Look, I dont think I'm crazy...

[jeff kushner]

Has anyone ever heard of this?

See that circle around the sugar?
It is this;

I have 3 different sizes of black ants on my decks but they won't even get into frame with the Ponds!

I got the idea after watching an army of ants going into the hummingbird feeders. Since I'm moving all the medicine cabinets have been emptied so there was no Vaseline to put on the pole so I tried this and it works!

But why?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Well, if you look at the ingredient list petrolatum (which is the only ingredient of raw Vaseline) is pretty high up there, so there is quite a bit of petrolatum in the product. This probably makes it hard enough to climb/walk on.

 

[wellington]

Never would have thunk it.

 

[jeff kushner]

Here is the "kicker". When applied fresh, their reaction is one of pain and confusion.

I watched one large carpenter ant making a beeline towards the sugar, at 8" from the circle and he suddenly begins acting like he had been lethally bit by something! He suddenly jerked and twisted, rolling over and over until he fell through the cracks. It's like he was poisoned!

very odd

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Well, if you look at the ingredient list petrolatum (which is the only ingredient of raw Vaseline) is pretty high up there, so there is quite a bit of petrolatum in the product. This probably makes it hard enough to climb/walk on.

To expand on this, at least in my understanding pure vaseline is not even recommended to apply on bird feeders because it can damage the hummingbirds too. Like any oil it will make them unable to fly and regulate their body temperature... Wouldn't be suprised if this was the same

 

[Anastasia 22]

Has anyone ever heard of this?
View attachment 369989
See that circle around the sugar?
It is this;View attachment 369990

I have 3 different sizes of black ants on my decks but they won't even get into frame with the Ponds!

I got the idea after watching an army of ants going into the hummingbird feeders. Since I'm moving all the medicine cabinets have been emptied so there was no Vaseline to put on the pole so I tried this and it works!
View attachment 369992
But why?

You found the best way to use that product. As an experienced Esthetician and Oncology Esthetician I wouldn't recommend to apply it on the skin.

 

[wellington]

You found the best way to use that product. As an experienced Esthetician and Oncology Esthetician I wouldn't recommend to apply it on the skin.

OMG why? My mom uses that kind.

 

[jeff kushner]

The tablespoon of sugar remained, though somewhat melted by the humidity until the rain washed it away yesterday.

We couldn't believe it was still there when we drove over here Friday night.

 

[jeff kushner]

To expand on this, at least in my understanding pure vaseline is not even recommended to apply on bird feeders because it can damage the hummingbirds too. Like any oil it will make them unable to fly and regulate their body temperature... Wouldn't be suprised if this was the same

To close up this little mistake you were correct, the 3 different hummingbirds that were feeding here disappeared.

I don't know the "why" but it was clearly due to the cream on the post.


I have made amends and hope they return!

 

[Tom]

I don't know the "why" but it was clearly due to the cream on the post.

How could you possibly know that? There are lots of other reasons why they might have left. The nectar flow is on right now, so say my bees, and the bees prefer natural nectar sources to sugar water when they can get it. Perhaps there are trees and shrubs flowering nearby? Its springtime.

There could be a local predator on the hunt. Raptors are feeding their babies right now and they will expand into new territories trying to find enough food to feed to their ravenous fast growing babies.

Some schmutz on the railing away from their feeder doesn't seem like it would do anything to them. Birds don't have a sense of smell, so the odor isn't deterring them...

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Some schmutz on the railing away from their feeder doesn't seem like it would do anything to them. Birds don't have a sense of smell, so the odor isn't deterring them...

I can't be sure that this is the cause, but I meant problems like this:
"Birds often will land on metal poles (see photo) or they may brush their feathers against the pole when approaching the feeders. When this occurs, the oils in these products (as well as in the petroleum-based products) will be picked up by the feathers.

