[mcrosbie]

I read an article today about keeping seeds from collecting on the ground and getting wet and mushy (especially in the damp weather). Looks like every penny of my purchase of the mesh seed catcher was money well spent. They are easy to keep clean. The article warned against people with bird feeders being sloppy and not cleaning up seed catchers etc. regularly, as wet seeds create mold and breed organisms that infect birds and make them ill. I am sure everyone here realizes this, but it never hurts to be reminded, especially when other aspects of our daily lives can make cleaning our feeders and the areas around them just one too many chores.

Can anyone give me a guideline how long to keep suet up when it is not being eaten? I am considering removing the suet from the cage now, as gouges have been taken out of it by a starling that I didn't want coming around.

How long will a cube of store-bought suet usually be fit for the birds to eat? If it okay for it to be cold outdoors and be brought in and become warm or should it be a clean plastic bag in the fridge until you decide to put it out again or perhaps should it just be thrown out. I am not talking of suet that has most of it eaten, but suet that still has quite a bit left.

This is a photo of the seed catcher I find very useful.

Return of the song sparrow by mcrosbie1, on Flickr

There was more to the article, but I will leave that for another post.

[RainshadowCoast]

Re your questions, most store bought suet has a maximum 2 year shelf life or less. If you leave it in the refrigerator it will eventually go rancid and you will surely smell it.

Some people freeze it but cut into chunks first and put it out in sections. If you leave it in the hot sun it usually melts away.

I don't buy it by the box. I only buy three at a time at most. I use what I have until it is gone, from the fall to the spring.

AS for home made blends, all depends what is in the mix. Some home made mixes you would not want to store at all. Hope this helps, I have never had a problem yet.

[mcrosbie]

Thanks for your reply.