The southeast is home to an assortment of alluring birds. What better method to admire them than hanging their favorite treats around your humble abode. Your backyard birds adore it when you keep hanging up birdseed for them. Your backyard squirrels adore it even more.
Watching your bird seed being devoured by a squirrel can be very disheartening. Squirrels are attracted to the most commonplace varieties of birdseed including black oil sunflower seeds, nuts, and suet. In the process of feasting upon your sweet bird’s food, squirrels frighten and chase away your feathered friends. They can also wreck and ruin your feeder. To top it all off, squirrels can be predators and have been known to eat eggs and kill baby birds.
Here are some techniques to make your birdfeeder less attainable to squirrels but still captivating to your avian amigos:
- Location, location, location: Place feeders as far away from trees and other launching points that would benefit a squirrel.
- Cleanliness: Squirrels are attracted to debris and spilled seed, so keep the bird’s feeding area tidy.
- Seed: Squirrels are less attracted to nyger and safflower seed so keep those handy.
- Some don’t like it hot: Adding cayenne pepper or similar spices to birdseed can deter squirrels. Luckily, birds are not sensitive to the heat of the peppers. Make sure you wear gloves and avoid breathing in the dust when handling peppers!
- Northwest Exterminating Wildlife Control: If your squirrel problem is just too much too handle, give us a call at 888-466-7849!
Happy Birdfeeding!
What kind of birds are you seeing around your house right now?
Cara Carver
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It is impossible to have birdfeeders without having squirrels around so the best solution is to compromise without having to resort to cayenne pepper or exterminating! Having a good quality squirrel proof feeder with or without a squirrel baffle has always worked for me. You can also use a seed and hull digester underneath the feeder which safely rids seed debris if you don’t care to feed the squirrels or ground eaters such as doves. It also has the added benefit of protecting birds from parasites and e.Coli bacteria from molded birdseed. I agree that birdfeeders need to be placed in an open area which prevents squirrels from getting into and damaging them.
Thanks so much for the great information!! I just love my bird feeders at home! We even have some outside of our corporate office here for people to enjoy!