Even though I enjoy working in my garden, I have to confess to a lazy streak when it comes to some aspects of gardening. Therefore, I employ a full time 365 day a year crew of helpers. Am I wealthy? Not by a long shot. This crew works for peanuts--literally!
The fact of the matter is, I hate to spray--and haven't used an insecticide for at least thirty years. How, may you ask, do I keep the insects from devouring the several hundred plants that inhabit my backyard? Remember that 365 day a year grounds crew? You guessed it--I feed the birds! They do, literally, work for peanuts (and seeds), and they keep my yard essentially pest free year round.
This past year our area was inundated with Japanese Beetles (actually they've been a problem for the past four years). At least that's what my friends and neighbors tell me. They've spent hundreds of dollars on insecticides and "Bag A Bug" traps, and still have beetles, as well as other plant devouring insects. They spray, and kill every insect in sight, only to have a new crop hatch out in a few days or weeks. They all want to know what I do to keep the insects from devouring all my plants. When I tell them I feed the birds and I never spray they look at me like I've lost my mind.
Have you ever watched a wren, sparrow, or other backyard bird for any length of time? They're always busy searching in, under and around your vegetation for insects. Watch one wren in action for about fifteen minutes. How many bugs does she catch to feed her demanding brood of chicks? Multiply that by fifty, sixty, or more birds, and that's a mind boggling number of insects removed from your yard in a fifteen minute period of time. Now--multiply that by the number of hours of daylight each day, and the number of insects removed from your yard is astronomical!
Why don't I spray to "help" them out? If I poison the insects, what happens to the birds that eat them? They ingest the poison along with the insect. Soon there are no birds in the yard, and the insects return in full force. Remember, when you spray, you only kill the adult insects--not their eggs--which hatch out into another crop of insects. It's a vicious circle. In addition, spraying also kills the "good" insects which prey on many of the plant devouring bugs.
Me? I'd rather spend a few dollars on nuts, seeds and suet, and sit on my patio, with a cool drink in hand watching the birds, than poisoning everything in sight--myself included.
So to have your own full time yard crew on hand for next spring's plants and flowers, start feeding the birds now. I prefer a mixture of black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seed in my supposedly squirrel proof feeder. This feeder attracts almost every variety of bird. I've found that any seed mix that contains corn draws an inordinate number of starlings and grackles who keep the other birds at bay. With a corn-free mixture you'll still get some of these species, but not such a disproportionate number.
I also avoid mixes that contain milo. That's the little round seed that looks like a b-b. About the only bird that seems to eat it are the doves. It's primarily used as a filler, and most of it gets wasted. You won't be discouraging the doves by not using milo, as the doves will eat the other seeds just as well.
By far my favorite is a nut feeder filled with what my co-op calls a "tree nut mix". It's a mix of peanuts, cashews, brazil nuts and almonds, and looks good enough for human consumption. If you can't find this mix, peanuts will do also. The woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and a number of other birds love this stuff. Normally cardinals like to eat on the ground, but they love this mix and will perch on the feeder just to get to it.
Finally, especially in winter and spring, there is the suet. There are many varieties available for sale. If you have squirrels it will be a constant battle to keep them from raiding the suet feeders. The only real solution I have found to the squirrel problem is to purchase "Hot Pepper Suet". The squirrels avoid it like the plague and the birds love it. The only problem is that it is sometimes difficult to find.
By next spring your very own personal exterminators will be on the job and ready to go as soon as those pesky insects start to show up. The most difficult part is resisting the urge to reach for the insecticide as soon as you see some bugs.
Article and photos submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary volunteer
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