Can you really blame critters for taking advantage of the free buffet at your backyard bird feeders? Finding food is a full-time job for them and when they find your unprotected feeders, they must believe they have hit the proverbial jackpot!
But sooner or later, be they determined furry critters or hordes of “nuisance” birds, your patience is likely to wear thin and you will be ready to engage them in a battle for your backyard. Fortunately, there are some easy solutions you can employ to help regain control of your feeders.
Baffling Your Squirrels
Sooner or later these cute little members of the rodent family are probably going to cross over the line at your feeders. Often agile beyond belief and seemingly able to solve complex problems, squirrels can consume large amounts of bird feed and may damage expensive feeders.
Stovepipe baffles, when placed properly on a pole system, can make it virtually impossible for a squirrel to climb onto your pole or post mounted feeders. These smooth metal cylinders are effective when positioned on the pole at least five feet above the ground and when the pole is set at least 10 feet away from any tree, bush, fence, or other surface from which a squirrel can jump directly onto the feeders. This setup turns any feeder hung on the pole system into a squirrel-proof bird feeder.
If you hang your feeder from a tree, accessible only from above, use a standard tube or hopper feeder with a domed squirrel baffle above. Position the dome directly above the feeder to stop squirrels from climbing down the hanging chain or wire.
Another solution is to put your feeder behind bars by retrofitting it with an exclusion cage. These cages come in many sizes and dimensions that will protect almost any feeder from squirrels and large nuisance birds, too.
Taking the Nuisance Out of “Nuisance” Birds
So, just who are these “nuisance” birds? Well, in its most basic definition, it’s any group of birds that congregate at your feeders to such a level that they prevent your favorite birds from using your feeders, while also making short-work out of your valuable bird food.
The key is to favor your favorite birds and discourage the others by your choice of foods and feeders.
The type of foods you offer can make a big difference. Cracked corn and millet are favored by many nuisance birds and should be avoided. Replace them with safflower, blackbirds are not a fan of this seed, but it is used by many “favored” birds. Pure suet cakes, as opposed to suet blends with added ingredients, are often ignored by starlings, yet they are attractive to woodpeckers and other birds.
Many feeders come with creative engineering that is designed to exclude larger birds. There are weight sensitive feeders that that can be set to close off the feeding ports to heavier birds, and feeders with mesh cages that exclude larger birds, while allowing access by smaller ones. There are feeders with short, or even no perches that favor small birds and make it hard for larger birds to utilize the feeder.
To learn more about these, and other critter solutions, be sure to visit our Certified Bird Feeding Specialists at your favorite WBU store for the expert advice you need to take back your feeders.
About Wild Birds Unlimited
Wild Birds Unlimited is the original and largest franchise system of backyard bird feeding and nature specialty stores with more than 360 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Wild Birds Unlimited specializes in bringing people and nature together with bird feeding and nature products, expert advice and educational events. Listen to our podcast, Nature Centered, to learn more about feeding the birds and enjoying nature in your backyard. Episodes can be found here, https://www.wbu.com/podcast. Visit our website and shop online at www.wbu.com. To learn how you can open your own Wild Birds Unlimited, visit www.wbufranchise.com.
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By Natalie Carmolli, Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Shrubs
Also known as Althea in the South, this hardy hibiscus is the plant that shows up when everything else in the garden is running out of steam. Big, tropical looking blooms and weeks of flowers. Rose of Sharon is a great plant, particularly this time of year. To learn more Click here for an interesting article.
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