutorial!
I have the feeders with bee guards but the wasps still congregate there and try to chase the hummingbirds away. They have the yellow domed mesh bee guards.
Long term ant moat = mosquito pond. I'd add some oil to the surface of the water to stop mosquitoes and evaporation. I like that bottle edge rolling technique.
Ross Russell it won’t cause mosquitos. I’ve used this technique for years and the water evaporates so fast that you have to keep a check on the water. Sometimes birds will grab a quick drink out of the ant moat so oil could harm them. And when it gets hot temperatures or they are in the sun and the sugar water begins to get cloudy it’s time to change it anyway.
This video is great..I was looking on YT for homemade ant moats and came across this.. I made four of them using Real Lemon plastic bottles and one is in use right now..I will use the others when I put out the other feeders.. Thanks for a great idea and video...
Thank you so much for this. I could not find a large moat to last on those hot days. Used a big 4L water jug top and this has been so great. Can't even buy a moat this effective, so this was so wonderful.
This idea is extremely clever with out spending a rupee(by the way I'm from India) I have been making this ant moat for the past 10 years,but...this is the first time I am watching on RUclips 👏👏👏 I also do variation, one with thick core electric wire and another with nut bolt and rubber washer and for hanging I drill a hole in the bolt and insert a key chain ring. Thank you for posting this video. Cheers!
@@chrisnotap Hi Chris, on their way in a few minutes! I have been getting a lot of comments on the Love of Hummingbirds FB group and I have been sharing your video for the instructions, so thanks again :)
Thank you so much, I am a widow so I needed something I could build, and I did with the help of your video showing me what to do. Again thank you for all that you do
Thank you. I started out with the right idea but how to finish it wasn't working for me. But I am so glad I found your site. Now I can finish it. Thanks again!
Chris, thank you so much for sharing this cheap and easy to make item. What a clever, ingenious idea, and it works spectacularly! So grateful to you that I can enjoy my hummingbirds without ants. God bless. Love, Karen 😊
This is good, really good. I've seen build-your-ant-moat vids that take more material and cost more than just buying them online would. This is fast, and pretty much zero cost-- quick as well! V impressive! Thank you!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Your video is clear and concise... best one I've watched on ant moat construction! Tomorrow is my day to build ... these ants are notorious!
Wow! The frying pan trick was quite clever! 👍 I probably would have just used a cigarette lighter or one of those long lighters used for the grill or fireplace. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks for these instructions! I was able to make three (with some help). They didn’t turn out as well as yours but they will hopefully keep the pesky ants out
In my case, detergent was absolutely needed. The feeder was ant free for a few days then I noticed they were in it again. I saw that they were skittering across the surface of the water. Some drown but most made it.
The water evaporates pretty fast especially if in the sun. Or your sugar water will begin to get cloudy when the temperatures get hotter and it’ll need changed often so you won’t have to worry about any mosquitoes.
Brilliant!!!! Edited: Thank you for this "ant pool of death"! Just about finished with my first one with help from the hubs strong hands! Thank you, you saved me from spending $16 on Amazon!
Nice job! I do a similar one, using a small clear plastic drink glass, a wine bottle cork, and two screw-in cup hooks. Stand cork upright in center of glass, screw hook through bottom of glass into bottom end of cork. Screw another hook into top of cork. No need for sealant, as the cup hook fits tight in its self-drilled hole. No tools needed!
This is SO easy and actually elegant looking! Takes all of 30 seconds (once you have your plastic cup, cork and cup hooks). I had some thin wire on hand to hang them (I made two) but might switch to fishing line. Wow.
What is missing is what to fill the moat with. Ants HATE cinnamon. I use it to eradicate summer infestations in the kitchen where I especially wouldn't choose to use pesticides (I, like any thinking human, do my very best to avoid them and find better solutions). Cinnamon works so well, we use it to run ants out of kitchens and around bird feeders on our vacation rentals-just sprinkle it liberally where you find ants-but I recently invested in a bottle of cinnamon oil to eliminate what appears to be dirt. A few drops of oil work great. I have read some ant moat products suggest coating the moat with vegetable oil and adding a tablespoonful or so to the moat. I'm going to coat the inside of the moat with vegetable oil, add water, then rub cinnamon oil around the rim and add a few drops of it onto the water's surface. This may well be the best combined tactic yet! Thanks for your tutorial.
