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Wednesday March 10, 2010
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We have the best !
$61.80 for 20 packages
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Only $3.09/pkg., shipped!
"...I love the feeder.
It's a handsome feeder and the results have been excellent."
[]
-W.B., New Jersey
"I love my feeder;
woodpeckers do as well!
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M.S., Iowa
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Woodpecker Feeder Tips
Woodpecker Feeder - SuccessTips
 Here
is everything you need to know about setting up and installing
your woodpecker feeder from
Woodpecker-Feeder.com.
We share tips on how to hang your feeder, where to hang your
feeder, how to fill the feeder with suet, and how to maintain
your woodpecker feeder. We also cover a variety of
things you want to know so you will have a successful and
enjoyable woodpecker feeding experience!
Installing Your Feeder
Hanging Methods. Your woodpecker feeder comes
fully assembled and ready to hang. You can use the
supplied hook for use with a pole/hanging arm system, you
can attach string, wire, or cable to the feeder for hanging,
or you can mount the feeder on a pole.
If you hang your feeder from a tree branch, be sure to use a
string, wire, or cable that allows the feeder to hang at
least 5-7 feet from the tree trunk and 4-5 feet down from
the branch.
The best hanging location is away from other feeders,
suspended on a wire or cable. This removes nearly all
starling "launch points," except for the top of the feeder,
itself. You can add a dome or cone-shaped baffle to the top of
your woodpecker feeder to keep starlings from launching off
the top of the feeder.
Squirrel Baffles. Since there are plenty of
squirrel preventive solutions on the market, we have not
made it part of the feeder itself. However, the best
squirrel baffle method we have seen is a cylindrical
metal tube, mounted on a free-standing pole away from
trees and other objects.
These are available for a 4x4 wooden post as well as for a
smaller diameter metal pole. If you use this type of
baffle, be sure that the pole is 8-10 feet from the nearest
tree branch, pole, or other structure that a squirrel could
launch from. Other baffles include plastic, curved
domes over top of the feeder (good for hanging feeders) and
metal cone baffles that can be attached to a post.
About Starlings. Our feeder design deters all
but the most persistent, intelligent, and creative
starlings.
[Disclaimer]
With our woodpecker feeder, there are no
places on the sides of the feeder for them to hang and the food ports are sized and
spaced such that starlings can usually do nothing more than briefly
flutter in front of the feeder and stab at the food.
Since they don't get much food with each effort, after four
or five attempts they move on to easier food options.
Should you encounter a smart starling who is hanging off the
top of the feeder to reach the top-most feeding port, just
don't fill that port and the starling usually leaves for
easier food sources. Also, it is possible that a
starling will be able to hang on to the feeder for a variety
of reasons, even so, the starling typically is not able to
eat all of the suet.
Alternate Food Sources. One way to keep squirrels and
even starlings less interested in your woodpecker feeder is
to give them an alternate food source. We sprinkle
corn kernels around the base of our feeder system for the
squirrels and they also spend quite a bit of time foraging
in the grass for seeds scattered by birds on the feeders.
You can also put out some inexpensive cake suet which may
fulfill starling's suet needs and make them less inclined to
investigate your woodpecker feeder. We use a variety
of suet delivery methods which keep starlings and other
birds busy and those birds don't really give much thought to
our woodpecker feeders.
Unfortunately, you can not make your bird feeder site
"starling-proof," but you certainly can make it
"starling-resistant." [Disclaimer]
We provide three different tube-type peanut feeders which
the starlings really like. Since it is impossible to
totally keep the starlings away from the feeder area, we at
least want them to work for their food and the peanut tube feeders
make them work for everything they get.
Starling Baffles. We have smart starlings and
have actually been training them over
the years as we have
been improving our design. If you happen to have a
very smart quick-learner starling, try a plastic dome over
the feeder. Wild Birds Unlimited sells a nice one made
of heavy grade plastic. (click photo for larger view) It's a little more work for
woodpeckers and other clinging birds, but they do figure out
and grow comfortable with it. Also, the plastic dome
keeps most "weather" off of the feeder and the suet and
feeder stay nice and dry. The feeder retains it's new
"look" much longer when protected from the weather.
"I'm ready to
order!"
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to top]
Filling Your Feeder
[The 'Pinch and
Roll' Method] [The
'Slice and Quarter' Method]
The 'Pinch and Roll'
Method
Using our recommended suet, you can easily fill your
woodpecker feeder. With our unique feeder designs,
there are either 16 or 32 separate feeding ports. Here is the
simple step-by-step process.
First pinch
off a small, marble-sized amount of suet and roll it into a
ball. The suet is not greasy at all and is easily
molded like clay or play dough.
NOTE: The suet can be refrigerated, but is best used
at room temperature!
Then, roll the ball out a bit like you would
dough. It only takes a slight bit of pressure and a
couple of seconds.
Next, insert the suet into the hole. Make sure the
suet is rolled out just thinly enough to easily slide into
the hole.
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to top]
Using your pinkie or index finger, press the
suet snugly into the hole. The suet will completely
fill the hole and a little suet might squirt out of the
edges for you to clean off. We also include a small
tool that helps you get the suet into the hole.
You should *not* pack the suet in real tightly,
but you do want to fill the hole completely. The hole
on the left is heavily filled, while the hole on the right
is more sparingly filled.
To initially interest and train your local woodpeckers, you
can slightly overfill the feeding ports to make it very easy
for woodpeckers to see the suet.
Once the woodpeckers are trained, if you find that starlings are fluttering about more than
you would like, you can fill each hole to maybe 1/4 inch
from the top, making it more difficult for the starlings to
see and eat.
The food
port is too small in diameter for the starling to clean out,
but woodpeckers have no problem at all in going the three
quarters to one inch
depth of the food ports to eat the suet.
Another tip is to start out by keeping the holes filled
while your woodpeckers become trained to use the feeder.
Once trained, they will actually move around the feeder,
checking all the food ports for suet.
If your woodpecker feeder is
close to what we call "starling launch points," you can opt to *not* fill the holes facing the
feeder pole itself. If you have a starling that has
figured out how to hang over from the top of your feeder to
reach a little of the top-most feeding port, just don't fill
those holes. This still leaves plenty of feeding
holes for your woodpeckers to enjoy.
"I'm ready to
order!"
The 'Slice and
Quarter' Method
This method was suggested by one of our customers and here
are the steps:
Use a knife to cut approximately 1/4 inch slices of suet off
of the suet log.
Cut the slice circle twice, into 4 pieces, like you would
slice a pie.
Roll the pieces into tubes so you can slide
them into the woodpecker feeder holes. (Similar to the
'Pinch and Roll' method.)
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Maintaining Your Feeder
Typically, woodpeckers do a pretty thorough job of
cleaning suet out from each of the feeding ports. But if
they don't, your woodpecker feeder is designed for easy maintenance.
The design is such that each hole is drilled to create half inch
to one inch deep, feeding ports for the suet.
To clean these food ports, simply use a
small bottle brush, the tip of a small screwdriver, or even
a letter opener to clean the holes out.
We also
offer a complete maintenance kit for those who don't want to
assemble their own tools.
IMPORTANT: Store your suet in a plastic, lockable bag
to keep it fresh. This is necessary so you can have
the correct suet consistency when loading your woodpecker
feeder 'food ports.'
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 "This great plastic dome further deters starlings and protects the woodpecker feeder from the weather as well!")