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How to get rid of Gackles! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter joni1129
- Start date
LabradorDuck
Well-known member
If you leave the feeders empty for a week or two sometimes they will move on. That hasn't worked for me because they tend to breed in or near my yard, but if yours hang out in a flock you might have more luck.
The other option is to change seeds. Safflower seed is disliked by squirrels and grackles but still eaten by most other species that eat sunflower (the Blue Jays in my yard even seem to prefer it to sunflower). It won't keep them out of the yard, and they might still hang out under the feeder to eat remaining sunflower seeds or the bugs in the hulls, but it should decrease their interest in your feeder.
I can't get too mad at grackles since they're a native species and all, but they can be a nuisance. They do pretty well for themselves in a suburban environment, and I prefer my feeding efforts to go toward species that need a little more help.
The other option is to change seeds. Safflower seed is disliked by squirrels and grackles but still eaten by most other species that eat sunflower (the Blue Jays in my yard even seem to prefer it to sunflower). It won't keep them out of the yard, and they might still hang out under the feeder to eat remaining sunflower seeds or the bugs in the hulls, but it should decrease their interest in your feeder.
I can't get too mad at grackles since they're a native species and all, but they can be a nuisance. They do pretty well for themselves in a suburban environment, and I prefer my feeding efforts to go toward species that need a little more help.
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