Any type of oil or Vaseline will kill the hummingbirds if they get any on their feathers. They cannot remove it and can no longer thermoregulate their body heat at night while they are in torpor.
I did this last year and it worked great, no more ants! The only problem I had was at the end of the season the small house sparrows began using it as a bird bath. I am using the smaller bottle this year. Thanks for sharing this great idea!
After adding a moat, my feeder was ant free for a few days then I noticed they were in it again. I watched them actually skitter across the surface of the water to get to the feeder. Some drown but most made it back and forth. I mixed in a drop of dish soap to break the surface tension and that helped. I will probably switch to vegetable oil in the long run through.
Others have mentioned they use olive oil too. Ants are persistent!
@@chrisnotap I switched to a small amount of vegetable oil and that did the trick. The ants sink right in and it won't evaporate like water. I'll change the oil a few times per month before it gets rancid.
Just a teaspoon of oil changed once a month and the ants completely gave up after a few days. I haven't seen any near the feeder in weeks.
I love ants because they are so amazing but they did the exact same thing walked across the water. They must have a lot of faith. The Bible does say "consider the ant you sluggard." From now on though I'm going to put oil in the ant moat....
I add a small amount of vinegar to water-works good.
Wow! What a great idea! I really like the "finished edge" via Frying pan heat trick. Your Moats look Very Professional!
This is such a great idea. One thing that makes it a little easier for me is to leave the label on while I cut. That gives me a clearer edge to cut along. I then cut along the lower edge of the label to make a second bowl for another ant moat. For that one, I use the video by the Empress of Dirt. I get two slightly different moats from one bottle. I like this one a little better because of the nice shape that the top of the bottle makes. Thank you for this lesson!
Out of all the videos for ant moats, yours is THE BEST!! Thank you for sharing!
totally agree
Yes! I've seen some odd diy's out there.
Out of all the diy ant moat videos yours is the clearest as far as instructions and easy to find household items. The best part is that it works!
Wow, thank you!
I just put some thick vaseline or grease at the top, no ant can walk through that
@@chrisnotap Good easy instruction from you. I usually use thick grease or vaseline at the top. no ant can walk through that
Instead of water I use a small amount of Olive oil. Won't evaporate like water. Works great.
That's a great idea!
This is the easiest and best moat I’ve seen so far thank you for sharing.
Wow, thank you!
I made this for all my feeders, i haven't had an ant since. Considering commercial ant moats are ~$5 each, this is a great idea. Thank you for sharing.
Strange. I no longer have ants, but since making these I also no longer have hummingbirds!? WTF?
Update: I left the ant moats up for a week and not once did I see a hummingbird at my feeders for the entire time I had these hanging. I removed them on 2 feeders and left 1 up. Within 30 minutes I saw hummingbirds (2 of them) return to the feeders. I watched them go straight to one without the ant moat and from there one zoomed to the other without a moat and the other headed toward the one that still had the moat attached, looked at it and flew off without taking a sip. Only difference between the 3 feeders are the locations and the moat attached to one of them. The locations were never an issue before I added the moats.
Just finished making these and they work like a charm. We have an Oriole Feeder that has Grape Jelly in it and they (the ants) have been dying in the jelly and the birds won't eat it after it's been contaminated. So Props and Liked for this one...Saved our Oriole feeder. Made 4 more for the Hummingbird feeders as well. Cheers Mate!!
Thank you so much. Hubby just whipped a few up for me and they are AWESOME. Saved me about $60.
You are so welcome!
We made one today and I enjoyed watching the ants get frustrated trying to get to the feeder. Dozens were climbing the pole and a few hours later no sign of ants 🐜!! This moat took about 15 minutes to make. Thanks!!
That is awesome!
My ants somehow swim across the water.
@@TLil21 what species
Put a drop of dish soap in the water. It will beak the surface tension at the ants feet and they sink.
Thank you so much for making this fabulous video! You saved me from having to make a trip to Home Depot to buy a commercial version, and I loved that I had all the supplies on hand. I just finished making it, and my hummingbirds are super appreciative!!
Oil also works and does not evaporate. It does require occasional cleaning.
Thank you Ants were driving me crazy! And I live in the desert with 110° heat so the typical ant moat dries up too fast
Hummingbirds make me feel so good!
