How can I avoid bees at my hummingbird
feeder?
Bees are usually a problem only in hot
weather. It's inevitable that bees will
visit your hummingbird feeder. Little
plastic bee guards may help keep them from
getting nectar, but it won't stop them from
trying. Don't take the chance of
contaminating your nectar by putting
vegetable oil around the feeding portals.
The safest solution is to add a few small
feeders away from where people are likely to
be bothered by bees.
How do I keep the squirrels off of my bird
feeders?
Baffling your feeders (preventing squirrels
from gaining access to the feeders) is the
best way. Feeders can be strung from a thin
wire, far from any object from which the
squirrels can leap. String the wire with
empty 35mm film canisters (lids on) which
will spin and dump the squirrels off. There
are many squirrel-proof feeders on the
market. These may give the squirrels a small
electric shock, may prevent them from
reaching the seed, or may rotate or bounce
to dump the squirrels off. But be
forewarned. Squirrels have been known to
outsmart the most ingenious of the
squirrel-proof inventions.
What can I do to protect the birds in my
yard from cats?
Hang feeders at least five feet above the
ground. For ground-feeding birds, arrange
ornamental border fencing in two or three
concentric circles about 16 inches to two
feet apart, to disrupt a cat's ability to
leap at feeders or to spring on birds.
Harass offending cats with a spray of water
to train them to avoid your yard. If all
else fails, use a live trap to catch the
cats and take them to the local animal
shelter. If the cats belong to your
neighbors, ask them to restrain their pets
from accessing your yard.
How do I prevent snakes
from getting into my bird houses?
Diatomaceous
Earth is very effective in deterring snakes
as well as other pest from coming near your
bird house - or even your own home.
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is odorless and
nontoxic and is EPA approved and registered
for use against indoor and outdoor crawling
insects, including cockroaches, ants,
bedbugs, fleas, boxelder bugs, carpet
beetles, centipedes, crickets, earwigs,
grasshoppers, ticks, millipedes, scorpions,
slugs, and silverfish. For use in cracks,
crevices, hiding and running areas, under
and behind appliances, and wall and floor
surfaces.
DE is composed
of finely milled fossilized shells of
minuscule organisms called diatoms. The
microscopically fine, sharp edges desiccate
insects' exoskeleton upon contact and the
pests dehydrate and die within hours. The
insects also die when they eat the dust.
