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Re: Non-avian Suet Feeders



A variation on a theme....

I find my hummingbird feeder totally empty in the morning several times a
week.  I am certain that the feeder was full as darkness falls; at dawn the
feeder is dry.

The feeder hangs from a pole which also support morning glory vines.  THe
vines are undisturbed and show no sign of racoon, possum, squirrel trauma.

Any suggestions on the culprit(s)?

cheers

Jack McLain
Durham, NC

-----Original Message-----
From: BILL HILTON JR. (Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History)
<hilton@hiltonpond.org>
To: Randy Dunson <rdunson@interpath.com>; CAROLINA BIRDS
<carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Date: Sunday, June 18, 2000 11:29 AM
Subject: Re: Non-avian Suet Feeders


>RANDY . . .
>
>Putting out suet and then trying to repel things that come to it
>seems to be a contradiction in terms. :-)
>
>I suspect the nocturnal culprits at your suet feeders are Raccoons
>and/or Opossums, both of which are strong enough to drag feeders some
>distance. Like Gray Squirrels, all Raccoons are born with Ph.D.'s in
>engineering, so they are pretty good at outwitting us hapless humans.
>
>Perhaps the best way to make the feeders less accessible to mammals
>is to hang them from a plastic clothesline strung between poles or
>trees. If squirrels begin to walk the clothesline, you can hang a
>flopping plastic disk above each feeder to help keep these arboreal
>rodents away.
>
>
>Cheers,
>
>BILL
>
>
>
>
>>Over the past two weeks, I've had unknown creatures eating the suet from
my
>>two squirrel-proof suet feeders during the night, all of the suet!  At
first
>>we thought it may be deer, but decided against that as a couple of times
the
>>feeders were pulled down and dragged varying distances.  We tied them to
the
>>tree supports and whatever the animal is, simply devoured the suet anyway.
>>Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be doing this, raccoons,
>>opossum, etc.?  What can we do to try and repel them?  Thanks.
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Randy Dunson
>>Hillsborough  NC
>
>--
>**********
>
>BILL HILTON JR., "The Piedmont Naturalist"
>Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
>1432 DeVinney Road
>York, South Carolina 29745
>USA
>
>e-mail: <hilton@hiltonpond.org>
>
>Voice: (803) 684-5852
>
>eFax: (503) 218-0845
>
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>tax-deductible. Please visit our websites:
>
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>
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>
>
>"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to
>watch the sunset."
>
> BHjr.
>
>**********
>