PROBLEM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Is there a way to keep ants from oriole and hummingbird feeders?
Try wiping a couple of drops of mineral oil on the pole up to the feeder. Between the hanger and the top of the feeder, add a water moat to stop the ants from getting to the feeder itself.
Bee guards on my hummingbird feeders haven't stopped the bees.
Possibly there is a leak in one or more of the hummingbird feeders. Or, the distance from the bee guard to the nectar isn't far enough to prevent bees' tongues to reach it. Somewhere the sweet stuff is getting out to where it's accessible to the insects.
How can bees be kept out of birdhouses?
Once bees occupy a birdhouse, there is nothing to do except carefully take it down and destroy any nests that may have been built. Be sure to wait until after dark, when the bees are not active. Thoroughly clean the birdhouse with soap and water, rinse completely and let dry before putting it up in a different location. Do not spray with insecticides, which can be harmful to birds.
Covering the Birdy Booty
From the believe-it-or-not department, there is a report in Kiplinger's Report, June 2002, that the outdoors could have been made safe and sanitary with bird diapers, U.S. Patent No. 2,882,858, filed in April 21, 1959. The patent-seeker, Bertha A. Dlugi from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, went so far as submitting drawings of her invention (above), but apparently never was able to figure out how to get the diapers on the birds. Forty years later, however, another patent was issued for a bird diaper that claims to "safely" catch droppings away from birds by forming a "poop pouch." But this one is meant for pet birds in cages, not birds in the backyard.
William Riggs noticed that grackles nesting nearby used his pond to dispose of what looked like droppings that they had cleaned out from the nests.
In this case, the nestlings needed the diapers. Adult birds keep the nest clean by removing the excrement of their young. Feces from newly hatched birds are enclosed in a tough membrane called fecal sacs. Most adults instinctively remove them when they visit the nest to feed the young. Either they eat the sacs or carry them away as they leave.
Can crows be prevented from feeding in my yard?
Crows not only are scavengers, they're smart and adaptable. That's one reason that even a short-perch feeder is not crow proof. There are feeders designed with a sort of birdcage mesh surrounding them. These permit smaller birds to fly through to reach the seed, but barricade the seed from larger birds. Another style feeder is a counter weighted hopper that allows you to set the bar for the size birds you wish to feed.
How do I keep hawks from attacking songbirds?
As part of the natural world, hawks must eat and small birds are part of their diet. It can be hard to witness a hawk attack, but it also is a thrilling exhibition by one of Mother Nature's most adept creatures. You can't keep them away, but if you take down your feeders for a while, songbirds will forage elsewhere. When the hawks can't find a meal in your yard, they will leave to find their prey elsewhere.
UpSideDown feeders?
The original intent of the upside-down tubular Nyjer™ feeder was to make more room for goldfinches by discouraging house finches. House finches are less adept at eating with their heads lower than their feet. Apparently the black-capped chickadee wasn't a consideration, but the little acrobat sure does a fine job of clinging to a perch above the feeding portal.
Do you know of any way to discourage magpies?
Magpies can be tough customers. Like crows and ravens they have a taste for songbirds and their nestlings. But they aren't all bad. Most of their diet is insects and they eat millions of grasshoppers every season. They're also great mouse catchers. The use of pest-proof feeders may help discourage them from visiting your yard. If they can't find food, they will move on.
How do I keep pigeons away from bird feeders?
Pigeons are scavengers, to say nothing of being opportunists. Make it impossible, or at least difficult, for them to get food and they probably will move on to greener pastures. Start by removing perches and/or trays from any tubular feeders so the pigeons have nothing to stand on. Then rake up debris under the feeders to eliminate food on the ground. If you're using a seed mix, switch to Nyjer™ seed for goldfinches and black oil sunflower and safflower for other songbirds. Corn and millet, two ingredients found in most mixes, are pigeon favorites.
Which birds eat mosquitoes?
Purple martins have a reputation for being big mosquito eaters, but in fact they feed on many different insects. In the eastern half of North America, they nest in man-made birdhouses consisting of individual compartments. Consult with the staff at your local Wild Bird Center store to learn how you can become a Purple Martin Landlord.
How do I keep raccoons from eating out of the birdfeeder?
