Suet recipes that deter Starlings? (1 Viewer)

[SeattleDan]

I heard today that a suet recipe of simply suet and insects is not loved by Starlings. This is a brand manufactured in the Pacific Northwest by a smallish company, I think. It's quite pricey, even for an experiment. I haven't talked to them yet, only a local distributor that has to special order it.

I'm thinking, if this works, I may make my own. Simply suet from organic beef, grown locally, and crunched up crickets? This, I could do. My name's not Rockefeller and I can't pay eight bucks a cake for insect cake.

Does anyone have any experience with this? It's important to me. I've got a Starling proof suet feeder that is great. But the Hairy Woodpeckers can't figure it out, and neither can the Pileated. I've been visited every day for the past two weeks by a number of Pileated Woodpeckers. I built a couple of brace tail feeders for them. If I can acquire suet that dissuades Starlings, then I can take a break from Human Scarecrow duty. If it's within my budget, then the Woodpeckers won't be eating before I do.

I must say, the Pileated Woodpeckers are MAGNIFICENT. After a visit from one or two of them, I feel like applauding. They're delightful.

 

[chris butterworth]

To be honest Dan I can't see how a purely insect and suet cake would deter Starlings. They are predominantly insect feeder, and a cake with just insects in it .........

Chris

 

[fugl]

A problem that I've sometimes had with starlings is visits by big gangs of them, demolishing the suet cake in a hour or 2 and allowing no one else to feed. What has worked for me in these circumstances is not replenishing the cakes for a short while. When I do start putting them out again after a day or 2 other birds start feeding on them immediately but it takes the starlings sometimes a week or so to find them again. Starlings aren't terrifically common where I live and this might not work where they're more more abundant.

Otherwise, I have to agree with Chris, I think you're going to have trouble finding a suet recipe that works for woodpeckers but not starlings. Will the company sell you a single cake of the anti-starling suet? If so, why don't you buy one and see if the magic formula works? If it does, maybe you could figure out the secret?

 

[etudiant]

I heard today that a suet recipe of simply suet and insects is not loved by Starlings. This is a brand manufactured in the Pacific Northwest by a smallish company, I think. It's quite pricey, even for an experiment. I haven't talked to them yet, only a local distributor that has to special order it.

I'm thinking, if this works, I may make my own. Simply suet from organic beef, grown locally, and crunched up crickets? This, I could do. My name's not Rockefeller and I can't pay eight bucks a cake for insect cake.

Does anyone have any experience with this? It's important to me. I've got a Starling proof suet feeder that is great. But the Hairy Woodpeckers can't figure it out, and neither can the Pileated. I've been visited every day for the past two weeks by a number of Pileated Woodpeckers. I built a couple of brace tail feeders for them. If I can acquire suet that dissuades Starlings, then I can take a break from Human Scarecrow duty. If it's within my budget, then the Woodpeckers won't be eating before I do.

I must say, the Pileated Woodpeckers are MAGNIFICENT. After a visit from one or two of them, I feel like applauding. They're delightful.

To keep your suet for birds other than the Starlings, just make it inaccessible to them. Starlings cannot cling upside down, though they try.
A suet block covered by a plastic bell will be easy for Woodpeckers, Chickadees and Nuthatches, as they can cling to the underside, but really hard to access for Sparrows and Starlings.

 

[SeattleDan]

Yes, Starlings are omnivorous and I am incredulous, hence the posting. I heard this bit from a co-owner of a shop that specializes in wild bird things. I haven't contacted the manufacturer yet. I only got their voice mail yesterday. If they're onto something, I will find out what it is. I'm hoping they are. I'll let you know.

I have smart Starlings. They certainly can feed upside down for brief moments. I've had them fly up to the underside of an upside down feeder, make a jab, get some suet in mid-air, and land back down. They get enough in this way, repeatedly, to keep them coming back. I have a feeder that works perfectly to keep them away. My Starlings are completely baffled. That is not an issue either.

The issue is, that my Starling proof feeder does not work for Pileated Woodpeckers or Hairy Woodpeckers. The Pileated are coming around a lot, since a small juvenile recently got some food here. I put out a couple of brace tail feeders and every day I get more of them, various individuals. I have other things to do though, than serve as a human scarecrow. I need to deter the Starlings from a brace-tail type feeder, or invent another feeder that serves the purpose.

edited to add: The person I spoke with and other, anecdotal reports I found online yesterday, only stated that the Starlings do not prefer this food, but would eat it if they were starving, as a last resort. My Starlings are fat and successful.

 

[KC Foggin]

I have two of this type of suet feeder and I love them. The second one I bought is not made as well as the first one though.

 

[chris butterworth]

As Starlings are mainly ground feeders, over here at least, you could try scattering mealworms / crickets on the ground, away from the feeders, to see if they'd take to feeding on them and leaving the suet alone, long enough for the Woodpeckers to feed, anyway.

Chris

 

[SeattleDan]

Here, the Starlings hang out in groups on the tree tops, surveying their realm. I'm in an apartment, 3 stories up, with a deck, 50 feet from a river. The smaller birds visit me, because there is a tree that tops out, level with my deck, between me and the river. We have 2 or 3 rat varieties, so food on the ground is a non-starter. I do put meal worms out for my Wintering, Golden Crowned Sparrows, but an apple or other food on the ground won't work here. I do put some seed stuff on my deck for the Dark-eyed Juncos. They're also ground feeders. I only wish the Starlings were more like Robins. I've never had a Robin on my deck.

Right now I have a nut roll, log type feeder, which is what first attracted the young Pileated Woodpecker. While the Starlings will feed there, it's not preferred by them. I may try a larger roll, and see if the larger Woodpeckers like it.

Great suggestion though.

 

[SeattleDan]

UPDATE - I think the Maggot Farmer that produced that particular suet may have expired - His business site is down - His house is for sale - "If it seems too good to be true..."