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Frequently Asked Questions.
How do I track my order? / When will my order be delivered?
/ Where is my order?
Simply click on the Track
your order link at the top of any page. Enter your eBirdseed.com order
# in the FedEx box. Click "Track now". This will bring you to the FedEx web site and list your
tracking details.
Do you store credit card information?
As a security precaution, we do not store your credit card information. You
will need to enter your card information each time you order.
How much seed should I order at a time?
eBirdseed.com recommends you purchase the amount of seed your birds will eat in a two month period.
This will guarantee your birds receive fresh seed all year long.
Can I get an eBirdseed.com catalog?
Currently we do not have a catalog in print. However, if you call
866-324-7373 and we will be happy to mail you a list of our products.
What type of seed should I feed my birds?
We have made a special search tool for you to
use. In the search box, enter the type of bird you want to feed. Click on the
'Search' button. It will then list the type of seed your birds will enjoy.
You will find this search box on the top left side of any page. Or click on
the Find Seeds for your birds link on the left side
of any page.
How do I keep black birds away from my feeder?
Blackbirds, Grackles and Starlings can empty a bird feeder in no time flat!
There are a few things you can try to make them eat less or go away.
1. Place a variety of feeders in your yard, including "thistle" feeders and
suet feeders.
2. Put a cage or screen around your seed feeders so only smaller birds can
get to the food. Build your own using chicken wire or buy one of the commercial
bird feeders made especially to solve this problem.
3. Use a Hopper type feeder with a weighted perch that closes when a heavy
bird (or squirrel) lands on it.
4. Keep bird seed off the ground and stop filling your platform feeder for
a week. Blackbirds and Starlings may get discouraged and move on.
5. Shorten the perches on your tube feeders. The smaller birds (Goldfinches,
Chickadees and Titmice) will be able to eat but larger birds will not be able
to land.
6. If Starlings are eating all your suet, try a feeder that required the
birds to hang upside down. Woodpeckers can eat like that, but Starlings hate
it.
7. Never buy seed mixes containing milo. Blackbirds are the only birds that
seem to like milo! Blackbirds also like millet and cracked corn, but few of
the colorful songbirds eat these seeds. You might try offering safflower seeds
instead of sunflower seeds in your tube feeders.
8. Learn to appreciate Blackbirds. All black birds are not the same! What
exactly is coming to your feeder? Can you identify a female Red-winged Blackbird?
Here are some of the "Blackbirds" found in the U.S. and Canada:
European Starling
Common Grackle (Interior & Coastal form)
Boat-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed grackle
Red-winged Blackbird
Tri-colored Blackbird
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Rusty Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Shiny Cowbird
Bronzed Cowbird
What do I do with my meal worms now that I have them?
Storage Instructions for Mealworms:
Mealworms can be stored for several weeks. Transfer them
to shallow, smooth sided tray or tub. If the sides of your container are smooth
enough, a lid should not be necessary. If a lid is used, it should be well
ventilated or your mealworms will become damp and die in a short time. To prevent
such occurrences, add a little bran, oatmeal, or corn meal and carrots. Your
mealworms can be kept for several weeks, under the right conditions.
Steps to remember for proper storage:
1. Keep dry and well ventilated.
2. NOT TOO DEEP! Maximum depth of worms and bedding should be no more than
1" - 1 1/2 " deep.
3. KEEP COOL! Ideally, mealworms should be stored at 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
They should be stored somewhere cool. However, be careful when the winter season
rolls around. Prolonged exposure to temperatures below 40 degrees will kill
your worms.
Read more here about meal worms and Bluebirds
Should I clean my bird feeder?
It's extremely important to keep feeders clean to avoid getting birds ill
or spread existing avian diseases.
Once a month, feeders should be cleaned with a solution of one part bleach,
ten parts water. Allow the bleach/water mixture to set on the feeders for ten
minutes, and then rinse thoroughly. Allow the feeder to completely dry before
refilling it.
If a feeder is moldy, scrub it thoroughly will the bleach/water solution,
using a stiff brush. Then clean the feeder as above.
When cleaning hummingbird or oriole feeders, be sure to clean the feeder ports
well. The ports can easily get a black mold on them, especially during the
summer. You may need to dismantle the feeder ports to get all parts clean.
Be sure that bird seed is kept dry, and discard any that might get wet. Remove
any fruit, bread, seed, or suet that is molded or spoiled. Change the nectar
in hummingbird and oriole feeders every few days, more often in hot weather.
At what temperature will suet melt?
eBirdseed.com carries Stokes Select suet which
has a melt resistant formula. However, at temperatures over 100 degrees the
suet will soften.
How do I Keep squirrels away from my bird feeder?
As you probably know, squirrels are clever creatures and voracious eaters.
For every company that claims to have created a squirrel
proof feeder, there is a squirrel that has figured out a way to defeat
it.
We are convinced that the happiest back yard birding enthusiasts choose to feed
squirrels in an area of their yard away from their bird feeders.
This is truly the only win-win situation; the squirrels get what they would
take anyway and you get the enjoyment of watching the squirrels and the birds!
Do the Hot Pepper product really work?
Hot pepper products are treated with an
all-natural patented hot chili pepper extract proven to reduce squirrel activity
by a Cornell Univ. feeding study. Your birds can't taste the scorching hot
chili peppers but your squirrels can and usually do not come back for a second
taste. No available method of protecting birdseed against squirrels is completely
effective. Hot pepper seed is means of deterring squirrels. Occasionally you
may find you have a 'cajun' squirrel who doesn't mind the hot pepper taste.
Will non-sprouting seed really not sprout?
eBirdseed no sprout seeds are either hulled or cracked seed. The US Government
requires that Nyjer seed be sterilized to prevent sprouting. (Nyjer is 100%
imported into the U.S. from places like Ethiopia and India.) To protect our
environment from any invasive weed seeds (like dodder seed) that may enter
the country with the imported niger oilseed, all shipments are heat sterilized
to prevent germination of these weeds. Very rarely, a fertile Nyjer seed may
sprout a yellow flowering plant under their feeder and this is indeed Guizotia
abyssinicia. This is not cause for worry as is won't last long; this seed does
not grow well in any part of the United States. Simply remove the plant to
prevent it from escaping and competing with our native plants.
Is our birdseed edible for human consumption?
eBirdseed.com does not recommend our birdseed for human consumption. It is
graded for feeding wild outdoor birds only.
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