Thousands of people relish the melody and sight of birds. The blur of colors, the singsong notes vibrating in the atmosphere is an experience you must not miss on. If you have a garden, you are in luck because you can easily convert your gardens into a safe haven for birds by using bird seed containers!
Now, it is essential to remember that birds only like fresh bird seeds. In addition, bird seeds attract myriads of other species as well! Storing bird seeds in safe places is essential so that they don’t end up being some other animal’s breakfast or lunch! The best way to store the bird seeds is to keep them in clean and dry bird seed containers, in a cool place, away from direct sunlight.
One wrong step and those bird seeds can quickly perish, which would be a massive waste of money. So, let’s learn how to organize and store bird seeds the right way!
Where to Store Bird Seeds?
We might have found a solution about how to store bird seed, but there is another issue. Keeping them in the right place is as important as storing them in bird seed containers. People with garages can store these bird seeds in their garages. But why store them in garages? Garages have the perfect conditions to preserve bird seeds for a long time. They are usually cool and dry that prevent bird seeds from getting spoilt.
Plus, garages tend to be dark, which means that you can prevent these seeds from getting damaged by the sun’s rays. So, find a perfect and secluded spot in your garage, and transfer your bird seed containers there.
Another place where you can store bird seeds and bird seed containers is garden sheds. Many gardens have dedicated garden sheds. However, ensure that these sheds have no windows! If there are windows, there are high chances that sunlight might sneak in and damage your bird seeds!
However, do not be disappointed if you do not have a garage or shed, because we have a solution for that as well! You can always find a cool place at your home that is devoid of sunlight, in case you do not, storing it inside a refrigerator is a good alternative too!
The storage of the seeds in a dry and cool place is essential to keep the bird seed fresh. An important point to note here is that storing bird seed outside is fruitful only if the temperature is cooler outside the house. There is very little possibility of the bird seed being consumed by some other animal. The bird seed containers should be accessible at the same time, we would be taking proper measures to store them in a safe way avoiding any wastage, but they should
be available when needed.
Separating and Storing the Bird Seeds
Making a homemade bird seed mix is cost-effective, and quite a hobby one could nurture in their leisure time. But, you might be thinking that it is a hassle to get everything done from scratch.
Well, if we ignore the hassle and make homemade bird seed mix, we will be able to look into what the birds prefer more, minimizing wastage, providing more nutritious bird seed mix, and all the while saving some money.
Besides, the cheap, packaged bird seed mixtures contain useless fillers, which most birds do not prefer. This creates a mess in the bird feeders because most of the fillers are wasted. Thereby, the bird seed mix fillers must be minimized so that birds can be provided with nutritious bird seed and something that attracts them to your birdwatching backyard. Most of the bird seeds mentioned in the feed store can be found if you wish to buy bulk wild bird seeds.
Primary Seeds in the Bird Seed Mix
Sunflower Seed
These sunflower seeds are the most preferred bird seeds. All the nutritious mixes always include sunflower seeds. They are rich in fat, making them perfect for birds. Black oil sunflower seeds are one of the best varieties that are rich in protein and fat, which makes them the ideal food, especially for winter birds.
Safflower Seed
One of the most common problems we face while feeding bird seeds is the blackbirds and squirrels trying to steal away their food. However, safflower seeds are hardly even consumed by them, which means no more worrying about them. Most birds consume safflower seeds which means it is a win-win situation.
Millet Seed
Millet bird seed is usually mixed with other bird food mixtures, and they are rarely served separately. They are basically fillers.
Sorghum or Milo
The grains are both white and red. Milo bird seed is often used in the bird food mixture as a filler. Sorghum is rich in iron and calcium. Therefore it is a rich nutrient source along with being a filler!
Cracked Corn
Cracked corn is rich in oil and starch. Corn is sensitive to mold, so it is stored in airtight containers or frozen for it to last long.
Nyjer
The thistle bird seed or the nyjer seed is rich in nutrition and fat, which makes it perfect for the birds all year long, and this is the main benefit of the seed. Nyjer seeds tend to dry out, and for this reason, they are frozen.
Common Bird Seed Mix
Add one cup of black oil sunflower seeds to one cup of fine plain peanuts, next add half a cup of striped sunflower seeds. Next up is a half cup of cracked corn and lastly, add one-eighth cup of dried fruit.
Please note that this is just a reference for the ratios; you can add in bulks according to the number of days you would want it to last or the scale of birds you intend to feed. Also, do not add any type of preservative or pesticide to this, the nutritional value may be lost. You can store this bird seed mix in any clean, dry, and airtight container away from sunlight.
