The Best Places To Put A Suet Hanger In Your Yard For Birds (And Where Not To)

Unctuous and chock-full of seeds, suet cakes are the ultimate winter comfort food for birds. Like a hearty stew is for us on snowy days, a nutritious meal at a suet feeder is packed with warming calories to help birds' bodies thrive in the cold. Hanging a treat like this for your backyard visitors is a great way to attract birds to your yard in the winter season. However, a suet feeder is only useful if birds can get to it easily, and if the suet stays edible.

Trees are a natural choice for hanging suet feeders. Many birds who love suet often feed in trees, like woodpeckers, jays, and chickadees. The ideal tree for your suet feeders will be in a quiet spot near other bird feeders. Not only are trees a comfortable and familiar spot for birds, they offer other benefits to both birds and the suet.

Branches that are 5 feet or higher above the ground are ideal for suet feeders, as, at that height, many unwanted visitors like squirrels or bears may have trouble reaching their potential snack. You can also attach a suet feeder directly to the trunk of a tree. Some birds who are often found clinging to trunks are woodpeckers, nuthatches, and creepers, and these buddies will appreciate having dinner close to their comfort zone. Also, a bit of shade, even from bare branches, can help keep the suet firm. Suet can become unpleasantly sticky, go bad, or melt in direct sun or higher temperatures. If your feeders become popular hangouts, you can DIY a suet block replacement with just a few inexpensive ingredients.

A cardinal rule of providing birds a meal is to place feeders at the right distance from windows so they won't fly into them. You either want to hang feeders quite close to windows or at least 15 feet away from them. Situating them 3 feet from windows or closer encourages birds to slow down and land before there's a chance of hitting the glass. Any distances between those two measurements could bring about a birdy collision.

While a tree is the most logical place to hang a suet feeder, it might not be the best choice if your top priority is keeping these snacks away from squirrels. If you find that your yard is frequented by more rodents than flying friends, try using a tall hook mounted in the ground that's about 10 feet away from the nearest tree or bush. This keeps unwanted diners away while also providing a comfortable perching spot close to visiting birds' meals.

If your surprisingly smart squirrel friends are still able to get to the feeder, try adding a baffle. There are baffles that dome over feeders hanging from any spot, like this Nature's Way Squirrel Shield. There are also varieties that surround a pole, preventing squirrels from climbing past it toward food. A crowd-pleasing baffle of this kind is the Garbuildman Squirrel Baffle that works with both a shepherd's hook and a bird feeder pole. You can also save a few bucks and get creative with what you already have by using a leftover soda bottle to squirrel-proof your feeder.