Specially blended to nourish wild birds while deterring squirrels and other nuisance backyard critters. Features capsaicin (natural chili pepper oil) to repel mammals like squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks and mice.
Birds don’t have the same taste buds as mammals, meaning that they cannot detect the heat of capsaicin-treated seed products on the market and there have been no reports of it posing any risk to feeder birds.
Contents
Sunflower Seeds & Chips
Sunflower chips are a favorite among seed eating birds and provide energy and protein that birds crave. In addition, sunflower chips reduce waste under feeders as the hulls do not remain behind as is often the case with black oil sunflower seeds.
Hulled sunflower kernels tend to spoil more quickly than shelled seeds, making them suitable for environments with sufficient protection from moisture and high temperatures. Furthermore, hulled seeds may be more expensive.
Sunflower hearts are an easy, no-waste way to attract an array of bird species. Sunflower hearts provide both fats and proteins essential for cardinals, chickadees, grosbeaks, goldfinches, nuthatches, titmice and sparrows alike – as well as being suitable for solo use or addition to mixes – often used by cardinals, chickadees, grosbeaks, goldfinches nuthatches titmice titmice titmice titmice or sparrows respectively. Shelled seeds make ideal additions to hopper platform or tube feeders but should also come equipped with baffles so squirrels do not gain access.
Peanuts
Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are legumes belonging to the family Fabaceae, related to beans, lentils and peas. A major crop in tropical regions, peanuts can be dry-roasted to produce peanut butter; boiled into nut-like boiled peanuts; or pressed into oil for production.
In the US, large commercial peanut production relies on Valencia varieties. These plants feature coarse foliage with heavy reddish stems; most often they’re used to make boiled peanuts.
Nut-eating birds commonly cache peanuts for later use, especially jays which can store as many as 1,000 nuts each season in their burrows. Caching helps your feeder birds avoid competition from squirrels while providing your bird sanctuary from them!
People of most generations enjoy eating peanuts both with and without shells. Unfortunately, however, 0.6%[28] of the US population have severe allergies that require them to avoid this food, so any products which contain peanuts or are produced at facilities which also process peanuts must carry warnings on the packaging.
Safflower
Safflower is an annual winter/spring bloomer that closely resembles thistles in terms of growth rate and structure. It boasts a branch-laden main stem 30 to 150 cm (12 to 59 inches), producing globular flower heads composed of yellow, orange or red petals enclosed by spiny bracts that produce yellow-orange or red petals and enclosed in spiny bracts for flower production.
Flowers used to produce safflower seed oil were once popular as an inexpensive substitute for saffron in early Spanish colonies along the Rio Grande, as well as traditional recipes prior to cheaper synthetic dyes becoming widely available. Safflower oil contains vitamins E and linoleic acid which have been linked with helping prevent hardening of arteries as well as lower cholesterol.
Safflower seed attracts an assortment of birds including cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, nuthatches, grosbeaks and finches (House Purple). Furthermore, it is one of the only seeds not consumed by squirrels and grackles! Safflower is an ideal addition to any bird feeder and can be purchased in most home improvement, feed and pet stores – and also leaves no messy shells under its feeder like sunflower husks do – making cleanup much simpler!
Hot Pepper
Hot peppers not only add an exciting twist to meals, they’re also packed with nutrition. Packed with vitamins A and C as well as folate and magnesium – and capsaicin – which may provide pain relief – hot peppers offer plenty of nutritional benefits!
Hot pepper plants have become emblematic of America’s evolving love affair with spicy food, while providing sustenance to birds as food sources.
These plants produce golf ball-sized peppers with smoky flavors and milder heat than Jalapenos, yet still deliver plenty of heat. Furthermore, they’re simple to grow and overwinter in containers.
St. Augustine, Florida’s official pepper variety is beloved among gardeners for its fruity heat (200,000-300,000 SHU) and delightful flavor. An adaptable plant, it thrives well in containers while yielding generous harvests.
