Ok so my mom has this bird feeder up and these birds are messsssssssssyyyyyyy eatters. And that putting it lightly. I went out today and planted skullcap , mandavilla(?) and mossroses out there and there were seeds sprouting everywhere. I put heavy mulch over the ground under the feeder. Will this help with the seeds not to sprout? If not what can I do? Thanks Pinkie
Try putting some black plastic under the bird feeder and then putting down the mulch. You would be able to change out the mulch if it got to messy just by rolling up the plastic and pouring it on the compost or in a trash bag. dooley
Yup. The mulch will eventually break down enough that the seeds will begin to sprout in the mulch but they don't sprout as much and they pull out easily.
Change your birdseed to one that creates a flower you want to have. The most common seed in bags of birdseed will grow in mulch, it grows rapidly and even tho it will easy to pull up from the mulch it is still a pain to deal with and ugly. I changed first to Black Oil Sunflower seeds, at least the ones the birds drop will grow into flowers. But the squirrels liked it too much and became a problem. Now I only feed them Safflower seeds....a little more expensive so I don't refill the feeder very often during the summer. But squirrels and black birds do not like it, the smaller birds do and what they scatter on the round the Doves will usually pick up. What doesn't get eaten will sprout and become Safflowers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safflower, an acceptable garden plant.
Birds are just messy...you can try the no waste mix but I think you still might have problems. I have blocks under my bird feeding pergola. Some makers nuke the nyger seed so it doesn't sprout. I still get sprouts all over the whole area but I just pull them out because I enjoy watching the birds....you can't enjoy the birds without the mess........now I have blackbirds that eat safflower so it all depends on where you live and how hungry the birds are. Make sure you keep your feeding area clean. It is not good to have rotting seed all over for the birds....and all of the bird feeders should be cleaned often so the birds don't get sick....and always wash your hands after you take care of them...I hope this helps you but with birds you have to want to take care of all the mess that comes along with them...
place an old window screen under the feeder and you can shake it off anytime. Nuke bird seed about 1 mimute per pound. let it cool before filling feeder. As mentioned, Nyjer is heat treated before it can be sold (foriegn product)to kill of germination and any cooties it may contain. Birds can be messy. Ron
