Tips & FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Question: Squirrels Eating From Your Bird Feeders?

-You can keep squirrels off your feeders. First, you need effective
baffles such as two-foot-long stove pipes that fit around a pole under
the feeder. Since squirrels are able to leap five feet up and eight across,
feeders must be mounted or hung away from any launching site. Try
squirrel feeders for fun, particularly if you enjoy watching their antics.

Question: Bees and Hornets taking over your hummingbird feeders?

-There are bee guards to fit over the openings of some feeders, or you
can try saucer-type feeders that keep the sugar solution away from the
bees' mouth parts. Bees can reach into a feeding portal only about 1û4",
but hummingbirds are able to reach an inch or more.

Question: Overrun by unwanted types of birds and not by the type
you want to enjoy?

-The main way to control which species use your feeders is by the
design of the feeder and the type of food. Remember that whatever
you do to limit access of unwanted birds also can affect others that
you want to attract. With that in mind, first stop letting any seed fall
on the ground. This is an open invitation to starlings and grackles.
Then, try a hopper feeder with a weighted perch that closes the hopper
when something heavy lands on it. A tubular feeder from which you
shorten or even remove the perches will help deter starlings, grackles
and possibly house finches but will not affect chickadees, titmice and
nuthatches. You also can try offering different foods. Experiment with
safflower seed, for example, and be sure to offer suet.

Question: Are your Songbirds being preyed upon at your feeders by
Hawks and other birds of prey?

Hawks are exciting birds and an important part of the environment.
Sharp-shinned and Cooper's, two hawk species that prey on birds,
cannot repeatedly catch them at feeders because the feeder birds
become wary and abandon the locale. Hawks tend to come only once
in a while, maintaining their advantage of surprise. You can help your
feathered friends by adding some dense cover near your feeders where
the birds can hide.