Toy Inventor's Notebook

ANT-FREE FEEDER

Invented and drawn by Bob Knetzger

OUR BACKYARD HUMMINGBIRDS WERE NOT HAPPY! A trail of hungry ants was climbing into our hummingbird feeder, fouling the sugar water, and keeping the birds away. The ants were undeterred by folk remedies like bay leaf barriers, and pesticides were out of the question. Ugh — but what to do?

My bin of toy parts yielded the answer. Drill a hole in the cap from a plastic vending-machine toy capsule. Attach the inverted cap on top of the feeder with a bit of Sugru or bathroom caulk. Use another dab to seal up the center hole and hanging wire. When filled with water, the cap makes a tiny water moat the ants refuse to cross. The hummingbirds are back enjoying the feeder — sweet!

SUGRU IS A HANDY SUBSTANCE

It molds like putty and cures at room temperature to form a strong, flexible silicone rubber that can be used to fix, protect, improve, and innovate.

MAKE THINGS CHILD-PROOF AND GRIPPY Joel Veitch, England

BOUNCE-PROOF YOUR CAMERA Stefan Stocker, Germany

MAKE A PLUG HUB FOR YOUR LAPTOP Johan Frick, Sweden

Sugru is available in the Maker Shed: makezine.com/go/sugru