Nighttime Feeder Raiders

On more than one occasion I have had customers come in to Wild About Birds to purchase a replacement suet basket because “something walked off” with theirs during the night. What critters, you ask, visit our birdfeeders at night? The list of nocturnal visitors includes raccoons, opossum, deer, foxes, skunks, flying squirrels, rats and mice; owls–great horned, barred, screech–might also hang around your birdfeeding station to prey upon the critters. (I used to watch several adorable flying squirrels at my sunflower seed feeder every night until a barred owl started lurking around my yard!) If you, too, want to observe the nighttime action, keep your outdoor lights on and use your binoculars. And you thought things quieted down in your backyard after dark - HA!

Most of the wild animals wandering through our yards at night pose no problem but if you are tired of replacing feeders damaged (or stolen!) by raccoons here are some ideas that might help. Keep in mind that these critters are simply trying to survive and will always follow the path of least resistance in that endeavor. Well-stocked birdfeeding stations are certainly more appealing to raccoons than foraging for food in the wild. So, if you can’t bring your feeders in at night, at least ensure that there is no seed available to the critters after dark–put in enough seed each morning to last only a day and don’t let spilled seed accumulate under the feeders. Also, keep your unused birdseed in metal trashcans with lockable lids and don’t feed your pets outdoors.

While most of the critters that visit our backyards are harmless, many of them can carry disease and most animals are capable of inflicting great harm if they feel threatened. They may seem cute and entertaining at times but it is unwise to encourage raccoons to visit your birdfeeding station; it will become difficult to keep these nighttime feeder raiders away once they get used to the easy life!