Discouraging Predators From Raiding Your Birdhouses and Bird Feeders

Discouraging Predators From Raiding Your Birdhouses and Bird Feeders
By Matthew A. Boreau

If you are going to install bird feeders and birdhouses, the last thing you need is for either of them to be occupied or otherwise used by animals other than birds. Use these tips to ensure that only birds use your bird feeders and birdhouses.

Birds will stay wild, but other animals can begin to lose their wildness and associate humans with sources of food. This is not good for either the animals or you. Animals that approach human habitation looking for food are more likely to kill pets, attack humans, or get killed themselves for getting too close to humans. So it is in your and the animals best interests to keep them from raiding your bird feeders and birdhouses.

The first thing to know is that neither bird feeders nor birdhouses should be mounted in trees. Trees are too easy to climb. Instead, mount them on poles. And make sure that they are not directly under tree branches, such that an animal could climb the tree and then jump onto the birdhouse or bird feeder.

Next, install predator guards on the poles. These are baffles that prevent animals from climbing up the poles. Imagine drilling a hole in a garbage can lid, and then mounting it about 3 feet above the ground on the pole. Critters could climb up the pole, but the garbage can lid would stop them. You can, in fact make a baffle type predator guard using a garbage can lid. Or you can buy a baffle that is designed for that purpose.

For birdhouses, you need to have an additional predator guard on the opening to the bird feeder. The opening should be lined in metal. This is to prevent squirrels or woodpeckers from enlarging the hole so that they can fit inside. This is important, because birds choose birdhouses based on the size of the opening, among other features. If the opening is too large, then they won't use the birdhouse.

Once you have put in place protective measures to keep other creatures out, then you can enjoy the birds.

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