To end your pest problem, sprinkle these common 11 kitchen ingredients around your bird feeder

Having feathered guests appreciate your hospitality is one of the benefits of having a bird feeder in your yard. But trouble ensues when animals and insects come to enjoy it. Fortunately, there are some everyday kitchen items that can act as repellents to keep the nasty intruders away from the birds’ dinner.

You can use repellents that animals don’t like to repel insects without endangering their health or poisoning them. Compared to birds, intruders that feed on bird feeders such as rats, mice, squirrels, and raccoons have an extremely acute sense of smell. Because of this, you can repel them by using scents they don’t like, such as vinegar, peppermint, and essential oils.

Additionally, areas treated with hot and spicy ingredients such as chili powder and capsaicin found in cayenne pepper—will repel intruders. They prefer to run away from the area as the chemicals hurt their eyes and nose. See how using these and other everyday kitchen items can help ensure your garden birds are forage-free without the hassle of intruding mammals or insects.

The Pesky Animals Hate Cayenne And Black Pepper

Make the environment as unpleasant as possible for squirrels, mice, raccoons, and other varmints near the feeder to discourage them from eating the seeds and the allowance you make for the birds. Fortunately, insects have very sensitive noses, but birds do not. In this situation, pepper can be used as an insect repellent that keeps the animals away without endangering them. The birds, meanwhile, are largely unaware of your efforts.

You can sprinkle black pepper or cayenne pepper on the ground to keep animals away from your bird feeder; However, avoid doing this directly on bird seed. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in cayenne pepper and chili peppers. If you don’t prefer to use pepper, you can purchase liquid or powdered capsaicin and sprinkle it on bird feeders.

Since pepper or capsaicin can blow away in the wind or wash away after a rainstorm, reapply frequently. Note that some professional gardeners advise against using red peppers, such as cayenne pepper, in your yard. Even when pets or animals are not harmful, they does cause temporary burning pain in the eyes and nasal passages when animals dig in the dirt where capsaicin or cayenne pepper has been applied.

Try These Recipes For A DIY Wildlife Repellent Spray

Instead of using hot and spicy spices, you can choose to spray the area around your bird feeder to repel animal pests. Both the City of Brighton, Colorado and Center Wildlife Care provide simple techniques for making DIY sprays using inexpensive kitchen ingredients. This mixture repels varmints without permanent damage, thus providing a humane solution to animal problems. Birds, whose sense of smell is weak, will continue to visit the feeders, while animal pests with a strong sense of smell will avoid them.

First, put two quarts of water in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, chop a jalapeño pepper and a whole yellow onion. Stir after adding 1 teaspoon of red pepper in water. After boiling for 20 minutes, let the mixture cool. Remove the onion and pepper pieces from the water by straining through cheesecloth or a sieve.

The liquid should then be transferred to a spray bottle or garden sprayer. For a period of two weeks, sprinkle the area around your bird feeder daily to prevent animal pests. After that, you can reapply the spray occasionally—especially after a heavy rain.

Peppermint And Peppermint Oil Will Deter Rodents

Peppermint is one of the scents that repels animal pests. Peppermint repels squirrels, chipmunks, mice, rats and raccoons. The easiest type of peppermint to put near the feeder is the essential oil. It’s important to remember that using peppermint oil to deter bird seed looters from feeders can also deter birds themselves. This is why you should not put peppermint oil directly on the food your birds are eating.

You can spray peppermint oil mixed with water around your bird feeders. To apply liquid repellants, simply fill a spray bottle with water, add four to five drops of peppermint oil and a little rubbing alcohol. Saturate the area. One option is to soak cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them next to the bird feeder. For example, 1 teaspoon of peppermint oil, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce mixed with 2 cups of cold water can be successfully completed by soaking cotton balls.

To discourage intruders, spread soaked cotton balls around the bird feeder. You may need to reapply the peppermint spray or clean with a cotton swab Balls once a day or once a week to retain a strong scent that repels those stubborn bird-seed scavengers. It is especially important to treat the environment after the rain has washed away the scent of peppermint.

