Engineeringtech
Active member
My deck mounted open tray feeders and hanging platform feeders were attracting a lot of squirrel traffic. Frankly I don't mind feeding them, but the birds don't come while they are close. I decided to remove the squirrel deterrent device from one platform feeders and fill it with peanuts, squirrel blocks and bird seed. Keeps one squirrel busy for a while. But the rest were still hanging out all day on the deck feeders.
So I bought some Brown's "Fire Mix", a Cayenne and Chili pepper mix you coat the seed with. It's been below freezing outside for months and the squirrels are used to getting a handout from me. They're hungry. After a week, one of the squirrels apparently developed a tolerance for the treated seed. A few days later the whole side of his face was swollen and bulging out an inch, yet munching down the treated seed. I was horrified. Tumor? Abscessed tooth? Irritated gums from getting a shell stuck between his teeth? Or a reaction to the Fire Mix? I went out to fill the tray with untreated seed, and found blood in it. I stopped putting out the treated seed and the squirrel's lump went away in a day or two. I don't know if the problem was related to the Fire Mix, but if you're an animal as well as bird lover like me, I think you should be careful about the use of Cayenne and Chili peppers.
So I bought some Brown's "Fire Mix", a Cayenne and Chili pepper mix you coat the seed with. It's been below freezing outside for months and the squirrels are used to getting a handout from me. They're hungry. After a week, one of the squirrels apparently developed a tolerance for the treated seed. A few days later the whole side of his face was swollen and bulging out an inch, yet munching down the treated seed. I was horrified. Tumor? Abscessed tooth? Irritated gums from getting a shell stuck between his teeth? Or a reaction to the Fire Mix? I went out to fill the tray with untreated seed, and found blood in it. I stopped putting out the treated seed and the squirrel's lump went away in a day or two. I don't know if the problem was related to the Fire Mix, but if you're an animal as well as bird lover like me, I think you should be careful about the use of Cayenne and Chili peppers.
