I keep trying things to keep the deer from eating the birdseed. We don't have any place high to hang the feeders and the deer come by and slurp it all up.
Deer eating from my favorite feeder - it is flat - and they use it as a plate. I've tried a variety of feeders since I took this one down - each promising that they are THE deer proof one. HA - I say - HA!!!Usually takes two days - but whenever there is fresh seed the deer come back and eat it all up. I miss having more birds because the deer are always eating the seeds.
I thought that a mesh cover (bought onions in this red mesh bag) would allow the birds to feed - but keep the deer out - and it did keep the deer out - but it also kept the birds out. Drat!!!
The deer only eat the seed out of the bottom of this feeder - so I decided to hot glue some thumbtacks to the outside of the feeder - poke their little deer noses and make them stop eating the seeds.
I didn't burn my fingers - but it took a long time to get all the thumbtacks stuck to the feeder.
All done - a space left for the birds to get their seeds. . .
Well, needless to say - that sure didn't work - not in the least. They must have the toughest noses in the world. They bump and push right against the feeder and slurp the seeds out of the bottom of the feeder - leaving my little birds to scavange on the ground for a few seeds.
We do get some birds on the window feeder - it is up so high the deer can't possibly reach it - and yesterday there was a flicker eating from the window feeder. He was hanging on for dear life but he got some seeds.
This is the view from my computer - the feeder is on the window - about three feet from me - a great view.
I took a lot of pictures - hoping to get one or two good ones - I was surprised at how long the flicker stayed - he didn't even flinch when I used the flash.
So I guess I'll have to resort to the bad smelly stuff to keep the deer away - I've tried soap - they just lick the bag I put the soap in - I've tried the mesh - and the thumbtacks - nothing seems to deter them. I like having the deer in the yard - I just want to have birds and deer. I'll even get apples to feed the deer - if they will stay away from the seeds -but that doesn't seem to make any difference either.
Well, needless to say - that sure didn't work - not in the least. They must have the toughest noses in the world. They bump and push right against the feeder and slurp the seeds out of the bottom of the feeder - leaving my little birds to scavange on the ground for a few seeds.
We do get some birds on the window feeder - it is up so high the deer can't possibly reach it - and yesterday there was a flicker eating from the window feeder. He was hanging on for dear life but he got some seeds.
This is the view from my computer - the feeder is on the window - about three feet from me - a great view.
I took a lot of pictures - hoping to get one or two good ones - I was surprised at how long the flicker stayed - he didn't even flinch when I used the flash.
So I guess I'll have to resort to the bad smelly stuff to keep the deer away - I've tried soap - they just lick the bag I put the soap in - I've tried the mesh - and the thumbtacks - nothing seems to deter them. I like having the deer in the yard - I just want to have birds and deer. I'll even get apples to feed the deer - if they will stay away from the seeds -but that doesn't seem to make any difference either.
9 comments:
I have our 2nd story hummingbird feeders on a pulley system. You might try that around the soffits of your house? Someone has to get up on a ladder the first time, to put the eye hook in for the pulley rope but after that it is all done standing on the ground just running the pulley up and down.
Sharyn/KalamaQuilts
We buy big bags of deer chow, and they stay way from the feeder, well until the chow is gone!
in my mom's yard we resorted to fencing off an area in the late fall and placing the feeders in there...
I would love to have deer grazing in my yard - that said I would probably feel different about it if they did. The only thing of interest we ever get near the house are wild turkeys and they are no fun to look at!!
:)
We put up a little fence to keep our Terrier i the yard. Last week a deer jumped over it (to get to my daylillies which are only about 6 inches high right now.) Mac thought the deer was another dog to play with - he ran over and rolled onto his back.The deer did two loops around the yard then over the fence. Poor Mac was so disappointed! (But my daylillies are safe!)
How wonderful, I`d love to have deer in my garden, send em over to me! I know what you mean though, its a shame when they cant share it. Loved the pictures of the flicker, is that like a woodpecker?
It is a woodpecker - a very large and vocal one. We have one or two regulars - I've never seen them in flocks. They are such pretty birds.
I like Sharyn's pulley idea. We had a feeder on a pulley and it worked really well.
Have you tried cayenne pepper?
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