Auxiliary ant moat for hummingbird feeder and method of use thereof

A method of using an ant moat with a hummingbird feeder having one or more nectar access apertures, the ant moat including a reservoir body including a base and at least one sidewall that together define a fluid holding region having an open top, said reservoir body including a bottom connecting element that is directed downwardly from the base for connection to the hummingbird feeder that is supported beneath the ant moat, and a top connecting element that projects upwardly from the base of the body to be coupled to a hanger wire that is used to support the ant moat and the hummingbird feeder from a support element, the sidewall of the reservoir body including a water level indicator and an oil level indicator that is positioned above the water level indicator, the method comprising:

• securing the top connecting element of the ant moat to the hanger wire with the hummingbird feeder coupled to the bottom hook element prior to use;
• adding water to the fluid holding region up to the water level indicator;
• adding oil to the fluid holding region up to the oil level indicator, the oil remaining on top of the water to prevent the water from evaporating when the feeder is in use and thereby extending the time period over which the ant moat is effective in preventing ants from reaching the nectar access apertures in the hummingbird feeder.

An ant-resistant hummingbird feeder assembly comprising:

• a hummingbird feeder including a nectar reservoir in fluid communication with a bottom basin, said bottom basin having nectar access apertures through which a hummingbird can insert its beak to access nectar held within the basin, an upper end of said nectar reservoir having a hanging structure used to support the feeder in a vertically suspended configuration;
• and
• an ant moat including a reservoir body having a base and at least one sidewall that together define a fluid holding region having an open top, said reservoir body including a bottom connecting element that is directed downwardly from the base for attachment to the hanging structure of the hummingbird feeder that is supported beneath the ant moat, and a top connecting element that projects upwardly from the base of the body to be coupled to a hanger wire that is used to support the ant moat and the hummingbird feeder from a support element in the vertically suspended configuration, the sidewall of the reservoir body of the ant moat including a water level indicator and an oil level indicator that is positioned above the water level indicator.