Fw: Suet cakes and racoons, crows, etc.

["Don Patterson" <donp@yancey.main.nc.us>]

The Duncraft birds and nature catalogue www.duncraft.com has a wooden feeder
with a wire bottom that works well I have had trouble especially with
raccoons and crows eating a cake a day or more if you put it out.  the top
part is hinged and you can place up to 3 suet cakes in the feeder sells for
27.95.  I occasionally have bears but I don't think it would be bear proof
unless it was some where they couldn't reach it.  It would be easy to build.

Don Patterson

----- Original Message -----
From: Russ Palmeri <rpalmeri@mindspring.com>
To: Carolina Birds <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2001 7:34 PM
Subject: Suet cakes and racoons, crows, etc.


> Our suet cake has been attacked by various woodland and avian creatures,
so
> this is our system....
>
> We nail the suet cake holder to a board, then suspend the board
horizontally
> from a tree branch with stout wire so the cake is upside down (that is the
> board is up, the side with the suet holder is horizontal to the ground...
> like this....
>
> -------------------------------------
> board
> --------------------------------------
>       -- holder   bottom         ---------
>                    suet cake
>     -- holder     top          --------
>
> We put the suet cake inside, but leave it in the plastic holder, just
> removing the wrapper. We wire the suet holder closed with snap holders
> available from Lowe's, or you can wire it shut with stout wire.
>
> So.... the crows can't get at the suet because they can't feed upside
down,
> and can't eat it from the sides because the plastic wrapper the suet comes
> in protects it.
> The racoon can't take the suet out of the holder, nor can he (she?)
abscond
> with the entire suet holder.
>
> This method was learned at the expense of a lot of suet, and not a few
suet
> holders.
>
> Russ Palmeri
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Daughtry" <cbirds@coastalnet.com>
> To: "Carolina Birds" <carolinabirds@duke.edu>
> Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2001 6:29 PM
> Subject: Summer tanager at suet cake
>
>
> > It was less than one year ago that I learned about the suet cakes with
> > hot peppers to discourage racoons and squirrels.  I have enjoyed Downy
> > Woodpeckers, Pine Warblers, Y. rumped warblers and C. Wrens at the cake
> > since then.  Today, the local male Summer Tanager has started eating the
> > suet.  How did we live so long without a suet cake?
> >     The only caveat is that a racoon will tear down everything to get to
> > a suet cake until he has had a taste of the hot peppers.
> >
> > John Daughtry
> > Greenville, NC
> > cbirds@coastalnet.com
> >
> >