The best thing to do is to prevent ants from ever finding your nectar bird feeders in the first place.  The best feeder for this task is a dripless feeder like a saucer feeder.  Most saucer feeders have a built in area around the nectar saucer that can hold water, in which ants will be unable to swim across to reach the nectar.  If you have a saucer feeder that does not have this ant moat, you can purchase an ant guard like the Ant-Off Ant Guard Bell for Hummingbird Feeders.  You can attach your nectar feeder too the Ant-Off Ant Guard Bell for Hummingbird Feeders, and it will prevent ants from reaching your bird feeder.  It has a cute bell shape and is probably the cutest ant guard on the market.

There is a wide variety of saucer style hummingbird feeders.  One saucer feeder that I have had great results with  is the Happy Eight-2 Hummingbird Feeder.  This feeder is large, having 8 feeding ports.  But the best part about the Happy Eight-2 Hummingbird Feeder is that it has 2 insect guards.  Ants will never infest this feeder!   Another saucer feeder I like is the HummZinger Fancy Hummingbird Feeder, pictured to the right.  This feeder can come in red or fuchsia, which is great because both colors attract hummingbirds.  I like that the HummZinger Fancy Hummingbird Feeder has four feeding ports, but it does not have an ant moat, so you will have to purchase an ant guard, like the Ant-Off Ant Guard Bell for Hummingbird Feeders mentioned above.

The worst kind of feeder to keep nectar from dripping is a bottle-style feeder.  If a bottle style feeder is in direct sunlight, the nectar will become warmed up and will drip to the ground.  Ants will for sure find the bird feeders once they find the nectar on the ground!  Do not be discouraged from using a bottle-style feeders in general, they are great for holding other types of bird food: bird seeds and nuts.

• Food does not stay fresh for long in the hot summer heat.  Even seed can spoil in very humid temperatures.  You will know it has spoiled if it becomes soft or moldy.  The best thing to do to prevent bird seed from spoiling is to only put out small quantities at a time.  Use a small bird feeder, like the Mushroom Seed BirdFeeder, to prevent large quantities of food from spoiling.  You also have to be sure to clean your bird feeders often to prevent the growth of bacteria.

• The best food to put out in the summer is “treat” bird food.  As mentioned above, birds are not going to be as interested in the bird seed they get in the winter.  Most birds love nuts, and they are seen as a great “treat” bird food.  Nuts are more expensive than seed, but you will be feeding pairs of nesting birds instead of entire flocks of birds, so the price should not do much damage to your wallet.  You can use a very simple feeder, such as a platform feeder, to put out whichever chopped nuts you want (pecans or walnuts work great).  I would suggest using the Multi-Purpose Platform Feeder for Birds, pictured above.  As the name suggests, this feeder is a “multi-purpose” feeder and can hold seeds, nuts, or even chopped up suet cakes.  The Multi-Purpose Platform Feeder for Birds filled with nuts will definitely appeal to summer birds.

• Most of the birds that are present in the summer love fruit.  Putting out a variety of fresh fruit in the summer will ensure that a variety of colorful summer birds visit your backyard.  You can use a fruit feeder, like the Bird Fruit Feeder 4 in., to provide fruit like orange slices, apples, and bananas.  The Bird Fruit Feeder 4 in. has two hooks that can each hold one piece of fruit.

I discovered that the most common backyard Woodpecker is known as the “Downey Woodpecker”.  They are found across the entire United States.   If you see a Woodpecker that has a white back and white spots covering a black tail, it is probably the Downey Woodpecker.  The male Downey Woodpecker will have a red spot on the back of his beck, while the females will not.  They love to be in areas where there are plenty of trees, which my backyard happens to have plenty of!  The Downey Woodpecker is active year round, meaning that even if it is snowing they could be doing damage to your house.

In order to attract Woodpeckers away from your house, you need to put out woodpecker feeders, and fill them with foods that Woodpeckers love.  Wood peckers  like pecans, seeds (like sunflower seeds) and fruits (including grapes, raw apples, bananas, and oranges).  The Downey Woodpecker in particular especially loves beef suet.  They also like insects, and like to eat insects and their eggs out of tree bark (hence why they like to be in areas where there are lots of trees).

I currently have two woodpecker feeders in my backyard.  The first one is the Peanut Woodpecker Bird Feeder, pictured above.  I add peanuts and sunflower seeds into the inside of this feeder, and Woodpeckers flock to it.  The Peanut Woodpecker Bird Feeder has two perches, so two woodpeckers can visit at once.  There is a stainless steel screen that holds in the peanuts and sunflower seeds (or whatever you want to put in it), and it is completely rust proof.

Another feeder I use is the Woodpecker Double Suet Feeder.  This cedar wood feeder can hold 2 suet cakes, one on each side.  The Woodpecker Double Suet Feeder has a built in “tail rest” feature, which feels very natural to them.  You can experiment with the types of suet cakes you put in this feeder.  You could even put two different types of suet cakes in the feeder at the same time!  I have already experimented with a variety of suet cakes, and I have discovered that my backyard Woodpeckers like the Woodpecker Suet Cake Treat 11 oz, and the Le Petit Woodpecker Seed Cake 9 oz.

