![]() |
![]() |
#1 | ||
Fox
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wisconsin
|
![]()
A couple of weeks ago I accidentally bought some bird suet that contained hot pepper. I picked up 4 - 5 blocks of regular suet and didn't notice that 1 block containing hot pepper had been mixed into the stack.
I don't use suet with hot pepper because I have very little problem with squirrels. Baffles and spacing have taken care of the few problems I've had. But I'm not one for throwing things away and it didn't seem worth the trip to return the hot pepper suet. So I decided to conduct a simple experiment. I've read that it doesn't affect the birds and that it is effective at dealing with squirrels. I cut the block of suet containing red pepper in half and 1 block of the regular suet in half. These halves were placed side by side in the suet holder. The results were apparent almost immediately. The birds (3 species of woodpecker, 2 species of nuthatches, and an occasional blue jay and chickadee) avoided the suet with hot pepper. After a few days the regular suet was gone and the hot pepper suet had only a few peck marks. Once the regular suet was gone the birds stopped coming to the suet feeder. I repeated the experiment with the two remaining halves of suet and got the same results. The two blocks of suet were the same brand with the same nutritional analysis and same primary ingredients except for the hot pepper. After a little research I found this on capsaicin and birds: Quote:
And this: Quote:
I'm beginning to think that hot pepper in bird food may be just another poorly thought out marketing scheme.
__________________
. Age is a biological fact. Old is a state of mind. I will age, but I refuse to get old. |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Great Horned Owl
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Northeastern MA
|
![]()
My African Grey parrot has been eating pet food store seeds from multiple companies for years and prefers those mixes that contain hot peppers over the mixes that lack them. Indeed, most of the mixes contain hot peppers, leading me to believe that at least parrots actually prefer hot peppered seed.
__________________
"Know thyself." Oracle at Delphi |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Heron
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Michigan/detroit
|
![]()
You also risk getting Capsaican on your hands. Then the possibility that rubbing your eyes and you could be in real trouble.
It sounds like the wild birds avoid it too. Why even have something around that's irritating.
__________________
Prairie Plants ![]() First year they sleep ![]() Second year they creep ![]() Third year they leap; So plant some today ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 | |
WG Prize & Gift Coordinator
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
|
![]() Quote:
![]()
__________________
The successful woman is the woman that had the chance and took it! A walk among the elusive Whitetail Deer |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Tags |
birds, capsaicin, feeding, hot, hot pepper, hot pepper suet, pepper, squirrels, suet |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|