![]() ![]() Don’t give up too early, though it can take several weeks for birds to find and test out your feeder locations.While my woodpeckers will feed anywhere, my nuthatches are more prone to a log feeder in a protected area. When it comes to suet feeders – location, location, location is everything! Experiment until you find what works best. Vulnerable to bully birds, squirrels, and other wildlife, open trays can be a great way to introduce birds to suet if they aren’t used to it. Chunks, leftovers, and pellets can be spread about by larger birds, and entice different birds a chance to sample the suet. Open trays – Tray feeders can be a great way to introduce suet to a wider variety of birds. They can be filled with cakes, balls, or chunks without needing specific sizes, and offer the perfect spot for small clinging birds. Mesh bags – Ideal for small birds like nuthatches and tits, suet filled bags are a great way to recycle and offer a feed. As a bonus, they provide a more natural-looking environment for your feeders. They can be easily purchased or made, and are especially good at providing a natural perch for birds while keeping the suet dry and protected. Suet logs – Simple logs with predrilled holes filled with suet make a suet log feeder. Upgrades to the basic suet cage include tail props for clinging birds and covers to protect the suet from the elements and predators. Suet cages – Made of coated wire for ease of use, cages are best for independent hanging and to attach to other feeders. A combination of these feeders is your best bet for keeping bully birds and wildlife at bay while attracting more birds to your feeders.īuilt-in baffles are great at deterring squirrels, raccoons, and other wildlife, while grills, mesh, and upside down designs can keep away larger and bully birds. This probably will not be necessary if your feeding stand has hangers at staggered heights - hang the cage above the others.Suet feeders come in four main variations, each offering a different solution to attracting suet loving birds to your feeder. I have done this with a piece of wood, hose clamps, a picture hanging bracket, and a small carabiner. Finally, hang it separately from other feeders, or modify your feeding stand so that the cage hangs further away. Then use a champagne cork or similar to fill the central hole in the base (otherwise squirrels can gain access from underneath). Use zip ties to anchor it centrally in place. You may need to trim the top/base of this with wire cutters to get it to fit. Remove the internal fat ball holder (which is too big anyway - 10 fat balls will potentially spoil in certain weathers, plus the birds can actually land on the fat balls themselves because of the size of the mesh and the large opening, which I imagine is unhygienic for them) and replace it with a tube-shaped 3-5 fat ball holder. Otherwise, prepare to be disappointed, as they will likely figure out how to gain access.įor those who are willing, the changes I have made are as follows: So, I would say be prepared to make some changes to this product once it arrives, if you have squirrels in your area. It is now very effective and only accessible to small birds. This feeder could be completely squirrel proof with some changes to the design, which I have done myself through a series of alterations. Additionally, this cage caused my other squirrel-proof feeders to become ineffective, because they would hang from this cage with the majority of their weight, and reach into the seed feeder without activating the spring mechanism which normally keeps them out. Squirrels will hang from the underneath and reach into the fat balls, scratching off large chunks and either hang upside down to eat, or drop to the floor to eat what has collected there, and repeat. Out of the box, this product is large bird proof, but is not squirrel proof.
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