What is eating my suet?

[TammiT]

I've seen some interesting bird posts lately and I love birds. So I have a problem, something is taking the suet out of one of my feeders. I have not caught the culprit yet but I hope to. The birds eat it to about half, and then it's gone. What do you think is getting it?

 

[RichZ]

My guess is probably a racoon.

 

[TammiT]

Oh, that is creepy! How the heck is the raccoon getting up that high to get it? I have not seen any around the house. I wonder if whatever it is will scare the birds away?

 

[RichZ]

I can't guarantee it's a racoon, but that's my guess. They can climb anything.

 

[Shelbii]

I've seen raccoons climb posts to get into bird feeders. I sure hope it's not one.
Where is your feeder? The birds might fly away but they will come back.

 

[RichZ]

We have feeders on tree branches and shepherds hooks. We even put feed in a mineral block holder on the ground for the squirrels and chipmunks.

Racoons are interesting and intelligent animals, too. They have to eat also!

 

[BIGRED]

It could be a squirrel too. I've seen those pesky things near our feeders. We don't feed the other wildlife just birds at our house. I figure the other animals eat the birdseed!

 

[TammiT]

Oh yeah, I have seen squirrels running around the area where the feeders are. I never thought about them getting it out. I'll have to put a slinky or something on the pole (my parents do this). Hopefully that will stop whatever it is.

 

[RichZ]

Squirrels don't usually eat suet, but they could. The squirrels on my property never bother my suet feeders, but they sometimes empty out my bird feeders. I have a ground feeder for squirrels and rabbits (and anything else that eats on the ground) but we often have as many as 8 squirrels at the feeders at the same time, and they don't feel like waiting their turn at my ground feeder.

 

[TammiT]

Well I have seen the squirrel two times now. I make a ruckus and he runs away. I've got to figure out how to keep him out of the bird feeder. The suet that they are getting is in a feeder that has bird seed and suet on the side.