Pests and Bird Feeders

More Than Just Birds Dine On Bird Feeders

Setting up bird feeders can be a relaxing experience that brings nature closer to your doorstep. With 73% of Americans engaging in this hobby, it is a common pastime in North America. Birds probably won’t be the only wildlife taking part in this activity. Many pest animals take advantage of this food source. Here is a list of the most common offenders and what you can do to reduce the chances of them ruining your view or worse.

Most Common Pests Bird Feeders Attract

1. Squirrels

   Squirrels and bird feeders. Name a more iconic duo. Jokes aside, these acrobatic rodents are known for wreaking havoc on feeders. They not only gorge themselves in the process, but they spill seeds on the ground, which creates an opportunity for other pests to get a meal. There are countless sources out on the internet about how to squirrel-proof your feeder. But using a live trap to capture the squirrels is one of your better options.

   Use a wire screen cage-style box trap (such as the Kage-All^® Small Animal Trap). They are the most appropriate live capture and release trap for squirrels. Wire-screen cage-style traps are more durable than those made of sheet metal.

   For best results, traps should be pre-baited with bird seed for several days with the doors secured in an open position; when the bait is readily taken, the traps can be reset and baited. Set traps with bait are the most widely accepted way to capture these pests and make it relatively easier to catch nuisance squirrels than unbaited traps.

2. Mice and Rats

   Just like with squirrels, bird seed from a feeder is the perfect meal for mice and rats. Bird feeders can quickly become an issue because mice and rats can not only get to the seed, but can bring seed inside a home if they have access. Since these animals are hoarders, the stored seed can result in more pest issues inside the house, such as ants, beetles, and other insects.

   Aside from cleaning up any feed spills, you can implement a preventative trapping strategy for mice by using live traps such as the Kness Ketch-All^®, Pro-Ketch^®, and Pro-Ketch Junior. For rats, you can set up the Big Snap-E^® Rat Trap with a specialized cover to ensure the target pest is captured.

3. Ants

   If you love to feed hummingbirds, ants love that you do too. The sugary nectar water you use to attract hummingbirds can bring unwanted ants into your backyard and living areas. Preventing tips include checking the hummingbird feeder for leaks and looking out for ant activity on the feeder. For other deterrents, you should consider getting an ant bait station such as the Kness Ants-No-More^®. This bait station armed with ant bait can be placed around where you have the feeder, and the ants can take the bait and carry it back to the nest.

4. Raccoons, Opossums, and Skunks

   Small opportunistic animals, such as raccoons, opossums, and skunks, will pounce on an easy meal like spilled bird feeder seed. For this type of pest prevention, you must keep an eye on any feed spillage and clean up the excess. If one of these visitors frequents the bird feeder buffet, you can attempt to remove them with a live trap such as the Kness Kage-All Small Animal Trap–baiting the trap with bird seed.

5. Deer

   Some of the largest visitors to your bird feeder would be deer. As herbivores, they’ll eat seeds. Even though these animals most likely won’t be invading your home (although if you search the internet, there are videos of deer breaking down doors), they can damage trees and gardens if you have them. To minimize the likelihood of this happening, you should make sure that any spilled seed from bird feeders is cleaned up as best as possible.

6. Snakes

   Snakes on a bird feeder? Well, not exactly. As mentioned before, the seed from bird feeders is a food source for mice and rats. The unintended consequence of this is that snakes prey on mice and rats. While it might seem like one pest problem then would take care of another; snake infestations can lead to the animal taking shelter in places that you don’t want them in, such as gardens, outdoor equipment storage, and even your home. To avoid this possibility, we would suggest utilizing a preventative rodent trapping strategy, as mentioned above.

Overall, the more interest your bird feeders get from non-avian animals, the greater likelihood you are to have more wildlife. We hope that some of these pest tips can help you have a more enjoyable bird-feeding experience. You can find more helpful pest tips and solutions on Kness.com/Pest-Control-Center.