Feeding birds is a rewarding way to support local wildlife and enjoy regular visitors to your garden, but many people hesitate to put food out as it can attract unwanted pests. Squirrels and rats are known to steal from bird feeders at night, and once rodents discover an easy source of food, it can be very difficult to stop them returning to the garden.
However, you do not have to stop leaving out food for birds, as the expert at Beaky Bites has shared there is a natural way to keep rodents away from items already in your kitchen. They said: “Adding cayenne pepper to bird food is a great way to ensure your feeders remain bird-friendly. Capsaicin, the active compound in cayenne pepper, repels mammals like squirrels, raccoons and other unwanted visitors from raiding bird feeders.”
Birds cannot taste capsaicin, the compound that makes cayenne peppers spicy, and it will not harm them in any way if it is coated on their birdfeeder food.
In fact, cayenne peppers are actually quite good for birds as they are rich in vitamin C, which greatly helps their immune system, so they are less likely to fall ill in winter.
However, rodents have very sensitive noses, which means when they eat cayenne peppers, it will sting them and startle them enough that they are unlikely to go near your birdfeeder again.
Using spicy foods is the most natural way to keep rodents and squirrels away, as it can lead them to be more wary of foraging in the area and deter them from your garden.
How to keep squirrels and rats away from birdfeeders
All you need to do is sprinkle some cayenne pepper powder on top of some suet balls, then place them in your feeder.
Alternatively, you can also chop up a cayenne pepper and mix it into the bird food if you would prefer.
Reapply cayenne pepper after it rains to help ensure your bird feeder continues to keep rats and squirrels out of your garden.
It should be noted that only a small amount of cayenne pepper is needed for it to work. Do not use chilli sprays or spicy liquids, as these can irritate an animal’s eyes and cause unnecessary harm.
To make cayenne pepper as effective as possible, clear away any fallen seeds each day, as lingering smells can attract new rodents to the garden.
