Calling all hot-weather Dopers! For the record, anyone who thinks 85 F is “hot weather” can pls. go to some other thread. And take your down parka with you.
I still see downy woodpeckers around, and today I saw a red-bellied woodpecker in the backyard for the 1st time in a few weeks. I’d like to put out some food for them, but I don’t want to have rancid and/or melting suet hanging out there. I Googled “suet hot weather” and found references to something called no-melt suet, that purports to be good up to 90 degrees omg!!1!
OK. But it doesn’t even get *back down *to 90 degrees until after the sun goes down for the night. :rolleyes: Highs of 103 to 105 for the last several days and into the foreseeable future. Has anyone had any luck feeding woodpeckers in this kind of weather?
I’m about to go put some peanuts out there for them and the jays. Should I try putting out peanut butter? That’ll eventually melt too, right?
I’m sure someone will be along soon with a better answer, but I can give you this info. My parents put out suet for the woodpeckers, and have no problem with it melting. This is the cheap-o Wal Mart suet. We’re in Arkansas, and there have been plenty of 100 degree days.
Anyhow - if you’re worried about it melting put different food out for the birds. Nothing wrong with peanut butter, as an example. Otherwise, if you can get something that cups the suet lump go ahead and put out the “no melt” suet and if it gets a little drippy the birds probably won’t mind a bit. I mean, my spoiled, indoor-living parrots aren’t particularly fussy, can’t imagine wild birds would be (well, within the limits of their dietary abilities).
The one tip I can give is not to leave the suet in direct sunlight. The only time I’ve ever seen suet drippingly melting was when I left a chunk in the sun on a 95-degree day.
ETA: This was in my previous home of Bloomington, IN, not my current location. After posting I realized that might cause some confusion.
There’s plenty right now for the woodpeckers to eat - mine pretty much ignore the no-melt suet, hopping around eating bugs off the bushes. The blackbirds are the bigger problem, they go to great lengths to get at it, and it ends up in chunks all over the deck.
My dad’s got a pair of downy woodpeckers at his bird feeder right now. They go between checking out the bugs on the tree and eating the generic wild bird feed mix.
I’ve also seen red-bellieds around but they are too big for his feeder so they hang out on the ground.
Aren’t there more than enough bugs around if the weather is hot?
The shed fascia board that held my hanging suet cage had to be replaced and I did not reinstall lthe nail from which it had hung so I dropped the suet block on the lawn where I strew the birdseed and peanuts daily and it was pecked away within a few days. (In 90+ daily temps)
