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Do suet feeders in summer really attract more wasps than woodpeckers?

I put out a suet block last July and got zero woodpeckers but about 40 yellow jackets swarming it every afternoon. Made me wonder if fruit-based suet is better for birds or if I should just stick to seeds during hot months. Anyone else run into this and change their feeder setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles_knight1mo ago

Ditch fruit suet in summer. Plain old rendered beef fat blocks are what you want. They melt way less and the wasps don't swarm them as bad. I hang mine in a shaded spot on the north side of the house. That keeps it from getting too soft and drippy. Put a little mesh cage over it too. That cuts down on the yellow jackets getting in there.

jade_butler1mo ago

Oh man, yellow jackets are basically the bouncers of the bird feeder world, right? I totally feel that pain. Last summer I hung a suet feeder and it turned into a horror show of buzzing chaos within three days. I finally wised up and swapped to a no-melt seed block during hot months, which was way less dramatic and actually brought in chickadees. Have you tried a wire mesh suet cage? It seems to keep the bigger wasps out a bit, but the little ones still find their way in.