A tough call with my new bird feeder nearly backfired

I had to choose between a big, fancy feeder with a huge seed capacity or a small, simple one that needed filling every other day. I went with the big one, thinking less work meant more time to watch birds. It held 5 pounds of seed and I set it up near my kitchen window. For the first week, it was great, but then I noticed fewer birds. Turns out, the seed at the bottom got damp and clumped together, and the birds stopped coming. I cleaned it out yesterday and saw mold starting to form. I should have picked the small feeder and just dealt with the refilling. Has anyone else had a problem with a big feeder like this? What's the best way to keep the seed dry?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_piper1mo ago

You said you should have picked the small feeder, but that's just giving up. The big feeder is clearly the better choice if you fix the real problem. The issue isn't the size, it's that you let the seed get wet. A big feeder with a proper roof or a weather guard would have solved this. You just bought the wrong model. Refilling a tiny one every other day is a hassle nobody needs.

river_bailey21mo ago

Yeah I saw a birding blog that said wet seed is the main cause of mold, so a good roof is key no matter the size.

robinc666d ago

Friend of mine had the exact same setup as you. Got a big tube feeder thinking less work, and within two weeks the bottom seed turned into a moldy brick. He learned the hard way, just like you. From what he told me, the real fix wasn't the size but adding a solid dome or roof over it. He stole one off a cheap suet feeder and rigged it on top. That and he stopped filling it to the top, only put in about 2 pounds at a time, which made the birds empty it faster before moisture got in. Also what @river_bailey2 said about a good roof is spot on, no matter what size you go with. He still uses that same big feeder, just does those two things now and hasn't had mold since. Your call to clean it out was the right move, just needed a better setup around it.