Once on the feathers, the feather can be damaged in a number of ways.
1. Oils cause the feathers to become matted down. Once that occurs, the feather will lose its ability to be water-proof and to provide insulating capability.
2. The matting of the feathers in the tail or wings will decrease the ability of the bird to fly efficiently or at all if enough feathers are involved. Keeping the body feathers in good condition provides an insulating barrier to keep the bird warm."

Wild Birds Unlimited - Nature Shop

 

[Tom]

I can't be sure that this is the cause, but I meant problems like this:
"Birds often will land on metal poles (see photo) or they may brush their feathers against the pole when approaching the feeders. When this occurs, the oils in these products (as well as in the petroleum-based products) will be picked up by the feathers.

Once on the feathers, the feather can be damaged in a number of ways.
1. Oils cause the feathers to become matted down. Once that occurs, the feather will lose its ability to be water-proof and to provide insulating capability.
2. The matting of the feathers in the tail or wings will decrease the ability of the bird to fly efficiently or at all if enough feathers are involved. Keeping the body feathers in good condition provides an insulating barrier to keep the bird warm."

Wild Birds Unlimited - Nature Shop

That is all understandable, but the product in this case is some distance away from the feeder and the humming birds would not come into contact with it.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

That is all understandable, but the product in this case is some distance away from the feeder and the humming birds would not come into contact with it.

Yeah, that is probably the case.

 

[jeff kushner]

No, the birds would not contact the goop.....and I certainly lay no claim for talking with the animals so I can't know for sure but it was like a light switch. They were all here, then poof they all left! We did endure 3 days of rain....but even then I usually see them.

 

[jaizei]

If it had a strong scent, and it was something they didn't like, that might be it

What is that smell? Hummingbirds avoid foraging on resources with defensive insect compounds - Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

Abstract Hummingbirds utilize visual cues to locate flowers, but little is known about the role olfaction plays in nectar foraging despite observations that hummingbirds avoid resources occupied by certain insects. We investigated the behavioral responses of both wild and captive hummingbirds to...

link.springer.com

 

[COmtnLady]

I keep cedar oil in a spray bottle to deal with ants. Its supposed to be pet safe enough that it can be used on dogs and cats coats for fleas. Not sure what it might do to birds, but with the insects it plugs up the pores on their bodies (carapaces?) and stops their ability to breathe. Its possible that the Ponds cream coats the same way.
The cedar oil shouldn't be used on plants because it kills them, too. (Cedars do that poison-the-ground-around-them to cut down on completion for resources thing). You can also carry a small spray bottle when you are traveling and spray it on hotel mattresses to keep bed bugs away.

The few times I've hit an ant while spraying a place they like to come into the house. they instantly curl up and stop moving in a matter of a second or so, similar to when I blasted wasps with some nasty anti-wasp spray (Raid or some other nerve gas) decades ago.

And I once saw an old-timer once toss a cup of gasoline on a paper wasp nest (bottom-hole first). That also instantly stopped all inhabitants. He took the ball of the nest down a short while later. Gas is petroleum, probably does the same thing these other petroleum things do.

There used to be skin cream called Skin So Soft that worked great to keeps bugs away. It was intended to keep your skin soft - funnily enough - but the insect repellant quality became apparent in the summer... plus it didn't smell as bad.

On another note ~
Its easy to notice that there are fewer birds around here. There used to be flocks and flocks, now I'd guess-timate half as many. Are you noticing similar in your areas of the country?

 

[jeff kushner]

Well, the birds are back....more rain forecast for today...draw your own conclusions. This certainly wasn't an experiment or we would have had a control feeder or 3, it was just a thing that I noticed.

I use gasoline for areas where gasoline isn't GASOLINE (LOL) and I remember the Skin so soft....I have daughters that used to be babies back then but we never realized it was a dual duty product!

Birds....I absolutely agree that we are able to observe growing and waning of the flocks. We have Canadian and Snow geese here and there are boom and bust years for them too. Do folks still see 8 mile long Starling flocks that I used to see in the Midwest?