Summertime tips

FREEZE BERRIES FOR WINTER. Before you see the last of affordable blueberries or blackberries this season, try freezing some for the winter. Birds that appreciate a wintertime fruit snack include Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Cedar Waxwings, House Finches and Tufted Titmice. 

So you don't confuse the birds' treats with your own, use the same method as you would if you were planning to freeze the berries for the dinner table. Wash the berries, let them dry thoroughly on a cookie sheet and place the cookie sheet in the freezer. Let the berries freeze overnight. Then place the berries in plastic bags. With this method, the berries won't clump when frozen. You'll be able to dole them to birds a little at a time.

USE A SUMMER SEED MIX. Birds have different dietary requirements during different seasons. A good summertime seed mix consists of a high percentage of black-oil sunflower seeds, then a lesser percentage of white millet and safflower. Round it out with striped sunflower or shelled peanuts. We have several mixes that fit that bill. These include Backyard Medley, Ultimate Blend (which includes dried cherries as well) and Backyard Best.

KEEP SUET FRESH. A beef-based suet can melt or even spoil in the hot summer sun if the birds don't eat it right away. Try placing your suet feeder in the shade if you plan to use rendered beef fat suet. If you store suet, it's a good idea to refrigerate it until it's time to fill the feeder.

During the summer The Bird House switches mostly to "No Melt" cakes. (There are a few exceptions because customers sometimes do prefer offering rendered beef fat to birds.) The no-melt cakes are meant for year-round use. They cakes carry the label "Dough" or "Never Melt."

SPRUCE UP YOUR FEEDER. Unless you offer a shell-free or hull-free food, you're bound to have debris beneath your feeders some of which may sprout. You can keep your lawn or garden cleaner—and healthier for birds—by removing the sprouts, the hulls or shells, and spreading a layer of mulch. You'll find that in the future, any uneaten seed that sprouts will be easier to remove. You can also use a piece of indoor/outdoor carpet which catches the shells and can make clean up easier.

Another option is to relocate your feeders periodically before any debris can build up. Moving feeders around is an important consideration if you fill your feeders with black  oil sunflower seed. The hulls that accumulate on the ground in a thick layer can become toxic to the lawn. You may find it difficult for grass seed to sprout in the future.