Citrus Peels Deter Cats From Hanging Around

Stray cats are a problem around bird feeders. They prey on birds that come for a feast, even if those birds are not meant to eat seed. That’s why you want to discourage cats from going to bird feeders. You can add the scent of lemons, oranges, and other citrus fruits to humanely repel cats. Cats are easily offended by the scent of citrus fruits because they are harmful to them.

If you eat citrus fruits or drink fresh juice, it’s easy to throw citrus peels on and around bird feeders in your yard. Alternatively, you can prepare a homemade repellent spray to get rid of cats. Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and add dried rosemary and bottled lemon juice. After shaking the container to mix the contents, wash your bird’s feeding area with the mixture. Cats will avoid DIY sprays because they don’t like the smell of lemon, rosemary and white vinegar.

Animal Pests Tend To Avoid Cinnamon Around Bird Feeders

Even though we can mix cinnamon in our lattes or sprinkle it on our cereal, animals don’t like the smell of cinnamon. Cinnamaldehyde, a naturally occurring flavonoid from plants of the genus Cinnamomum, is the active ingredient. This gives cinnamon the pleasant aroma and taste that people love. On the other hand, it is a compound that repels raccoons, dogs, cats, cockroaches and mosquitoes. Cinnamon, especially when powdered, repels bird-eating intruders due to the unpleasant sensation it causes in their nasal passages.

The easiest way to use cinnamon to repel animal pests is to sprinkle the powder on all feeders. However, it is best to avoid putting it directly on birdseed as birds may also find it irritating. Not only does the smell of cinnamon annoy animal pests, it also obscures the delicious aromas of food that attract animals to the feed. Remember that adding a little cinnamon to your landscape is only a temporary solution. The seasoning needs to be reapplied daily or every few days, especially when it’s windy or wet outside.

Castor Oil Is Safe For Humans And Pets, But Pesky Intruders Detest It

Castor oil was once widely used as a stimulant laxative for those with upset stomachs. Castor oil is used not only for therapeutic purposes but also as a lubricant for unwanted animals in residential settings. The oil produced and processed from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant is disliked by them because of its taste and smell. It is a compassionate therapy that does no harm to the animals, only ridding them of their foul taste and obscene stench.

Applying castor oil to the ground around your bird feeders is as easy as spraying the liquid mixture there. Mix eight ounces of castor oil and eight ounces of liquid dish soap in one gallon of water. Once fully combined, transfer the liquid to a garden sprayer. To keep animal pests at bay, cover the area around your bird feeder completely with this mixture. For pet dogs and children, the therapy is safe and non-toxic. Reapply the castor oil mixture occasionally, especially after rain.

Deposit Your Coffee Grounds Around The Bird Feeder To Keep Pests At Bay

If you enjoy a cup of joe in the morning, coffee grounds are probably disposed of daily. Why not use reasons to discourage rodents from using your bird feeder as a source of deterrent instead of discarding them? Animals and insects do not like the smell of coffee grounds because of the acidity. To keep cats and squirrels away, spread used soil around feeders. Coffee grounds act as a repellent for ants, bees, and wasps that are attracted to the sweet nectar of the hummingbird feeders you place in your yard.

You need to use coffee grounds, not whole beans, as a preservative. If you’re a bird lover but not a coffee drinker, you can ask your friendly neighbor or your neighborhood barista to donate their spent land. Avoid putting coffee grounds in feeders or directly on bird seed. For birds, the caffeine in coffee is toxic. This puts your feathered friends at risk of heart attacks and heart problems. If you want to sprinkle coffee grounds on bird feeders, you will often have to shut off the supply, especially if rain dissolves the coffee grounds into the soil.