Types of Bird Seed Containers
“How to store bird seed” has always been a question for the bird-watchers. Here’s a simple answer to it, just find a suitable bird seed container. There is an array of choices for bird seed containers. You can find hundreds of different types of bird seed containers online or in your local feeder’s store.
So, here are some of the bird seed containers, and perhaps they might help you choose the best one for you!
Plastic Dispensers
Plastic dispensers that are airtight are great for storing bird seeds for everyday use. The smaller plastic dispensers can be kept anywhere and are accessible. Since there is a range of these plastic bird seed containers, you can find
the types you like.
It can be the cute containers or the ones with a measuring cup! Apart from this, you can also avail them in different colors or with labels so that you can identify the bird seed mix. The larger ones are great for storing bulk wild bird seed; as they are airtight, the seeds’ freshness stays intact.
Metal Containers
Metal bird seed containers are the most sustainable way to store bird seed. Metal bird seed containers can come in airtight forms, too, so you need not worry about it getting spoilt.
However, one thing that can be a little bit difficult is that they can get bulky after storing bird seed. So if you are using these containers regularly, that can become a bit of a hassle. Otherwise, metal bird containers are one of the best ways to store sustainably and keep the bird food safe from bugs, mold, or sunlight.
Plastic/Jute Bags
Plastic bags or jute bags are only good if we intend to store the bird seed temporarily. They are not feasible for long-term storage as we cannot completely shut them or make them airtight.
Plastic or jute bags are essentially used only to transport them from the feeder’s store to the house. However, keeping them any longer than that can make them dry or spoilt.
Glass Containers
Another eco-friendly method of storing the bird seed is by storing them in a clean and dry glass container. Glass containers can be brittle, and for that reason keeping bird seeds in them for regular use can be risky.
In addition, if you wish to storewide bulk seeds in large glass bird seed containers, then it is perfectly alright as glass containers are also airtight and keep the seeds safe from bugs or any other animals.
How to Avoid Bugs in Bird Seed?
Bugs in bird seed are a serious problem for all the bird-watchers. Storing the bulk wild bird seed mix can be tricky because of the bugs. Listed below are some tips for you to avoid bugs in the bird seed while storing them in bulks.
1. Throwing away the unused seeds or unconsumed bird food left open – A very effective way to keep the birds always attracted to your feeders is keeping them clean. Many birds prefer fresh, clean food and water resources. The unconsumed bird seed kept in the bird feeder will start having bugs in them, making them unhygienic.
2. Freeze unopened bird seed mix – For doing this, you will require freezer bags. When you know you have a lot of food that can last for a while, you can freeze some of it. This way, you can also get a ford of bug eggs present in the mix.
3. Clean clean clean – The perches, bird baths, unconsumed bird seed balls, bird feeders should be cleaned as often as possible. Otherwise, you would see bugs everywhere, and it would be extremely tough to make sure all of them are gone, and while you would be doing that, you wouldn’t be able to attract many birds.
4. Time for new bird seed mix – Once there are bugs in the bird seed mix, there isn’t much that can be done except discarding that batch. If we keep this batch next to the fresh ones, the chances are that the other batches can get spoilt too. So discarding as quickly as possible is the only right thing to do. You can replace it by buying a fresh batch of bird seeds.
5. Airtight Containers – These containers make sure that there isn’t any air, moisture, or bugs in the item that has to be stored. The best choice for a bird watcher would therefore be to keep the bird seed in airtight containers.
How to Keep Bird Seed Containers Safe From Other Animals
It is not always a good idea to spray pesticides in the bird seed containers to avoid pests or other animals feeding on it; it makes the bird seed lose its nutritional value and makes it unfit for birds.
Safflower bird seeds effectively keep other animals away from the bird seed containers and bird feeder. While the birds prefer it, other animals avoid it. Another effective way is freezing it and storing the bird seed in airtight bird seed containers. Adding slices of cucumbers in the kitchen or the storage place can make the ants go away.
Final Words
Watching different species of birds in your backyard or near your house is such a blessing. As the season’s change, migratory birds may visit your backyards too! Sweet songs of the songbirds echo in your backyard. Chirping birds bring a soothing shift to your life. For so many reasons, bird watching is such a great hobby to cultivate.
However, with this, comes a set of challenges to tackle. Providing food and water resources, shelter, and nests for them to thrive can be quite a complex situation. Many factors play a role in making a birdscaping backyard. Clean food is a major one.
To store the bird seed mixes, we need appropriate bird seed containers to help the bird seeds stay fresh and last long. It is a no-brainer to choose the right bird seed containers; you just have to be ensure it is the best method for you to store a bird seed or bird seed mix.
You can set goals to bird-watch after you have placed your bird seed in your backyard and record your results.
