It’s not only humans that dine happily on hot peppers; birds love them too. Pequin and chiltepin peppers both are favorites of our winged friends, and hot pepper suet cake has become very popular for wild bird feeding. There’s a very good reason: it’s an exceptional wild animal deterrent to keep serious food threats away.
Birds love it, squirrels hate it
While birds have no issues with the hotness of chilies, squirrels, raccoons, and other wild animals can’t take the heat. These animals may dine happily on other wild bird feeds, but they’ll typically shy away from the chili-infused heat of hot pepper suet. It’s a cheap natural solution to a year-round problem, and of
What’s in hot pepper suet that gives it its heat?
Hot pepper suets typically contain a mix of crushed red pepper flakes, chili powders, and spicy flavorings to supply the spice. Its mixed with the main ingredient – typically rendered beef fat (which birds love, but so do wild animals) – along with other ingredients enjoyed by birds like corn, roasted peanuts, and oats.
You can see why its tough to keep wild animals at bay when typical suets are around. The beef fat is hard to ignore. That’s not to say you won’t come across an animal hungry enough to deal with the spice, it’ll still happen every so often. But if you’re having issues keeping animal pests away from your wild bird food, you may want to give hot pepper suet a serious look.