Raccoons are devilishly clever, besides being acrobatic. Try putting a stovepipe baffle available from your local wild Bird Center store around the feeder pole, or a dome-shaped baffle over the top if it is a hanging feeder. In some situations, you may have to taking down the feeder at night and re-hanging it in the morning.
The neighbors think my bird feeder attracts rats.
A single bird feeder cannot provide enough sustenance for rats to survive. It is as likely that garbage cans or dumpsters, pet food dishes left outdoors and school lunch bags abandoned by children are behind rats' interest in your neighborhood. Be sure to keep the ground beneath your feeders raked free of discarded seeds and hulls. By keeping your feeding area clean, there is little for scavengers to eat and, of necessity, they will go elsewhere to find food. If your feeding area is kept clean and you use a good quality birdseed in a feeder designed for the birds that frequent your area, you're making a worthwhile contribution to the quality of the environment around you. Consult with the staff at your local Wild Bird Center store for feeder and seed options.
How can snakes be prevented from getting in nest boxes?
Predator guards are available that can be added to a pole beneath nest boxes. The longer the snake, the wider the baffle must be!
Is there a way to slow down sparrows at my feeders?
Feeders designed within a cage work well to accommodate smaller birds, but in some cases that also will include sparrows. Try using black oil sunflower seed. While some sparrows will eat it, it's not as popular with sparrows as millet. Also try using suet. Keep in mind that you don't always have to keep full feeders available 24 hours a day. Put out just a small amount of seed in the early morning and again just before sundown. If the sparrows don't find rations at all times of the day, perhaps they will go elsewhere.
How can we eliminate male sparrows from our property?
If you have English house sparrows, which are not a protected species in this country, the law permits you to remove any nests they build and even destroy eggs or babies. But you must understand that wildlife live by their own rules and are not governed by human sense of right and wrong. When one species attacks another, it's all part of territory defense and survival.
Consider Safflower: Loved by Cardinals, Not by Squirrels
Like many other of the seeds that some 60 million North Americans put out for backyard songbirds, safflower existed long before this popular pastime came into vogue. One of humanity's oldest crops, safflower seeds were found in the 4,000-year-old tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs. Up until perhaps 10 years ago, safflower primarily was grown for its oil. It was crushed and turned into an edible oil for human consumption. Safflower also is used for dyes, coloring and medicinal purposes around the world. Much is exported to Japan from crush facilities in California. Safflower is a "western" seed, grown in the U.S. primarily in Arizona, California, Montana, western North Dakota and Utah. Crops normally are planted in April or May and harvested in late summer in the West, September in the North. It all depends on the weather. Seeds take from 110 to 140 days to mature, and are harvested using a small combine. Safflower plants grow in rows, from 15 to 30 inches high, depending on growing conditions. Walking among the yellow-orange "safflowers" is not recommended. It's like being in a field of purple-colored thistle; the spines on the plants are tough enough to rip your jeans. It has a taproot that goes some 8 to 10 feet deep, making safflower ideal for growing in areas with little surface moisture. Each branch has one to five heads that contain 15 to 20 seeds each. The multi-sided seed has a hard shell. Bright white safflower seeds are showing up in more and more backyard bird feeders. It also is in feed for members of the parrot family, pigeons and small pets. It is found in mixes as well as a single ingredient in 3-, 5- or 25-pound bags. The domestic market is estimated at more than 55 million pounds a year, triple what it was only five years ago. Its use in food for birds may double again in the next 5 or 10 years. From the point of view of those who feed birds around their homes, safflower has two big pluses. First, it ranks right up with black oil sunflower as a favorite of the Northern cardinal. And second, because of its bitter taste, safflower may be close to the bottom of the preferred food list of the eastern gray squirrel. If you haven't considered the virtues of safflower in your wild bird-feeding program, this could be the time to start.
How can I stop woodpeckers from pecking on my house?
First, check whether the woodpeckers are actually making nest holes or if they're simply looking for bugs. Have someone inspect the site where the pecking takes place. If it's bugs, you may need a professional to spray. If the birds are trying to nest, covering their efforts with screen or siding or shingles may deter them or placing a nest box nearby may be more attractive than your house.