Building a simple peanut tray feeder for Squirrels and Blue Jays

by James K. Sayre

Are you tired of watching cheeky Squirrels camping out in the middle of your bird feeding station? Tired of watching bullying Blue Jays chase smaller songbirds away from your feeders? Well, maybe you can distract them with a separate and easily-built peanut feeder tray.

Items needed:

a small basket with a handle

some small-mesh flexible plastic screening

a large needle

some heavy-duty thread or woven fishing line

Directions:

Take a small basket with a handle and trim away everything below the top rim. A metal-handled basket is ideal for this. Cut some of the flexible plastic screening in the shape of the remaining rim of the basket, allowing a couple of extra inches on the edges for a good overlap. Place the screening on top of the basket-hole and center it. Use some tape or staples to temporarily hold the edges of the screening around the handles of the basket. After threading some heavy thread through the needle and knotting the ends together, sew the screening edges around each of the basket handles. Then attach the overlapped edges together in several places around the rim of the basket. Trim excess screening. Finally, remove the temporary staples or tape.

Voila! You have created a see-through washable tray feeder.

Hang your new feeder some distance away from your other bird feeders. Toss in some peanuts or dried corn and watch the Squirrels and Blue Jays come for a feast.

23 February 2006.

End.

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Web page last updated on 25 February 2006