Raccoons often visit bird feeders, which can be frustrating for those hoping to attract only birds. These intelligent and adaptable mammals are indeed drawn to bird seed, viewing it as a convenient and energy-rich food source. Understanding their habits and implementing preventative measures can help protect feeders from these nocturnal animals.
Do Raccoons Eat Bird Seed?
Raccoons readily consume bird seed, which serves as a highly attractive food source for them. Bird seed, especially high-calorie varieties like sunflower seeds, provides an easily accessible meal. As opportunistic feeders, they seek out available sustenance, and a bird feeder offers a concentrated, dependable supply. Raccoons are primarily nocturnal, often visiting feeders under the cover of darkness. Their nimble paws allow them to manipulate feeders and access their contents, making them adept at raiding these stations.
Typical Raccoon Diet
Raccoons are omnivores with a diverse and flexible diet, consuming both plant and animal matter. In their natural habitats, they forage for fruits, berries, nuts, insects, small mammals, and bird eggs. This adaptability allows them to thrive in various environments, from forests to urban areas. In residential settings, raccoons often supplement their diet by scavenging from human sources like trash cans, pet food, and bird feeders.
Keeping Raccoons Away from Bird Feeders
Protecting bird feeders from raccoons involves strategies involving feeder placement, type, and maintenance. One effective method is to bring feeders indoors at night, as raccoons are most active after dark. If not feasible, rationing seed so feeders are empty by dusk can deter them.
Feeder placement is important for deterrence. Feeders should be positioned at least 10 feet away from structures they can climb or jump from. Mounting feeders on poles with a diameter of less than half an inch can make them difficult for raccoons to climb. Installing a raccoon baffle on the pole is also recommended; these are larger and should be placed at least 4 feet off the ground to prevent raccoons from reaching or bypassing them.
Choosing raccoon-proof feeder designs can also be beneficial. Some feeders are weight-sensitive, closing access when a heavier animal like a raccoon attempts to feed, while others are caged to restrict entry. Metal feeders are more resistant to chewing than plastic ones.
Keeping the area beneath feeders clean by regularly sweeping up spilled seeds removes a food source. Using seed-catching trays can help contain spills.
Beyond feeders, securing other food sources in the yard, such as trash cans with tight-fitting lids and bringing pet food indoors, makes the environment less appealing.
While some repellents exist, their effectiveness can be limited, as raccoons are intelligent and may become accustomed to them. However, bird seed treated with capsaicin (hot pepper extract) can deter mammals without affecting birds, who lack the heat receptors that mammals possess. Combining several methods offers the most successful approach.