The starlings ate all of the black oil sunflower seeds I spread out on the tree stump today in minutes. The small birds make them last all day. I uploaded a video of these greedy birds to my Instagram Story and saved it as a Highlight. Watch the video HERE. At this rate my 50 pounds of seeds won't last a month. I liked the shadow of the bird on the brick wall in this still photo. Starlings are not native to America. Read the history about how they arrived HERE. xo
For anyone who is bothered by mice and other rodents coming into the house because of the bird seed, please see this article written by a farmer who made up a recipe that works and does not harm any other wildlife. It has only two ingredients: packaged cornbread mix and baking soda.
Click HERE for the article & recipe.
10 comments:
You should consider safflower seeds for the bird feeder. I learned this trick at a bird feeder store. They do cost a bit more but you can find big bags of them at big box stores. Grackles and starlings don't like the taste!
Gary, THANK YOU SO MUCH. When this bag runs out I will certainly switch. The starling attach didn't last very long this morning. Guess they went to greener pastures with larger feeders. I don't think safflower seeds are widely promoted because this is the first I've heard of them. Will definitely investigate. Thanks again, Rosemary
I just love feeding the birds - but I gave up on Sunflower seeds long ago - I couldn't afford them!
I now use cracked corn I get at the Farmers Co-op. Fifty pound bags - I used to pay $13 a bag - now it's up to $25 or so . . but I gladly pay it because I adore all of the birds and squirrels (and whatever:) that show up! I sprinkle it around in various places - so fun:)
Gosh, starlings can be voracious eaters! Safflower seeds, as Gary suggested, are supposed to be a good solution. Sure hope they're available in your area, Rosemary. I haven't checked Amazon.
Karen -- I think my local Walmart has safflower seeds. Actually I don't think the starlings and grackles did that much damage to the supply of seeds in my tube. They are too large to fit on the perches and have to dive into the holes. I don't think I get them all winter so hopefully they are on their way somewhere else. I have a much larger feeder but will stick to this smaller one to conserve seeds. I am enjoying this front yard location because I can see the ground feeders too. I pulled all the vines out of my evergreens so my photos won't have a distracting background. Thanks for the suggestion of cracked corn. xo, Rosemary
Pam -- So far, so good with the sunflower seeds. Last year when I had the feeder overhanging my balcony I was spending a fortune on Shelled Sunflower Kernels. It was too messy now that I have power washed that flooring and I think I will enjoy the front yard feeding so much more. Feeding the birds is one of the pleasures of winter so I will continue no matter what! xo, Rosemary
OMG, there are masses of them! I stopped with the bird feeder because of the rats. ICK! Even though the feeder said it was rodent proof, they obviously did not check with the rodents first. They are just too smart. I've not yet found a rodent proof bird feeder. If you, or one of your readers knows of one, I would love to hear about it.
Lisa D. -- It's not the feeders that attract rodents. It's the birds slinging the seeds that land on the ground. I was hesitant to put up this feeder so close to my house because I once had a mouse problem and blamed it on the bird seed. I have my fingers crossed this doesn't happen again this year.
I found a recipe made from Jiffy Cornbread Mix and Baking Soda to get rid of mice and rats. I shall make a batch at the first sign of a mouse. Look at this article with recipe & video near the end. Link below:
https://homehacks.co/farmer-shares-recipe-rid-rats-mice/?utm_source=mh5&utm_medium=pinterest&utm_campaign=mh5
xo, Rosemary
How does this recipe effect rats and mice? I think I must have rats with Mensa cards because they actually crawled up the very skinny metal post that held the bird feeder. I even sprayed it with vegetable spray, thinking they would slip down in their attempts to crawl up, but no, that was not a deterrent!
Lisa D. -- I posted the recipe within the original post for others to read. Your rodents do not have the ability to burp or pass gas so the baking soda mixes with their internal juices and makes bubbles they cannot release. The farmer who invented this recipe made with Jiffy cornbread mix and baking soda said owls and other animals that consume them will not be harmed. You should make up a mixture and try it. Good luck, Rosemary
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