That's great. And it gives bees a water source
Great video, terrific method. I was just about to over think a bunch of eyebolts.... Here's a tip that's worked for me for over six years. I had a horrendous Argentine ant problem, My dog couldn't have a bowl on the floor. So I made a stand with four cups. In the cups I put a mixture of Dawn Dishwashing soap and water. The water dried out leaving a waxy scum of the Dawn. The ants wouldn't cross it. I could now bump into the tray without sloshing water out of the cups, and I never had to check the level of water or refill them.
I've had hummingbird feeders for five years now. I filled the moat with Dawn, let it dry out. That was five years ago. I had one instance where a leaf fell into the moat and made a bridge, and just in case last year I squirted a bit more Dawn into the cup. I've even rubbed a layer of Dawn on a stick from which a wire hung another feeder - no problem. One benefit of the soap is that the ants seem to give up on the whole area near the moat.
And if you need to kill the invasive Argentine ants, especially if you've ever used those Terro Baits: Save your money. Get some boric acid powder ($6 for a lifetime supply). Put some sugar water in a cup, add a little boric acid powder. The ants will come. After a day or two, add more boric acid powder, the ants will keep coming until they and their colony are wiped out. I think I had to do this once in the past year or two. Took about 4-5 days. That Terro stuff just feeds them, and makes a profit for the company.
How did u make a stand? I would like to try to make one
@@aracelieckardt2776 The dog stand. I had a plastic tray about 16" x 20" I hot glued 1/2" PVC to the corners. These are the legs. Then I just hot glued or PVC glued the legs into 1.5" or 2" PVC caps. The kicker is to just fill the cups with dish washing liquid. I've been doing this now for over ten years - the ants will never cross the waxy soap. I never have to renew it or add water. The legs and the tray can be anything, they just need to sit in some kind of a cup so the ants would have to cross the soap to get to the leg. Hopefully this explains it.
Clever! My solution was to use some school chalk to draw a chalk line on the hanger wire. Worked great.....until we had a heavy rain. LOL
zzydny great idea! My bf’s daughter has lots of chalk!
Great idea for the bottles, I make mine from 3"PVC caps. They stand up to the weather better
What a great idea. I doubt you used a glue gun seal it though. Interested in the changes you made, this would last forever and I woudln't have to get chemicals on my frypan.
Thank you for this info. I did have an ant problem , made the moat the way you show and it turn out great. Will make more for the rest of the feeders I have.
Glad it helped!
Wow... this is a great tip! I want a video of 1 month on JUUL
ya
I had a big problem with my hummingbird feeders last year that would dry up on the same day they were filled. I'm going to build some of these this year. Another fantastic idea.
Mix Vaseline and cinnamon together. Then lightly spread it at the bottom of the pole. Ants don't like cinnamon and the vaseline helps keep it from washing away during rainy days.
Great idea and construction instructions. Will definitely try this on our feeders. Only concern is it being a mosquito breeder down here in coastal Georgia. Liked one commentators idea about oil instead of water or soap on the surface. That would probably take care of mosquito larvae.
Thanks for a great video!
I tried the oil. Becomes a gooey mess.
Absolutely fantastic, simple and brilliant. It looks so nice too. Brilliant idea with frying pan. Thank you very much.
Hey I finally got around to making one just now. Carpenter Ants had invaded my feeder so bad that some were floating around inside and my hummingbirds couldn't access the ports. They'd fly up to the feeder and hover to see each port covered in ants and fly away without being able to drink. Within 10 minutes of installing the mote and getting rid of ants they were feeding again. Thanks for this great idea!👍😃
Thank you so much for sharing this video. I've been fighting the ants for 2 to 3 years and tried just about everything. What I found that worked a bit was putting sticky tape around pole, but they still manage to climb up. I just finished making the ant moat from your video and I have confidence that it's going to work just fine. Again, thank you so much.
If the ants get smart and make a bridge with bodies, add a bit of dish soap to help break the water tension.
Glad I found this. Didn’t want to pay $8.50 for another moat!!!
Cut off red solo cup bottom cork inside. Coffee cup hanger screw-in hooks one under cup and one into the cork inside the cup
Yes! That also works! Thanks.
I made two this morning and the ants turned away the second I filled the moats. Thank you; they worked immediately and perfectly!!
I made two of them, one for each feeder. Took about 10 minutes after I had gathered the materials, and it DOES WORK!!! The ants were getting inside my feeders and soiling the nectar almost immediately. Not anymore! Now if I could just get rid of the wasps it would be perfect! Thanks for the tutorial!
