Monday 19 June, 2017

Storing Bird Seed in Plastic Containers


When you first start feeding birds, you might purchase a small bag of seed. But as you become a bird enthusiast, you will quickly discover that you need more and more seed for your feathered friends. Word gets around in the bird community, and before long, your feathered friends will bring their friends to your […]


When you first start feeding birds, you might purchase a small bag of seed. But as you become a bird enthusiast, you will quickly discover that you need more and more seed for your feathered friends. Word gets around in the bird community, and before long, your feathered friends will bring their friends to your birdfeeders. While this is really cool for you, it does mean you will likely find yourself with multiple large bags of bird seed before long. And that leaves the problem of storage.

You’ll discover that if you leave the bags outside, they don’t last long. The same pests that steal food from your birdfeeders will do anything to get the seed out of your bags (squirrels are a particular problem). So what can you do about outdoor bird seed storage?

You will need to find some sort of wild bird seed storage container. You have a couple of options here:

• A metal bird seed storage tin
• A plastic bird seed storage container

Which option is the best? Well, in terms of sheer durability, you are not going to beat metal. Squirrels are astoundingly good chewers, and they are very persistent. A determined squirrel can chew a hole through even a tough plastic bin and get at the seed inside. Even an opaque bin will not prevent this, since squirrels have amazing noses, and they can smell the seeds through the plastic.

So if you can afford metal, it is definitely a good choice.

But metal is significantly more expensive than plastic, and that is the major downside. You will probably pay anywhere from four to eight times as much for a metal storage tin, and odds are it will not have as much room as the plastic outdoor bird seed storage bins you purchase. So as a budget option, plastic actually makes a lot of sense.

How can you prevent the squirrels from chewing through your plastic?

Well, one idea is to buy a smaller plastic bin and store it inside a larger plastic bin. This will make it harder for the squirrels to detect the bird seed since there are two layers they will need to smell through. It will also make it a lot harder for them to get at the seed since they will have two layers to chew through. Chewing through the second layer could be quite difficult and uncomfortable—plus, they will have to chew a hole large enough to fit through.

Another idea is simply to store your seed somewhere secure. You could for example keep your bird seed storage bin inside the trunk of your car, your garage, a garden shed, or another location where it would be difficult for squirrels and other pests to get inside. That way you save money.

You may even want to buy several bins, one for each kind of birdseed you use. Label them and you will be able to quickly and easily find what you need every day. Plastic containers not only offer a storage solution, but an excellent way to organize seed as well!

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