There’s a mess under my feeder!

Is there a mess under your seed feeder? Don't despair!

Is there a mess under your seed feeder?  Here are some possible reasons why, and what to do about it:

1.  If you’ve got seed collecting underneath your feeder, you may be seeing waste caused by the seed mix you’re using.  Birds rifle through seed mixes like a bad party guest at the mixed nuts bowl!  They drop what they don’t want in search of what they do want.  And just about every seed-eating bird wants black oil sunflower seed!  Switch to one seed type per feeder and you’ll probably see a lot less seed on the ground.  The ideal set-up is a black oil sunflower feeder at a moderate height, plus a ground feeder offering the same sunflower seed plus a little millet and cracked corn.  (You may want to have a separate tubular nyjer feeder if you’re after American Goldfinches.)

2.  If you’ve made the switch to one seed type per feeder, and are still working too hard to clean your seed area, adding seed-catching tray underneath the feeder might help.  We offer wood, plastic, and heavy-duty recycled plastic lumber trays. 

3.  If the mess underneath your feeder are hulls, not seeds, there’s still a way to reduce cleanup.  Try seeds with the hulls removed!  Sunflower chips are sunflower seeds minus the hulls, so there’s nothing but food in your feeder.  It’s fantastic for keeping your birdfeeding area clean and neat!