As a passionate bird watcher, we often exert a lot of effort in providing our feathered friends with shelter, water, protection, and most of all, food to make them happy during their visit. However, it can be frustrating sometimes to see other unwanted animals eating all those foods we prepare for the birds. But what is irritating is that it usually happens when we are asleep, and no one can stop them from consuming all the bird seeds we prepare for the birds.
But what animals eat bird seeds at night? It can be annoying when we regularly fill up our bird feeders only to find out that it becomes empty when we wake up early in the morning. And what’s worst is that you know that these are not the birds that you have expected to eat all the foods you put in the bird feeders. In fact, many animals eat bird seeds at night, and we tackle most of them in this article.
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Animals That Eat Bird Seed at Night
Unfortunately, many animals can take over your bird feeders at night and consumed all the bird seeds you put in there. We take a look at some of them one by one while trying to help you deal with these unwanted animals.
Rodents
Rodents are considered the most prominent family of mammals, and some of them are responsible for eating all the bird seeds in the feeder during the night. I am talking about mice, rats, and squirrels which are under the rodents family, and most of them are opportunistic eaters. Meaning they can quickly adapt and eat what is available for them. So, once they notice the food in your feeders, expect them to be attracted to your backyard.
Unfortunately, mice and rats eat the same food as the birds as they usually consume seeds and grains. Most of them can also eat whatever is left on the feeder, even those wasted and thrown on the ground. That is why it is essential to prevent the bird seeds from falling to the ground, and there are many ways to do it. If not, you will be obligated to clean your ground every day to prevent these unwanted animals from invading your backyard at night time.
For squirrels, they are one of the most opportunistic eaters animals that can invade your backyard. Particularly, they like to eat bird seeds such as corn and black oil sunflower seeds. So, to prevent them or at least control their visits, you can change the seeds with safflower seeds and similar spicy seeds because it has been well-documented that squirrels hate these types of bird seeds. You can also use weight-activated feeders, which will open only to birds.
Raccoons
The best way to describe these animals in relation to the bird feeder and the seeds is that they will eat pretty much anything. So, if they happen to see your feeder with seeds, there is a big chance that they will visit your backyard and consumed all the food during the night. In addition, these animals are very crafty and excellent climbers who will find a way to get into the feeders even if you are building obstacles and protection to your bird feeders.
If raccoons are frequent visitors in your backyard during the night, you can use a thin pole for your bird feeder to make it difficult for them to climb on top. Eventually, they may still look for a way to climb, but at least they will be using so much energy in doing so and delayed their annoying habit. Another way is to limit the foods you put on the feeders during the night to discourage them from going back again if they find that the feeder is almost empty.
Opossums
As they are normally called, possums are nocturnal animals, and they usually visit your bird feeders if they see the opportunity to get some food. These animals are opportunistic eaters, which means they can be a nightmare should they find out the presence of a bird feeder in your backyard. They are also good climbers and have the strength to take over your feed until it gets empty.
The most practical way to control the visit of these animals is to limit the bird seeds you put during the night. You can even take your feeders at night inside your house to prevent these animals from finishing all the bird foods. You can also try to use a large-pole-shaped baffle instead of the traditional cone-shaped feeders.
Chipmunks
Chipmunks are not only found in movies because they can also invade your backyard during the night to empty your bird feeder. These animals are also cute similar to squirrels, but they can be annoying when they invade your bird feeder and eat all the seeds inside. Apart from squirrels, the chipmunks are also the common bird feeder bandits, especially during wintertime when they search for food.
You can prevent these animals from visiting your bird feeder by installing your feeder with tall and smooth poles to prevent them from climbing. You can also add a baffle below the bird feeder to make them slip off before they can reach the top of their destination.
Bears
The bears are literally a big problem, especially if they invade your backyard to feed in your bird feeder. This huge animal will just do anything, including damaging your bird feeder, ripping it apart until he will get what he wants, which is the food. Due to the conservation efforts in the country, more and more bears are wandering in many populated areas, and your place can be their destination. Black bears are the usual bird species that invade bird feeders as they also eat grass, roots, and fish.
It can be difficult to deter these animals, but removing the bird feeders in your backyard is the most effective way, which means no more bird watching. However, if you have the resources, installing a huge electrical fence can be the most effective way to prevent these huge animals from invading your property.
Conclusion
It is expected that when having a bird feeder in your backyard, it will not only be birds who will visit the structure to look for food. Other animals will try to invade the feeder without you knowing it, especially at night. But what animals eat bird seed at night? Many of them such as rodents, raccoons, opossums, chipmunks, and even bears. It is essential to know how to deal with these unwanted animals and prevent them from coming to the feeder station as a birder. Doing this action will maximize the benefits that the birds will get once they visit your backyard.