• Sunflower seeds:  This type of seed is the most common among birds and its no surprise why:  they contain as much protein as ground beef!  However, many people avoid providing their backyard birds with sunflower seeds because the shells can pile up in their backyard very quickly.  There are 3 types of sunflower seeds: black oil, black striped, and gray striped.  All are very healthy, but the largest variety of birds will flock to black oil sunflower seeds.  Try the Kaytee Black Oil Sunflower Bird Seed.

• Small seeds:  Birds that like small seeds usually like white proso millet or niger seed.  However, these seeds can be very expensive, and usually attract a very specific breed of bird.  For example, goldfinches are drawn to niger seed.  If you want to provide white millet for small birds, try the White Millet for Wild Birds – 50 lbs.

• Commercial birdseed mixtures:  The cheapest and easiest way to attract birds to your backyard is to provide them with commercial birdseed mixtures.  Commercial birdseed mixtures are great because they offer a variety of seeds to birds, meaning that there is a high chance that at least one of the seeds in the mixture will be appealing to every bird.  The negative aspect to commercial birdseed mixtures is that many birds will toss away the seeds they do want, meaning that many seeds will gather on the ground.  Your best bet is to pick a commercial birdseed mixture with sunflower seeds, since almost every bird loves sunflower seeds!  I would recommend buying the Bird Lovers Blend Best Blend 7 lbs.  It has 28% sunflower seeds (of both black oil and striped seed).

Once you have the bird seed, you will need a feeder to put it in.  I love the Birdscapes Garden Sip and Seed Feeder, pictured above.  One side of this feeder can be filled with 1.15 lbs of seed, and the other can be filled with 27 ounces of water.  This is a perfect one-stop shop for birds!  The Birdscapes Garden Sip and Seed Feeder is attractive to a variety of birds.

Besides the beautiful coloring of Finches, people love them because of their beautiful singing voice.  They have a very pleasant musical voice that is quite enjoyable to listen to.  Another reason it is great to have Finches in your yard is because they are not aggressive, which means that they can live happily with a variety of other birds.

If you feed them, they will come!  Put out bird feeders specifically made for Finches, and they will visit your backyard often.  One of my favorite bird feeders is the Squirrel Buster Finch – 1.4 quart, pictured above.  If a squirrel ever tries to feed from the feeder, their weight will drag the shroud down, preventing them from eating the food.  This way, squirrels will not eat your expensive finch food!  The Squirrel Buster Finch – 1.4 quart can be filled with any food you have that Finches love.  It is also dish washer safe so it can easily be cleaned.

The Yellow Metal Thistle Seed Tube Bird Feeder – 12 Ports is another great finch feeder.  It has 12 perches, meaning that 12 perches can be at this feeder at once!  The top of this feeder opens easily, so you will have no trouble adding different types of seeds to this feeder.  The Lyric Finch Mix is a great blend of a variety of seeds that will attract large amounts of Finches!  The Yellow Metal Thistle Seed Tube Bird Feeder – 12 Ports has a bright yellow metal top which is an appealing color to Finches.

Keep in mind that besides seeds, Finches love fruits and berries.  Specific fruits they like are bananas, raw apples, grapes, watermelon, and frozen crabapples.  They even enjoy pecans!  Switch it up and offer your backyard Finches a variety of treats!

Animal Fats:  Animal fats contain the most energy out of all of the types of fats.  You can provide wild birds with either bacon drippings, or fats that you cut off your meat after you cook it.  However, do not give your birds anything that has been spiced.   Since fats are soft, you will not be able to put them in a regular suet feeder.   When you have fats, you can smear them into a hole style suet feeder.   A great suet for this task is the Log Jammer Suet Bird Feeder, pictured to the right.  It is a natural log with holes that are perfect for providing birds with the healthy fats they crave.  The Log Jammer Suet Bird Feeder can be used year round, and will have no problem withstanding the elements.  If you give your birds the fat trimmed off of a ham, you can put that in a regular suet feeder like the Premium Single Suet Feeder-Stainless Steel.  Ham holds together very well, so it will not leak through this wire suet.

One important thing to keep in mind with animal fats is that you should not put them out on hot summer days.  They can easily spoil.  This smells bad and will make birds sick!

Beef Suet:  Birds love the taste of beef suet.  The tastiest beef suet comes from the inside of an animal, around the kidney area.  This type of fat can be put out in the summer, as long as it is not above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, because it is thick and not likely to turn to liquid.  You can buy it from a butcher, just be sure that it appears fresh.  If the piece that your butcher gives you does not fit in a normal suet, like the Single Suet Feeder-Stainless Steel mentioned above, you can melt it and reshape it.  Do not put it out for the birds until it is hard again.

One of the reasons Orioles are so appealing is because of their beautiful coloring.  Males are bright orange and black, and usually have some white on their wings.  Otherwise, their wings, head, and neck are black.  The female Orioles and babies are olive where the males are black, and yellow where the males are orange.

