Suet pellet & peanut feeders

Suet pellet and peanut feeders are bird feeders designed to hold and dispense whole peanuts or suet pellets. Whole peanuts can be a choking hazard for young birds so suet pellet and peanut feeders will usually be made from stainless steel mesh that’s big enough to avoid birds damaging their beaks, but small enough to keep pieces bite-sized to avoid choking.

Suet pellet and peanut feeders will attract several species of bird that can cling to the mesh. These species include Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Great-spotted Woodpeckers and Nuthatches.

This will ultimately depend on your garden but good guidelines to follow are making sure the feeder is visible, accessible, and close to bushes or trees. This will allow the birds to find the feeder and provide a natural environment for them to feed. Positioning feeders approximately 2m away from natural cover is ideal – close enough for birds to easily seek cover, but far enough away from a potential hiding spot for cats.

Squirrels can be quite persistent when it comes to raiding bird feeders, including  suet pellet and peanut feeders so it’s not always possible to keep them off. Some common squirrel deterrents include guards or cages that go around the feeder, but some feeders are specially designed with squirrel busting in mind.

The lifespan of peanuts & suet pellets in a bird feeder will depend on various factors such as the weather conditions and the popularity of the feeder. A good rule of thumb is to put out a small amount of food to begin with, then once you have frequent visitors you can increase the amount of food you offer, aiming for the food to be eaten within a week. Feeders should be cleaned weekly to protect your garden birds from infectious diseases.