It’s a fact: birds are rather messy eaters. They drop seeds as they peck and forage for their favourite foods. They also often discard unwanted and spoiled seeds the ground, creating a significant mess beneath their feeding areas. If squirrels raid your bird feeders to get their piece of the pie, they’ll likely scatter seeds everywhere, creating an even bigger mess.
Seeds scattered on the ground can benefit multiple species: they feed ground-feeding birds like juncos and mourning doves, while also providing supplementary nutrition for chipmunks and squirrels. Based on personal experience, if racoons get involved, they may turn your lawn or terrace into their latrine. Even worse, as my neighbour discovered, rats might also invade and cause significant damage.
Fortunately, there are solutions
For those with spacious backyards, consider installing bird feeders on raised stands at the far end of your property. To minimize ground mess and deter unwanted wildlife, equip your bird feeders with large seed catchers and squirrel-proof devices.
In small outdoor spaces like gardens, terraces, or balconies, damage caused by birds and squirrels can be particularly bothersome due to the limited area. It’s also difficult to keep squirrels at bay.
So what’s the best way to feed birds without making a mess? After much trial and error, I’ve discovered three bird feeders that effectively attract a variety of birds while minimizing waste.
1. Squirrel Baffling Bird Feeders
Moore Birdfeeders, a small family business in Chatsworth, Ontario, offers their squirrel-baffling feeder in four versions: window-mounted ($115), suspended ($140), fence-mounted ($179), and ground-anchored ($220).
All four versions employ the same clever design: the seeds are positioned in the center of the feeder, sandwiched between two internal compartments shielded by a brass grid. This grid permits only small birds and the heads of larger birds to pass through, ensuring the seeds remain secure. While you can store food in the internal compartments, if you have many squirrels in the area, it’s better to leave them empty. This way, they can act as internal deflectors and seed catchers. Another option is to use only seeds that squirrels tend to dislike in these internal compartments, such as nyjer or safflower seeds. This is the approach I’m currently employing.
There’s another compartment on either side of the grid. While you could put food in them, I leave them empty to prevent messes on the ground and deter squirrels. I use these side compartments as external seed catchers.
Here’s another tip. You can use shelled sunflower seeds in the center compartment to minimize waste. In winter, you can also place grease balls for birds.
These high-quality feeders may come at a cost, but they’re built to last. Constructed from durable glass and brass, they can withstand the elements. Another advantage is their ease of cleaning, despite featuring multiple compartments. The glass components can be washed in a basin of hot, soapy water or even in the dishwasher.
Had I discovered this feeder sooner, I likely would have saved hundreds of dollars on feeders and accessories.
The pros of this feeder
- Food protected from squirrels
- No mess on the ground
- Materials are not affected by the elements
- Easy-to-clean feeder
- Hand-made, this feeder is beautiful to look at.
The cons of this feeder
- High Price: While the feeder is expensive, the quality and ingenuity of the product justify the cost.
- Fragility: While glass is durable in terms of its longevity, it requires extra care to avoid breaking it if dropped.
- Seed Protection: The seeds are not well protected from the elements, so it’s advisable to place the feeder under an awning or similar shelter on rainy days.
- Bird Preferences: Some bird species, such as cardinals, may avoid using the feeder if you only utilize the center compartment.
2. The window perch from Moore Birdfeeders
Here’s another ingenious concept from Moore Birdfeeders. This is a small perch with a ring that is attached to a window using a suction cup. Because it’s so small, it can easily be placed at a safe distance from squirrels.
What’s more, in the ring you can choose to put food that leaves little mess on the ground: half an orange or apple, or a small dish with crunchy peanut butter, for example. It’s also very easy to replace the food, which isn’t always the case with window feeders. Versatile, this brass perch retails for $13.
When used with fruit, puncture the fruit with toothpicks under the ring to prevent the fruit from falling out.
3. Aspects Mini High View hummingbird feeder
Hummingbird feeders filled with sugar water are another good option for mess-free bird feeding. That said, hummingbird feeders often leak, attracting ants. That’s why I love the Aspects Mini High View feeder: not only does it have a built-in ant guard, but it’s a saucer feeder, which means it doesn’t leak like inverted bottle feeders.
What’s more, as the hummingbirds sit above the feeder to drink the nectar, they are easy to observe. This model can also be easily disassembled, simplifying the cleaning required to prevent mildew and nectar fermentation.
Its reservoir is limited to one cup, but as hummingbird feeders need to be cleaned every two to five days (depending on the temperature), I don’t see this as a negative aspect, on the contrary: it’s more of a reminder to change the sugar water frequently.
Tip: Don’t buy nectar at the store! Simply bring a cup of water to the boil and dissolve 1/4 cup sugar
In a nutshell
It’s perfectly possible to feed birds without making a mess. The Moore Birdfeeders Squirrel Baffling feeder is perfect for preventing squirrels and birds from scattering seeds on the ground. The Moore Birdfeeders window perch lets you offer seedless foods such as oranges, apples and peanut butter. Finally, the Aspects Mini High View hummingbird feeder gives hummingbirds a source of nectar without creating a mess. By using these feeders, you can enjoy the birds in your garden while keeping your space clean and pleasant.