A great thing about Orioles is that they construct their nests by suspending them off of branches or bushes.  It results in a tear drop shape nest.  This is great for you, because you will be able to easily spot nearby Oriole nests.  In fact, Orioles are one of the easiest birds to spot in North America!  However, this easily identifiable nest is also good for predators, because they can easily spot locations where Orioles live. The nests are usually made up of grasses and leaves, so if you have these materials in your backyard, you are on your way to attracting Orioles to your yard!

Let’s talk about what kinds of food Orioles like.  Their primary source of food is insects, however they love fruit and berries.  Among the fruits and berries you can provide Orioles include: raw apples, watermelon (pulp or rind), grapes, grape jelly, and oranges.  Orioles are known to love pie crust!

Putting at least one Oriole feeder in your backyard is one of the easiest ways to attract Orioles to your yard.  I have the Oriole Feeder by Perky Pet – 36 oz, pictured above, and I think it does a great job of attracting Orioles because of its bright orange color.  This feeder can hold 36 ounces of nectar.  It is capable of having three Orioles visit at once because it has three feeding ports and three perches.  It is shatter proof and has a no drip proof feeding base.  You can fill the Oriole Feeder by Perky Pet – 36 oz., with nectar, like the Perky Pet Orange Flavored Oriole Instant Nectar.   All you have to do is add water to this instant nectar, and it makes delicious orange flavored nectar that your backyard Orioles are sure to love.

Another Oriole feeder I love is the Heath Oriole Fruit Feeder.  This wood feeder can hold one piece of fruit on each side.  It is easy for two Orioles to visit these feeder, as one can be on each side!  You can experiment with which types of fruit attracts the most Orioles in your area.

• You should have multiple “stations” placed around your yard.  Each station should consist of 3 or 4 bird feeders grouped closely together.  Choose a variety of bird feeders, to attend to a variety of birds.  The stations should be spread apart by about 50 feet.  The key to attracting a variety of birds is to put different types of bird seed in each feeder.  Also, be sure to include a few suet feeders (at least one) for the birds who eat insects. The suet I have in my backyard is the Large Ranch Suet Cedar Bird Feeder, shown to the right, which holds two suet cakes on each side.  The cages are made of anodized aluminum for durability.

• Make sure feeding stations are close to shelter.  Many birds will not stay long at a feeder; they will visit the feeder and then quickly fly to the safety of a nearby tree or bush.  This is because birds are vulnerable to predators when they are visiting feeding stations.

• Especially during the winter, be sure your bird feeders are not susceptible to high winds.  Not only do winds scatter seeds, but they also cause the feeder to sway so erractically that birds will not be able to visit them!  Large trees and shrubs usually provide shelter from the wind, so these are good areas to put feeders in the winter.

• Some birds are ground feeding birds (like sparrows and doves), so be sure to spread some cracked corn or millet around your yard.  Birds love the Songblend Cracked Corn Bird  Seed 4 lb bag.  Spread the food around in spots that are not right in the open.  The middle of your lawn is not a good idea.  Good areas would be under a picnic table, where there is moderate shelter.  Do NOT leave food under shrubs, because cats can hide there!

Birds like predictability in their food sources.  Once you find areas that seem to attract a large variety of birds, keep your feeders in these spots!  Also, be sure they are always filled with food.

Baffles:

Your first defense against squirrels should be baffles.  Not only do baffles protect hanging bird feeders from squirrels, it can also protect the bird seed from rain and snow!  Baffles hang over feeders like a dome, although some baffles may be placed below. The goal with a baffle is that the bird will not be able to find his way around it and onto the bird feeder.

I would recommend the Super Dome Squirrel Baffle, shown to the right, for your pest problems!  It is the largest baffle on the market at 18 inches in diameter.  This huge baffle minimizes the risk that your bird seed will become soggy from rain or snow.  Wet bird seed becomes moldy, which can make birds get sick.  You do not want birds to associate your bird feeder with bad bird seed!

If you want to make a home-made baffle, you can use an aluminum pie plate.  Just cut a whole in the center and string it above the feeder.  If your bird feeder is close to the ground, you can put a baffle underneath the feeder.  Be sure to have your lower baffle at least 4 feet above the ground so that squirrels can not leap over them.

Decoy Feeding Station

Believe it or not, some people enjoy having squirrels in their backyard.  I am actually one of these people!  I love having animals of all kinds in my backyard.  However, I do not want squirrels to eat my expensive bird seed.  What I do is set up a wire basket and fill it with dried corn and put it near the trees that the squirrels like to climb.  Having cheap food easily accessible to squirrels makes them less likely to try to attempt to steal from a bird feeder.

Set Up Live-Traps

Live-trapping squirrels and relocating them is an option.  When relocating a squirrel, be sure to take them far away from the nearest bird feeder.  More squirrels will most likely show up, so you will have to set up more live-traps.  Therefore, it would be easier to try baffles and decoy feeding stations before trying live-trapping!