Funnel keeps ants away

Dear Heloise: For those who like to feed hummingbirds but who have a problem with ants, I have found a solution!
Take a plastic funnel and put it over the chain (above the feeder) with the wide end facing up. Push cotton down the neck of the funnel, then fill the bowl of the funnel with diatomaceous earth (this can be purchased at most gardening stores). The ants will not crawl over this compound. I have done this the past two years and have had no problem with ants invading the nectar. Willie Phillips, Fayetteville, Ark.
You may have discovered the winning hint! Diatomaceous earth has both a drying and an irritating effect on many insects, because it is made of crushed fossils of freshwater organisms and marine life. Too small for our eyes to see, it looks like tiny bits of broken glass if you look at it using a microscope, but it feels like talcum powder to a human. Diatomaceous earth is deadly to ants and many other insects, plus it is a great repellent! This makes it a perfect nontoxic-to-humans pesticide. And remember, as with any pesticide, read and follow all package directions before using! Heloise
P.S. As an interesting note, this "magic" powder is also used in many products, such as filters for fish tanks, toothpaste and plastics!
Dear Readers: Jean Johnson of Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., sent in a cute photo of her dog, Max, who looks like a black furball sitting in a mailbox with a sign that states "Going Home." Jean writes, "The sign signified we were leaving Florida and going back to New Jersey." This photo of Max gets my personal "stamp" of approval. If your newspaper doesn't print the pet photo, go to Heloise.com and click on This Week's Pet to see this cute photo. Send your favorite or unusual pet photo to: Heloise/Pet Photo, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000. Heloise
Dear Heloise: My brilliant husband, Larry, devised a great way to stop our cat from unrolling the toilet-paper roll. He simply took a rubber band, stretched it across the roll and attached it to each end of the metal holder. No more early-morning paper surprises. Happy Housewife, Los Osos, Calif.
Dear Heloise: The "Rat" I live with put a rubber band across the toilet-paper roll so I can't unravel it into piled ribbons of protest. Do you have any hints for the thumbless for circumventing this annoying development? Please advise. Frustrated Feline, Los Osos, Calif.
Nope! Heloise
Dear Heloise: Those large cans that hold flavored popcorn are perfect for storing birdseed and dry pet food. Besides keeping these things from getting stale, the cans also prevent pests from getting at the new contents. Bruce Hammill, Lancaster, Calif.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate