Patent Application
20220015335
The present invention is related to the field of bird feeders and, more particularly, to an improved ant moat and method of use thereof with a hummingbird feeder, and to an ant-resistant hummingbird feeder assembly.
People who live in an area inhabited by hummingbirds frequently try to promote their presence by the use of hummingbird feeders. Hummingbird feeders differ from ordinary bird feeders because hummingbirds feed on a sugar-based nectar or simulated nectar, which is liquid, instead of the dry food consumed by most birds. In many hummingbird feeders, the nectar (or simulated nectar) is stored in a reservoir and conveyed to artificial flowers where a perch may be provided so that the hummingbird can land and, having a long, slender beak, insert the same into the access aperture provided in each of the simulated flowers and extract liquid nectar therefrom.
Unfortunately, because the nectar or nectar-like liquids stored in the feeder are sweet, ants are also attracted to the hummingbird feeder. Since the feeder must be supported when in use, typically being hung by a hanger wire that extends down to the top of the feeder from a support element, the ants are able to crawl onto the support element, down the hanger wire onto the top of the feeder, and then down the sides thereof to reach the access apertures. The ants thereby not only consume the nectar but enter the feeder reservoir, typically en masse. Once inside the base of the reservoir, the ants drown, creating a very unpleasant situation for the consumer who must clean out the feeder before it can be refilled with fresh nectar.
To prevent the ants from reaching the nectar access apertures, ant moats have been developed that are positioned above the feeder. Such ant moats are typically formed to have a water-holding region with an open top that surrounds a hook in the center. The hook couples the moat to the hanger wire while the handle of the feeder is connected to another hook on the bottom of the ant moat. After climbing down the hanger wire, the ants are blocked from further progress as they are unable to navigate their way across the water in the moat.
The effectiveness of the moat is, however, dependent upon the presence of water therein. In hot climates, the moat may run dry fairly rapidly, leaving the feeder vulnerable to an ant invasion until the moat is again filled with water.
Accordingly, a need exists for an ant moat that can block ant access to the nectar apertures of a hummingbird feeder with longer-lasting effectiveness.
In view of the foregoing, the present invention is directed to an improved ant moat and method of use thereof with a hummingbird feeder, and to an ant-resistant hummingbird feeder assembly. The ant moat includes a reservoir body having an open-top configuration with a base and at least one sidewall that together define a cup or container that holds fluid while the upper surface of the fluid is exposed at the open top. The reservoir body is suspended by a connecting element that projects upwardly from within the base of the body to be coupled to a hanger wire, and further includes a bottom, downwardly directed connecting element for coupling to the handle or other hanging element of a hummingbird feeder. The sidewall of the reservoir body, which is preferably transparent, is provided with a water level indicator and an oil level indicator that is positioned above the water level indicator.
The water level indicator and the oil level indicator are each preferably embodied as a horizontal line accompanied by an appropriate symbol or word designation. According to a preferred embodiment, the water level indicator includes a first line and the word “WATER” associated therewith, while the oil level indicator includes a second line and the word “OIL” associated therewith. The first and second lines are preferably horizontal in orientation and preferably parallel with one another when the ant moat is in use. The water and oil level indicators may alternatively be embodied as two horizontal lines vertically spaced from one another, but without accompanying word or symbol designators. However, inclusion of the word designations and/or symbols next to their respective lines is preferred with the understanding that the words may be modified as appropriate for use in different languages. The water and oil level indicators may be molded into the sidewall, printed on the sidewall, or the like.
The sidewall may be curved or may include a plurality of flat portions to form a truncated pyramid having at least three sides or other three-dimensional geometric shape having multiple planar sides, such as six-sided. In the case of multiple sides, the water and oil level indicators may be placed on any number of the sides including only one of the sides.
In use, the fluid holding region of the ant moat defined by the cup or container is filled with water up to the water level indicator line. Subsequently, a layer of oil, preferably mineral oil, is added to bring the total fluid level in the reservoir body up to the oil level indicator line. The layer of oil, being less dense than and insoluble with water, remains on top of the water, insulating the water from exposure to the air and preventing evaporation. To work effectively in preventing evaporation, this oil layer need only form a thin film such as 3/16th inch but can be up to about ⅛th inch deep if desired, with the greater thickness of the layer serving to lengthen the time period over which protection against evaporation is provided. By protecting the water from evaporation, the oil increases the longevity of the water to greatly extend the time period over which the moat can effectively prevent ants from reaching the access openings at the base of the hummingbird feeder, as compared with conventional moats containing only water.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ant moat for use with a hummingbird feeder, the ant moat including a reservoir body having an open-top configuration with a base and at least one sidewall that define a fluid holding cup or container, and having top and bottom connecting elements, such as hooks, respectively used to suspend the ant moat from a hanger wire and support a hummingbird feeder beneath the ant moat, the sidewall of the reservoir body being provided with a water level indicator and an oil level indicator that is positioned above the water level indicator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved ant moat in accordance with the preceding object in which the water level indicator includes a first horizontal line representing the water level indicator line and the oil level indicator includes a second horizontal line representing the oil level indicator line, the second horizontal line being vertically spaced above and parallel with the first horizontal line, the first and second horizontal lines being molded into, printed on, or otherwise affixed to the sidewall.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of using the improved ant moat according to the preceding object that includes filling the ant moat reservoir with water up to the water level indicator line and then adding a layer of oil on top of the water to bring the total fluid level in the reservoir body up to the oil level indicator line, the oil insulating the water from exposure to the air and thus acting to protect the water from evaporation.