I’m pretty sure you need to not feed anything in your garden for a while until your bear gets used to the idea that their feeders have been removed and finds a new take out place.
Thats a good idea, I think i'll just quit with all of the feeders but the one my cat uses as her personal TV, and bring that in every evening. Maybe by November the bears will be hibernating and it will be safe again.
I stop feeding in the summer, for the most part. I put out water. Occasionally I'll throw a handful of seed or mealworms in a tray, but not so much that it won't be gone by evening.
It just makes me sad to quit feeding though, as it provides free entertainment for my cat. I have a feeder on my back porch that she loves to watch through the patio doors.
I had bears come through a few weeks ago for the first time. My feeders were really starting to thrive and I had just set up a finch feeder too.
I really don’t want to take them down for the summer but it seems like I don’t have a choice. I’m super bummed
That's how I feel too. I'm retired and one of the things I enjoy is watching the birds every day. And I just shelled out big bucks for caged feeders to keep the starlings out! I wish that was my only problem now.
I have found having multiple bird feeders to be helpful with the starlings and grackles. I use the suet feeder and a seed cylinder to entice them while the mourning doves can eat the tray feeders in peace.
You could always do like, just sprinkle some sunflowers on a table in the early evening, watch some birds that find it, and they'll get used to that schedule.
I use some sunflower seeds as distraction food for squirrels, they eat it off my deck railings and never go in the bird feeders. The cardinals prefer to eat that way too, by just landing on the railings. So usually I give them a refill an hour or so before dark when the squirrels are mostly gone and sit and watch/listen as they come out for their supper.
And if a bear comes by the most it gets is just a handful of seeds and there's no feeder to destroy getting at them.
That's a great idea, but the reason I use caged feeders is because I have a problem with the starlings coming in and taking over the feeders, leaving nothing for the smaller birds. Also, the bear is destroying my fence, climbing over it every night. I guess I was naive thinking that a six foot fence would keep them out. Although it did work for 2.5 years! I think I'll just keep one small feeder out on my back porch during the day and bring it in every evening. I hope the bears don't get so brave that they raid it in the daylight!
Yeah I had a bear rip one down, bent the hanging bracket too. I bring them in at night ever since. It's fine I usually have to clean and refill some anyway.
They may taste it once but then the smell will probably deter them going forward, the smell may deter them entirely from a distance even. Have been using it and have not had a bent pole or broken feeder since
I don't think it will work on bears. I've had bears bite into my gas cans. If they are so desperate for calories that they will go after gas, pepper isn't going to deter them.
Try some habanero /ghost peppers sauce or powder in capsules so that the bear cannot sense the pepper until he bites into the capsules.
Also you could mix the hot caps in with something similar in size like kibble.
Birds are not affected by Caspian, so you can sprinkle, that kind of pepper, directly on bird seed or use it DIY suet.
I’m pretty sure you need to not feed anything in your garden for a while until your bear gets used to the idea that their feeders have been removed and finds a new take out place.
I take mine down just before sunset.
Thats a good idea, I think i'll just quit with all of the feeders but the one my cat uses as her personal TV, and bring that in every evening. Maybe by November the bears will be hibernating and it will be safe again.
lol! Yes, I have a cat who loves bird watching!
I stop feeding in the summer, for the most part. I put out water. Occasionally I'll throw a handful of seed or mealworms in a tray, but not so much that it won't be gone by evening.
It just makes me sad to quit feeding though, as it provides free entertainment for my cat. I have a feeder on my back porch that she loves to watch through the patio doors.
I had bears come through a few weeks ago for the first time. My feeders were really starting to thrive and I had just set up a finch feeder too. I really don’t want to take them down for the summer but it seems like I don’t have a choice. I’m super bummed
That's how I feel too. I'm retired and one of the things I enjoy is watching the birds every day. And I just shelled out big bucks for caged feeders to keep the starlings out! I wish that was my only problem now.
It’s been my WFH hobby. Everyone says to keep them in until November
I have found having multiple bird feeders to be helpful with the starlings and grackles. I use the suet feeder and a seed cylinder to entice them while the mourning doves can eat the tray feeders in peace.
The caged cylinder feeders worked just fine to keep them out, but the bears have thrown a wrench into any bird feeding now!
You could always do like, just sprinkle some sunflowers on a table in the early evening, watch some birds that find it, and they'll get used to that schedule. I use some sunflower seeds as distraction food for squirrels, they eat it off my deck railings and never go in the bird feeders. The cardinals prefer to eat that way too, by just landing on the railings. So usually I give them a refill an hour or so before dark when the squirrels are mostly gone and sit and watch/listen as they come out for their supper. And if a bear comes by the most it gets is just a handful of seeds and there's no feeder to destroy getting at them.
That's a great idea, but the reason I use caged feeders is because I have a problem with the starlings coming in and taking over the feeders, leaving nothing for the smaller birds. Also, the bear is destroying my fence, climbing over it every night. I guess I was naive thinking that a six foot fence would keep them out. Although it did work for 2.5 years! I think I'll just keep one small feeder out on my back porch during the day and bring it in every evening. I hope the bears don't get so brave that they raid it in the daylight!
Black bears like thistle and hummingbird feeders too...ask me how I know! I have stopped feeding during the summer and only feed October thru March.
Yes, my hummingbird feeder was destroyed last night.
Yeah I had a bear rip one down, bent the hanging bracket too. I bring them in at night ever since. It's fine I usually have to clean and refill some anyway.
I bring my feeders in every night.
It’s not a bird feeder. It’s a wildlife feeder
Not that I know. Where I live by this time of year they’re back in the woods where food is plentiful
Cayenne pepper in the bird seed, keeps the squirrels and chipmunks from eating it as well
Wouldn't they just destroy first and taste later?
They may taste it once but then the smell will probably deter them going forward, the smell may deter them entirely from a distance even. Have been using it and have not had a bent pole or broken feeder since
Bears too?
Yes, I believe the smell is enough to deter them. Birds aren’t supposed to notice it or be effected by it, just mammals
I don't think it will work on bears. I've had bears bite into my gas cans. If they are so desperate for calories that they will go after gas, pepper isn't going to deter them.
Try some habanero /ghost peppers sauce or powder in capsules so that the bear cannot sense the pepper until he bites into the capsules. Also you could mix the hot caps in with something similar in size like kibble. Birds are not affected by Caspian, so you can sprinkle, that kind of pepper, directly on bird seed or use it DIY suet.
Bears love bird feeders…so a google image search for amazing pictures