Birds not eating seed

JoJo Adelphia
by JoJo Adelphia
No not sure if this constitutes as a home talk question, but I bought a different brand of wild bird seed a few weeks ago, and it seems the birds are just not eating it. So now I have 20 lb of bird seed and no idea how to get them to eat it. Even the squirrels are not eating it. Any suggestions on how I can get them to eat it without modifying the mixture too much and putting too much bad stuff in it, or any suggestions on what I can actually do with 20 lb of birdseed?

  11 answers
  • Kimberly Renae Kimberly Renae on Aug 09, 2017

    My birds did the same!!! Until I coated bird feeder in honey (on one) and peanut butter ( on another) and stuck the bird feed to it. They ate it no problem after that.

    • JoJo Adelphia JoJo Adelphia on Aug 09, 2017

      I was thinking of doing something like that, just to get through that batch. Thank you

  • Jean Kraft Jean Kraft on Aug 09, 2017

    If it is humid out the seed sometimes gets moldy and they won't eat it.

  • Julanne Sharrow Julanne Sharrow on Aug 09, 2017

    Same happened here...I threw it over the bank. Save your money ONLY buy BLACK OILED sunflower seed......ALL birds eat it.

  • Pat Pat on Aug 09, 2017

    Pine cones witH melted peanut butter very light then dip in bird seed

  • Amanda Amanda on Aug 09, 2017

    You can put it out for other animals. Maybe some will even sprout. If it is not moldy I would mix it in with other seed.

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Aug 09, 2017

    Get a small bag of the old bird seed and start out with a mixture heavy on the old seed, then increase the amount of the new seed each time you refill the feeder. This will gradually introduce the new feed so they can get used to the different seeds in the new one. The same thing you do with dog food so they can get used to a new one without digestive upset, only you are just trying to get them used to a different seed. I can't change mine because I mainly get the smaller birds and they tend to not eat the corn and sunflower seeds. Make sure that your feeder has drain holes inside where the seed goes, as well as where the seeds collect outside the container. Had this trouble in one that had no drainage and the seeds started to grow inside the container that held the seed.

  • Kathy Kathy on Aug 09, 2017

    Could you mix it with some peanut butter or/and additional better bird seed that they love like black oil sunflower seeds to help encourage them? Is the feeder in the same place or has that changed too? Some like to eat only on the ground and others only from up high. Also the time of year and heat may have something to do with it. Here in the PNW when it is super hot ( hard to believe I know) they do not come to the feeders as much.

  • I've learned that if there's a predator in the area, no matter what you try will work. Someone told me to spray lemon juice and water mix below and around the feeder...lemon juice is known for odor elimination, and will either eradicate the odor, or at least mask it, allowing the birds to feel safer. Worked wonders for me

  • Shelly Shelly on Aug 09, 2017

    the birds might be spoiled from the other brand. Add a table spoon of peanut butter to this new stuff

  • Cla7627311 Cla7627311 on Aug 09, 2017

    besides buying fresh seed, it's important to regularly clean out your feeders with a mild soap and water. if rain blows into your feeder, it can rot and birds, like humans, do not like to eat rotten food.