How to Avoid Suet Robbers
Suet is a year round product many of us enjoy feeding to attract woodpeckers, nuthatches, and other birds of the tree trunk zone. Once considered a wintertime feed, it has been proven these birds will feed on more suet during the spring and summer than all winter long. Woodpeckers will even bring their young for a treat of this high protein food once they have left the nest. But all to often the suet seems to attract unwanted guests. I would consider Starlings to be the number one pest, capable of consuming an entire suet cake in a short period of time. Occasionally squirrels will be attracted to suets if it contains one of their favorite treats, peanuts. I have never had a problem with Grackles, not to say if the suet is easily accessible that these loathed birds would not take the opportunity to raid the feeder. But it is the Starling that predates on our suet offerings the most, especially in recent weeks when they were busily feeding their young. They don’t seem to be as big a problem at the moment as they prefer to forage for grubs in well manicured lawns, or scavenge for scraps at the local fast food dumpster. And don’t encourage Starlings to flock to your yard by throwing out bread, popcorn, and other scraps. These products are like putting out the welcome mat for these non-native scroungers.
Upside-down suet feeders work well to discourage Starlings,
or at least make it more challenging for them to get at the suet. Unlike woodpeckers, these birds have a difficult time clinging, and as such, these feeders will help to eliminate them for the most part.
But when all else fails, there are several suet feeders that will prevent them from raiding the suet all together. Suet which is protected by a cage is very accessible to woodpeckers and the birds we want to attract, but are impossible for Starlings, squirrels, and Grackles to get at. And the upside-down suet log has received rave reviews from customers that use them.
Upside-down suet feeders work well to discourage Starlings,
or at least make it more challenging for them to get at the suet. Unlike woodpeckers, these birds have a difficult time clinging, and as such, these feeders will help to eliminate them for the most part.
But when all else fails, there are several suet feeders that will prevent them from raiding the suet all together. Suet which is protected by a cage is very accessible to woodpeckers and the birds we want to attract, but are impossible for Starlings, squirrels, and Grackles to get at. And the upside-down suet log has received rave reviews from customers that use them.