Suet is a compressed, high-energy food made from rendered animal fat, often mixed with ingredients like seeds, nuts, or dried fruit to create a calorie-dense cake for birds. The concentrated fat offers quick, easily digestible energy, which is essential for birds to maintain their body heat, especially during colder months when insects are scarce. Offering suet attracts a diverse range of birds, including woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees. This food provides the necessary fuel to support their high metabolic rates for activities like flight and nesting.
Choosing the Ideal Location
The placement of a suet feeder should balance bird safety with accessibility for viewing and refilling. A recommended height for installation is approximately five to six feet off the ground. This height deters ground-based predators like cats and raccoons while remaining comfortable for human maintenance. Birds feel more secure when a feeder is positioned near natural shelter, such as trees or shrubs, as this proximity provides a quick escape route from aerial predators.
Positioning a feeder too close to vegetation, however, can create a hiding spot for predators or a launch point for squirrels. A distance of ten to fifteen feet from dense cover is an effective compromise, offering safety without providing an ambush location. To prevent bird collisions, feeders should be situated either very close to a window (within three feet) or well beyond the danger zone (a minimum of thirty feet away). The close placement prevents birds from gaining enough speed to cause a fatal impact if they strike the glass.
In warmer climates, exposure to direct sunlight can cause the suet to soften or become rancid. Placing the feeder in an area that receives afternoon shade helps the suet maintain its firm consistency. Utilizing “no-melt” suet blends, which often incorporate cornmeal or vegetable shortening, is an additional measure to ensure the food remains safe and palatable.
Methods for Mounting and Attachment
Physical mounting requires hardware that ensures the feeder is secure, stable, and hangs freely. The attachment point must be strong enough to support the feeder’s weight, especially when multiple birds are actively feeding. Ensure the feeder hangs securely to prevent excessive swaying in the wind.
Mounting Options
One common method involves hanging the feeder from an existing tree limb using an S-hook or durable wire. When using a tree branch, ensure the attachment material is loose enough to avoid girdling the branch as the tree grows, which restricts the flow of nutrients.
For locations without suitable trees, dedicated metal feeder poles or shepherd’s hooks provide a stable, standalone option. These poles should be robust to prevent climbing and chewing by pests. Specialized brackets or clamps offer a third option, allowing the feeder to be attached directly to a deck railing or a wooden post.
For tree trunk installation, a suet cage can be mounted directly. Care must be taken to use hardware that does not penetrate the tree deeply to prevent damage and disease.
Deterring Pests Through Strategic Placement
The most effective strategy for deterring squirrels, raccoons, and other nuisance wildlife is to create an inescapable “baffle zone.” This requires placing the entire feeding station a minimum of ten feet away from any potential jump-off point, such as fences, railings, or tree trunks. Squirrels can leap horizontally up to ten feet, making this distance necessary for protection.
This defense is best achieved by mounting the suet feeder on a smooth, metal pole equipped with a baffle positioned beneath the feeder. A pole-mounted baffle, typically a cone or cylinder shape, should be installed at least four and a half to five feet above the ground to prevent squirrels from leaping over it. The baffle’s slick, wobbly surface prevents the animal from gaining traction and climbing the pole toward the suet.
If the feeder must be hung from a tree branch, suspend a large, dome-shaped baffle directly above the feeder. This baffle must be placed to ensure there is at least fifteen to eighteen inches of clearance on all sides, making it impossible for a squirrel to reach around the edges. Using suet cakes infused with capsaicin, derived from hot peppers, is another effective deterrent. Birds are unaffected by the compound, but it is highly irritating to mammals.