Ants are naturally attracted to sweet foods and can be a nuisance, especially when they are many. Nectar, fruits, and water mixed with sugar, fed to birds, also attract them. You can protect your bird feeders in the following ways:
Use Ant Moats
This is a trap used to get rid of ants; it is very effective. It bars the ants from getting into the feeder; it attracts them, thereby drawing their attention away from the feeder. The ant moat is filled with water; thus, when ants enter, they drown as ants can’t swim. This also bars other insects from entering the feeders too. The moat can also serve as a source of drinking water for the birds.
Some feeders come with built-in moats, while some don’t, meaning you have to buy the moats separately.
Move your feeder to another location
When ants find a food source, they leave a trail of scent behind. This enables them always to locate the food source so that they can come back anytime. However, if you move the feeder away from the previous location, they may find it difficult to trace again; this will lead to fewer ants visiting your feeder.

Clean your feeder regularly:
Cleaning your feeder is a must; you don’t want your birds feeding on contaminated and dirty food. You can clean your feeder daily. It would be best if you cleaned both the interior and exterior of your feeder; cleaning the exterior will prevent ants from visiting your feeder.