Hi everyone. I hope you are all doing well and are healthy. I am beginning to get my mojo back. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel; at least I hope that’s what I see. Even though we have had 30-degree daytime temps and snow almost every day this week. I am chomping at the bit for Spring gardening.
In the last post, I told you about a new birdseed package I ordered online. The company promotion stated it was no-mess birdseed; meaning it would not dirty up the patio or are in which you hung your feeder. Like many of you, I have feeders on my deck and tire of having to sweep off the remnants of the birds’ feed sessions two or three times a day from my deck.
I have used one seed mix for weeks now and thought I would post to you my honest findings on the product.
If you look at the packaging, the bag actually says zero waste, not the word no mess, although the search words were no mess. The website description goes on the say”With no hulls and no fillers, including corn or millet, it’s designed to prevent any seed growth under your feeder and give you the cleanest feeding experience available in your outdoor living areas. “ See HERE
I ordered mine from Chewy.com but there were multiple sites when I search for “no mess” birdseed.
I ordered two types a nut and fruit bag and a patio deck product. I used the nut and fruit first and that is what is in the feeder I show you below.
As you can see from these photos below the list of ingredients stays hulled seed but obviously some seed hulls or pods remain on certain seed as there is a scattering of seed hulls on my decking.
Sunflower Kernels, Peanuts, Sunflower Seed, Safflower Seed, Pistachios, Hulled Pumpkin Seed, Dried Raisins, Dried Cranberries,
And the photo below has hulls on the ground below the feeder
The next bag formulation is called Deck and Patio
The listed ingredients are the same as the nut and fruit but without the fruit: raisins and cranberries. So I would expect the same amount of seed hulls. Ingredients are: Sunflower Kernels, Peanuts, Pistachios, Hulled Pumpkin Seed.
The website describes the feed as the “cleanest feeding experience ever” but in reality, there is some mess. I guess there is no way to avoid sweeping that deck- maybe just not as often.
In conclusion, I found a relatively clean birdseed mix but still have not located a true no -mess bird seed mix. However. In Ireland we did find something called sunflower bits, the hulls were gone and they were chipped into bits. I will look for them, as I can attest there is no mess from this hulled seed if that is all you give them. But I see Chewy has them and label them as sunflower CHIPS. I’ll try then on my next trip.
Sunflowers seeds are favored by finches, chickadees, nuthatches, grosbeaks, cardinals, jays and even some species of woodpeckers. I love these birds, especially the cardinals. I have a mated pair that have come to the feeder for years and raise their brood nearby, but I would like more. The only trouble is the starlings, blue jays, crows, and grackles love them too!! Not the mention the squirrels.
How are your bird feeders progressing? I must get out the hummingbird feeders and give them a good clen. They are suppose to be here by now but we have had too much snow and cold I think.
Take good care everyone. Share how you are holding up
Dara
