HELP TO COMBAT PESTS AT THE BIRDFEEDER

Dear BirdGal,What can I do to get rid of the grackles and blackbirds that raid my feeders? Ann
Dear Ann, Change the seed you are using! Grackles and blackbirds will not eat safflower. Safflower is a small white seed similar in appearance, but smaller than, black oil sunflower seed. Like sunflower seed, safflower is an oil seed. Cardinals, titmice and other songbirds love safflower! Also, most squirrels do not like safflower because of its bitter taste. BG

BirdGal, What are those moths in my birdseed and how can I get rid of them? Grossed Out in Milford
Dear Grossed Out, Birdseed isn’t processed like human food and isn’t subject to the same guidelines. The seeds are harvested, lightly cleaned of debris and then packaged. Insects have laid eggs in/on the seeds in the field and some of those eggs end up in the bags. When the weather warms up in the summer those eggs are going to hatch. The biggest problem of all is the meal moth. It starts out “webby” and worm-like (larvae) then morphs into the moth. If the moths get into your house they will make a bee-line for your pantry and invade all your grain based dry products, lay eggs and start the cycle all over. So, during warmer months, buy smaller amounts of seed more frequently and store seed in a container with a tight fitting lid in the garage or in a shed. BG

MORE INFO.....

HOW TO DEAL WITH BIRDFEEDER PESTS

There are several birds and mammals that most backyard naturalists consider pests around the birdfeeding station. Most nuisance critters – squirrels, raccoons, possum, deer, starlings, blackbirds, grackles, house sparrows – can be controlled by restricting access to feeders or changing to a different seed.

Feeder Access Restriction
You can prevent mammals from raiding your bird feeder if you locate it properly. Pole mounted or pole hung feeders should be placed at least 10’ away from a “launching pad” because squirrels can jump about 810’ horizontally. Then, in order to prevent mammals from climbing the pole, you must fit it with a baffle. There are can-shaped baffles, conical-shaped baffles and flat circular baffles. In my opinion the can-shaped baffles are the most effective. Baffles should be placed at least 5’ off the ground to prevent squirrels from jumping over them and accessing the feeders. There are oversized baffles to prevent raccoons from climbing feeder poles, too. If you insist on putting your feeder in a tree, the only way a hanging-feeder baffle will be effective is if it is large enough to cover the whole feeder and the feeder is hung at least 8-10’ from the tree trunk or other “launching pad”.

Controlling Pests with Bird Seed
Grackles and blackbirds are such voracious eaters and arrive in such numbers that they can empty your sunflower seed feeder in one afternoon! The good news is that neither bird likes safflower seed. Safflower is a white oil seed similar in size and shape to black oil sunflower seeds (refer to “Seed Preference ChitChat“). To rid your backyard of these pesky birds, replace your sunflower seeds with safflower seeds in your feeders until late fall when most blackbirds and grackles move further south for the winter. A side benefit of using safflower seed is that most squirrels do not like the bitter taste and they, too, will stay away from the feeder!
If starlings and house sparrows are the problem, it is probably because you are using a mixed seed. Both these birds prefer the millet found in most mixes. You can eliminate starlings and house sparrows by switching to either black oil sunflower or safflower seed. If starlings are a problem on your suet feeder, purchase an “upside down” suet feeder. Woodpeckers and other desirable birds have no problem feeding upside down, but starling can not hang on very long in that position, so become less of a nuisance.

Feeders
There are several different feeders on the market now that are designed to eliminate nuisance mammals and birds. Some feeders have cages around them to allow only smaller birds access to the seed inside. Some feeders close when the weight of a squirrel lands on the perches. There are also feeders with domes that can be lowered so the larger birds and squirrels can not get inside.

If you are having trouble with pesky creatures in your backyard, talk to the “backyard birdfeeding experts” at Wild About Birds. We’ve got baffles, critter proof feeders and specialty seeds that can help you eliminate unwanted birds and mammals from your birdfeeding station.