I have the feeders with bee guards but the wasps still congregate there and try to chase the hummingbirds away. They have the yellow domed mesh bee guards.
Long term ant moat = mosquito pond. I'd add some oil to the surface of the water to stop mosquitoes and evaporation. I like that bottle edge rolling technique.
Ross Russell it won’t cause mosquitos. I’ve used this technique for years and the water evaporates so fast that you have to keep a check on the water. Sometimes birds will grab a quick drink out of the ant moat so oil could harm them. And when it gets hot temperatures or they are in the sun and the sugar water begins to get cloudy it’s time to change it anyway.
This video is great..I was looking on YT for homemade ant moats and came across this..
I made four of them using Real Lemon plastic bottles and one is in use right now..I will use the others when I put out the other feeders..
Thanks for a great idea and video...
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much for this. I could not find a large moat to last on those hot days. Used a big 4L water jug top and this has been so great. Can't even buy a moat this effective, so this was so wonderful.
This idea is extremely clever with out spending a rupee(by the way I'm from India) I have been making this ant moat for the past 10 years,but...this is the first time I am watching on RUclips 👏👏👏 I also do variation, one with thick core electric wire and another with nut bolt and rubber washer and for hanging I drill a hole in the bolt and insert a key chain ring. Thank you for posting this video. Cheers!
Nice job, and birds can drink too now ;)
This channel is just actual useful life hacks
Chris Notap, Thank you for this DIY video. I made 4 moats according to your instructions, so easy to follow and it's working beautifully.
That's great! I'd love to see pic's of them. If you want you can send them to chrisnotap@gmail.com. Thanks.
@@chrisnotap Hi Chris, on their way in a few minutes! I have been getting a lot of comments on the Love of Hummingbirds FB group and I have been sharing your video for the instructions, so thanks again :)
@@carolinep7580 Thanks so much for sharing that!!
Thank you so much, I am a widow so I needed something I could build, and I did with the help of your video showing me what to do. Again thank you for all that you do
Glad I could help
Thank you. I started out with the right idea but how to finish it wasn't working for me. But I am so glad I found your site. Now I can finish it. Thanks again!
Glad I could help!
Thorough instructions; thanks. Heat ".. for a nice rounded smooth edge...."-that was brilliant!
excellent! I have to change the water everyday or every other day. It's humid down south and my feeders get moldy quick.
That was a neat easy way to keep ants from the nectar. 🦋🌈🦋🌈🦋🌈🦋🌈
This is the exact hummingbird feeder I have and I really will try to make this moat!! Thank you!!!
This is great going to try it out with my feeders!
Yes, give it a go and please share!
Great video, short and precise. I made the the moat and it has been working great ! Thank you for the idea 💡👍🏼
I just made one of these ant traps, easy and works great! Excellent invention!
I use spray paint lids, this is also a great idea.
Chris, thank you so much for sharing this cheap and easy to make item. What a clever, ingenious idea, and it works spectacularly! So grateful to you that I can enjoy my hummingbirds without ants. God bless. Love, Karen 😊
Excellent....thanks, Chris! Now I need a bird most, because they want to drink that water 😆
This is good, really good. I've seen build-your-ant-moat vids that take more material and cost more than just buying them online would. This is fast, and pretty much zero cost-- quick as well! V impressive!
Thank you!
Thank you very much!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Your video is clear and concise... best one I've watched on ant moat construction! Tomorrow is my day to build ... these ants are notorious!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the video now I can use some of the old feeders I have that don't have the ant moat👍👍
Wow! The frying pan trick was quite clever! 👍 I probably would have just used a cigarette lighter or one of those long lighters used for the grill or fireplace. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
@@tammygurl64 the possibility of contamination of food has me a bit concerned. But there are alternatives; to each their own.
This is brilliant...thank you so much for taking the time to make this video!
Glad it was helpful!
I love this I think you just save me from my stinky ant problem thanks so much!
Fantastic Ant Moat! Was heading out to purchase one when I found your video. Thanks Chris! Very easy to follow along with your instructions :)
Constantly ants,Thank you so easy ,and it's everything that I had right at home.
Thank you for making it so simple. Great tutorial.
You're very welcome!
Thanks for these instructions! I was able to make three (with some help). They didn’t turn out as well as yours but they will hopefully keep the pesky ants out
The thing is you did it!! Learning to make stuff is great. Keep going!
