GARDENERS have been urged to mix a cheap kitchen staple into their bird feed over winter to stop wildlife pests stealing the food.
With the colder weather and frozen ground, small birds including robins and starlings can struggle to keep their energy up over the festive season.
So in winter, they need to rely more heavily on bird feeders and food being left out for them.
The Royal Horticultural Society says: “Garden birds, in particular, benefit from feeding year-round, but winter is a time to provide foodstuffs with a high-fat content to help keep them warm.
“Feed regularly so that birds will not waste vital energy visiting your garden when there is no food.”
But squirrels and rats often beat the birds to the easy food source.
To help, the RSPB has a spicy answer to your problem.
Chilli powder is a safe and effective way of ensuring that only the intended recipients of bird seed get the food.
The bird experts suggest that gardeners dust a small amount of the pungent powder over seed and suet mixes in feeders and on tables as it will deter thieving squirrels whilst not affecting birds’ feeding habits.
Lloyd Scott, RSPB Wildlife Adviser says: “Using chilli powder to deter squirrels, is a cheap, easy and effective solution.
“Feeding garden birds is a popular – and vital – pastime in the UK and the RSPB gets thousands of calls each year from frustrated gardeners asking how to stop squirrels eating all their bird seed.
“Squirrels can consume large amounts of peanuts and seeds and quite frequently destroy bird feeders in the process.
“Chilli powder will stop them helping themselves but doesn’t seem to have any effect on birds at all.
“This is much simpler than erecting barriers and trying to prevent access to feeders for squirrels – they are nimble, clever animals and will usually find a way in anyway!”
With a jar of chilli powder costing as little as 75p in Aldi, it works out as a very cost-effective solution.
Make sure seed mixes are thoroughly coated but not hidden in the powder, pop it all in a bag and shake it up.
Other deterrents you may have sitting in your kitchen cupboard include curry powder, Tabasco, peri peri sauce, red pepper and Cayenne pepper.
And keen gardeners have already seen the benefits of the spicy tip.
One said: “I’ve been using paprika for the last couple of years and it seems to work quite well.”
A second wrote: “I was a bit dubious but I definitely saw one washing its mouth out several times after going near to the now spicy suet pellets that I put out.
“As for the birds, they didn’t seem that interested but they did eventually start eating it.”
Meanwhile, a third added: “It definitely works for me. It may not work for everyone (a hungry squirrel is a determined squirrel) and you may have a bit of trial and error to get the ratios of chilli to feed right but it’s got to be worth a shot.”