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved ant moat in accordance with the preceding object in which the water level indicator further includes a word designation, preferably “WATER”, associated with the first horizontal line and the oil level indicator further includes a different word designation, preferably “OIL”, associated with the second horizontal line, the word designations being molded into, printed on, or otherwise affixed to the sidewall.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved ant moat and method of use in accordance with at least one of the preceding objects in which the side wall of the reservoir is transparent.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved ant moat and method of use in accordance with at least one of the preceding objects in which the side wall is formed of a plurality of planar sides joined to form a truncated pyramid having at least three sides.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved ant moat and method of use in accordance with the preceding object in which the water and oil level indicators are provided on only one of the plurality of planar sides.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved ant moat and method of use in accordance with at least one of the preceding objects in which the depth of the layer of oil added on top of the water is between that of a film, as needed to form a thin surface coat, to about ⅛″ thick.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved ant moat and method of use in accordance with at least one of the preceding objects in which the oil is mineral oil.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved ant moat and method of use in accordance with at least one of the preceding objects that is easy and cost-effective to use, readily manufactured and durable in operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an ant-resistant hummingbird feeder assembly that includes a hummingbird feeder and an ant moat supported by a hanger wire, the hummingbird feeder including a nectar reservoir in fluid communication with a bottom basin having nectar access apertures, the ant moat including a reservoir body with a base and sidewall that together define a cup or container having an open top for holding fluid while the upper surface of the fluid is exposed, the reservoir body including a bottom connecting element for attachment to the upper end of the feeder and a top connecting element that is coupled to the hanger wire, the sidewall of the reservoir body of the ant moat including a water level indicator and an oil level indicator spaced above the water level indicator.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an ant-resistant hummingbird feeder assembly in accordance with preceding object in which the water level indicator includes a first horizontal line and the oil level indicator includes a second horizontal line, the second horizontal line being parallel with the first horizontal line, the first and second horizontal lines being molded into, printed on, or otherwise affixed to the sidewall.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ant-resistant hummingbird feeder assembly in accordance with the preceding object in which the water level indicator further includes a word designation, preferably “WATER”, associated with the first horizontal line and the oil level indicator further includes a different word designation, preferably “OIL”, associated with the second horizontal line, the word designations being molded into, printed on, or otherwise affixed to the sidewall.
These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.
It is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are disclosed by way of illustration only. It is not intended that the invention be limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Also, in describing the preferred embodiments, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.
As shown in
As shown in the assembly 100 of
As shown in isolation in
Alternatively, the top connecting element 32 may be embodied as a boss having an aperture therein to which the hanger wire is connected. In such a configuration, the lower end of the hanger wire would be under the fluid level held in the reservoir body when the ant moat is filled with fluid. Similarly, the bottom connecting element 34 may also be embodied as a boss or other structure having an aperture through which a separate hook element, such as a piece of bent wire or the like, could be hooked and then secured at an opposing end thereof to the handle of the feeder 12. However, connecting elements formed as hooks as shown herein are preferred.
The reservoir body 30 includes a base 36 (see
The sidewall of the reservoir body is provided with a water level indicator generally designated by reference numeral 42 and an oil level indicator generally designated by reference numeral 44. The oil level indicator is positioned above the water level indicator relative to the base 36. As shown in
The sidewall may be curved (not shown) or may include a plurality of flat portions to form a truncated pyramid having at least three sides. According to the embodiment shown, the reservoir body is a tapered, truncated hexagonal polygon having six planar sides 48. However, the sidewall may be formed to have any number of three-dimensional geometric shapes having multiple planar sides. In the case of multiple sides, the water and oil level indicators may be placed on any number of the sides including, as shown in
As best seen in
The first and second horizontal lines 50, 54 are parallel with one another and horizontal in orientation when the ant moat 10 is in use. The water and oil level indicators may alternatively be embodied as two horizontal lines vertically spaced from one another, but without accompanying word or symbol designations. However, inclusion of the word designations next to their respective lines is preferred with the understanding that the words may be modified as appropriate for use in different languages.
The water and oil level indicators may be molded into the sidewall, printed on the sidewall, or the like. The horizontal lines and word designations are preferably raised and/or indented to provide a tactile sensation and also for enhanced visual clarity.
In use, the fluid holding region 40 of the cup or container 39 of the ant moat 10 is filled with water 70 up to the water level indicator line 50 as shown in
To work effectively in preventing evaporation, the oil layer need only form a thin film but can be up to ⅛th inch deep if desired. By protecting the water from evaporation, the oil increases the longevity of the water to greatly extend the time period over which the moat can effectively prevent ants from reaching the access openings at the base of the hummingbird feeder, as compared with conventional moats containing only water.
The improved ant moat and method of use according to the present invention is easy and cost-effective to use, readily manufactured and durable in operation.
The water and oil level indicators are not intended to be limited to horizontal lines but may be any indicia suitable for marking a desired level for fluid(s). For example, the indicators could be vertical lines, the upper extent of which marks the fluid level, or could be one or more dots, raised or indented, of varying shapes that can be used to indicate a fluid level.
Accordingly, the foregoing descriptions and drawings should be considered as illustrative only and the invention may be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes and is not limited to the shape of the preferred embodiment. Therefore, it is not desired to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed or the exact construction and operation shown and described. Rather, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.