You are a genius! Thanks for this great video!
Add a drop of dish detergent to break the surface tension
Not needed, ants won't cross water.
Birds like to sip from ant moats. Soap is not needed anyway.
In my case, detergent was absolutely needed. The feeder was ant free for a few days then I noticed they were in it again. I saw that they were skittering across the surface of the water. Some drown but most made it.
Amazing, and I thought the idea of smoothing the edges was great! I just bought 4 new ant moats, but I might try this anyway.
I have a feeder like that an it leaks ..... can't figure out how to stop it
Nice slow mo shots
Thanks.
Depending on the altitud of the place where you live, one problem might be mosquitoes. They like to reproduce in steady clean water.
They tend to prefer stagnant water. Shouldn’t be an issue.
The water evaporates pretty fast especially if in the sun. Or your sugar water will begin to get cloudy when the temperatures get hotter and it’ll need changed often so you won’t have to worry about any mosquitoes.
Great design! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, I will be making this for my feeder!
Worked like a charm. Thank you for the idea!
Thank you 👍
This will be my sunday project.
Brilliant!!!!
Edited: Thank you for this "ant pool of death"! Just about finished with my first one with help from the hubs strong hands! Thank you, you saved me from spending $16 on Amazon!
Great video. Clear and easy to follow. Simple and effective solution. Well done. Thanks for your effort.
Glad it helped
Thank you for the great idea! Built two today. 😃
Great simple idea !!! Thanks so much :-))
This worked out perfectly! No more ants! Thank you so much!
The plastic ones from the box store deteriorate from the sun and eventually break. This is a good idea, I don't have a glue gun so I'll use caulk.
This is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you!
Thanks for this!
Wonderful tutorial. just what I needed. Thanks.
Nice job! I do a similar one, using a small clear plastic drink glass, a wine bottle cork, and two screw-in cup hooks. Stand cork upright in center of glass, screw hook through bottom of glass into bottom end of cork. Screw another hook into top of cork. No need for sealant, as the cup hook fits tight in its self-drilled hole. No tools needed!
Glad to see this alternative, I’ll give it a try.
This is SO easy and actually elegant looking! Takes all of 30 seconds (once you have your plastic cup, cork and cup hooks). I had some thin wire on hand to hang them (I made two) but might switch to fishing line. Wow.
I'm surprised you didn't make a 2 liter supply bottle to auto refill and a rain catcher supply! hahahahaha
What is missing is what to fill the moat with. Ants HATE cinnamon. I use it to eradicate summer infestations in the kitchen where I especially wouldn't choose to use pesticides (I, like any thinking human, do my very best to avoid them and find better solutions). Cinnamon works so well, we use it to run ants out of kitchens and around bird feeders on our vacation rentals-just sprinkle it liberally where you find ants-but I recently invested in a bottle of cinnamon oil to eliminate what appears to be dirt. A few drops of oil work great.
I have read some ant moat products suggest coating the moat with vegetable oil and adding a tablespoonful or so to the moat. I'm going to coat the inside of the moat with vegetable oil, add water, then rub cinnamon oil around the rim and add a few drops of it onto the water's surface. This may well be the best combined tactic yet! Thanks for your tutorial.
Any type of oil or Vaseline will kill the hummingbirds if they get any on their feathers. They cannot remove it and can no longer thermoregulate their body heat at night while they are in torpor.
This is great. Simple and to the point. Thank you so much!
That is awesome. THANKS.!!
Just made one trying it out now thanks a lot for the video
Really works! Had fun creating it.
Great to hear!
Thank you
I used water bottle and it works. I tried the vaseline method but the ants found their way to cross it anyway.
works very well thank you
Genius! I will be making this for my hummingbird feeders
Ty so much. I was using a top off cans. But this is much better. I have to tell my friends.
Yes please share!!
I hope you live forever Chris
I'm hoping that too!!
Joe - I believe there's only one Way to ensure you do. 🙏🏻
This is just lovely. Thank you. Excellent video. To the point.
Glad you enjoyed it!
love it, great idea
Wonderful 😊 thank you!!!
Great video. So helpful, well presented, and simple to understand.
Glad it was helpful and thanks for that great feedback!
Nice, short and simple thanks!
It seems it might serve as a bird or butterfly waterer as well as an ant moat...just a thought. :) Very nice idea. Thank you.
Great idea
👍☕🦫
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
From my hummingbirds and me