The Scents Of Some Essential Oils Will Keep Animals Away From Your Bird Feeders

In an effort to feed the birds and fend off animal intruders, you find a kinder way to drive away certain animal species by baiting others. A practical way to maintain this delicate balance is to use essential oils. Adding offensive or irritating odors discourages rodents and other animal pests from congregating at bird feeding sites. Fortunately, birds do not like the scent of most essential oils because, compared to other animals, they have a very limited sense of smell.

Not only are squirrels, mice, rats, raccoons and cats repulsed by the scent of peppermint oil, but birds are also repulsed by it. That is why it is preferable to apply peppermint oil on the ground around the feeder, where the birds land. Use 16 ounces of water and 20 drops of peppermint essential oil to create a spray that you can use to cover the area around your bird feeder.

Small animal intruders will avoid the scent of eucalyptus oil in addition to peppermint oil. Along with the scents of eucalyptus and peppermint, citronella, lavender and lemongrass oils, these are all avoided by cats. To repel insects, dilute any essential oil with water and use it as a spray. As an alternative, you can be saturated cotton balls or pieces of cloth with the essential oils and place them in the vicinity of your bird feeders. Replenish the oils on a regular basis as the scents will dissipate.

Cotton Balls Soaked In White Vinegar Serve As A Pest Repellent

The scent of white vinegar around your bird feeder, a common kitchen essential, can keep unwanted animals out of your yard and away from them. It causes distress and distress to the animals. It is a liquid containing 5% acetic acid that is often used for cleaning. This is why many animals find the smell of white vinegar repulsive.

One of the easiest ways to use white vinegar as a rat, mouse, squirrel and cat repellant is to mist the area around your bird feeder with a mild solution. Fill a spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and water, then add a teaspoon of table salt. Give the mixture a good shake to mix well, then spray the area liberally.

It is important to know that spraying white vinegar on your plants can damage them. Because of this, you may want to use cotton balls to introduce the repellent to the area where you feed the birds. Simply pour some white vinegar into a small basin and leave until cotton balls form.

Sprinkle Garlic Around Your Bird Feeder To Drive Away Insects And Rodents

Allicin is a volatile organic sulfur chemical released when garlic cloves are crushed. This chemical gives garlic a pungent smell, so you should surround your bird feeder with garlic. Anthers and flies, including possums, mice, rats, and raccoons, avoid places that smell like garlic. They are overcome by strong odors and feel disgusting.

You can mix two teaspoons of freshly pressed garlic with one liter (or one quart) of water to make a garlic spray for the area around your bird feeder. After letting it sit overnight, transfer the liquid to a garden sprayer or spray bottle. Another option is to fill mesh bags with fresh garlic and hang them on nearby trees and plants with feeders. Garlic oil is another powerful form of this repellent.

You can soak cotton balls in garlic oil and scatter them over bird feeders or mix them with water to make a spray. Be sure to replant the garlic when the fragrance fades or is washed away by rain.

Epsom Salt Has Some Anecdotal Evidence As A Pest Repellent

Epsom salt is not the same as table salt despite its name. Although Epsom salt is not commonly used in cooking, many people have it in their homes. When mixed with bath water, it has a calming effect that relieves muscle tension and pain. Epsom salt repels some small animals, which is proof that it can help you solve your bird feeder pest problem. McGill University scientists have discovered that raccoons get away with Epsom salts.

Additionally, pest control experts recommend using these common household items to repel mice, rats, and squirrels. Magnesium sulfate is a chemical compound containing magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen that is used to make Epsom salt. This chemical has a pungent taste that repels animals even though it has no smell.

Despite its name, table salt and Epsom salt are not the same. Many people keep Epsom salt in their homes, although it is not often used in cooking. Its soothing properties when mixed with bath water help relieve muscle pain and tension. Some small critters are repelled by Epsom salts, evidence that it can help get rid of pests around your bird feeder. McGill University scientists have found that raccoons use Epsom salts as a defense mechanism.

To deter mice, rats, and squirrels, pest control professionals recommend using these everyday household items. Epsom salt is composed of a chemical compound called magnesium sulfate, which contains magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. Although odorless, this chemical has a strong taste that repels animals.

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