DEAR JOAN: These last two weeks I have seen an increase of hummingbirds at the feeder. I am refilling the 3- to 4-cup feeder daily. There will be six or seven feeding at the same time. I have never seen so many at my feeder before.

Do the fires around us have something to do with this increase in hummingbirds at the feeder? Are they flying long distances because their feeding area is now unavailable to them?

Ed Carbone, Los Gatos

DEAR ED: There certainly could be some hummers that have been pushed out of their normal feeding areas because of the fires. But we are at the start of the migration season, and while not all hummingbirds migrate, many do. That might account for the increase. They need a lot of food to fuel their journey south.

Another reason is that as we move toward autumn, many of the summer blooms are fading, meaning there is less natural food available for the hummingbirds.

DEAR JOAN: We have a hummingbird feeder that we hang on a tree in the backyard. The birds came by every day to drink the sugar water, but recently they flew away due to so many ants on the tree branches that got inside the sugar water. The birds refused to drink.

What would your recommendation be?

Pham, Newark

DEAR PHAM: While hummingbirds eat insects, they don’t eat ants, not even sugar-marinated ones.

It’s important to keep ants out of the feeder because the ants drown and their dead bodies can contaminate the nectar, making it unsafe for the birds. The easiest solution would be to hang the feeder somewhere else.

You can purchase a pole that will hold bird feeders, or concoct one of your own. If that’s not a choice, then buy an ant moat that fits on the top of the feeder. You fill it with water and the ants drown before they can reach the feeder. You need to keep an eye on the moat, however, because if it fills with dead ants, the live ones can crawl over the bodies to reach their destination.

If the feeder is the only thing in the tree that is attracting the ants, then take the feeder down until the ants get the message that there isn’t any food there.

DEAR JOAN: I have an opossum living under my house that we are selling. An inspector saw it and needs to finish my inspection, but the opossum needs to be removed first.

Is this something you can you help me with?  I called animal control and nothing. I’m hoping to relocate it and not put it down.

Genia, Livermore

DEAR GENIA: It’s illegal to release a trapped animal outside the property where it was nabbed. This prevents an animal from spreading diseases, creating problems for someone else, or causing territorial disputes.

So you’ll need to trap the opossum, close up the space under the house to prevent the opossum from returning, and then release the animal on your property. Before sealing up the opening, make sure there are no other animals inside.

Contact the Alameda County Vector Control District for assistance and guidance by calling 510-567-6800 or emailing ehvector1@acgov.org. Provide your name, address, daytime contact phone number and a brief description of the problem.

Have a question for Joan?

Use this form to submit questions. Photos should be mailed separately to jmorris@bayareanewsgroup.com.