Bird Feeder Construction

[icewoman]

I want to build some of my own feeders and looking for a material similar or the same as you see on the bottom of most platform and tray feeders. Does anyone have a source to purchase this material?

[oldtimer]

You are talking about that screening material, right? Its much heavier that hardware cloth and the holes are very small so not even millet will pass thru. Been looking all over for it too. Hopefully, someone will answer post.

[Paul]

Check at True Value Hardware stores. They sell lots of those types of things.

[icewoman]

Yes, someone had suggested Hardware Cloth to me and that will not work. I have done extensive searches and come up with nothing. If I do find something I will post online. I think you could do a peanut feeder with the hardware clothe...that would be kind of fun.

[oldtimer]

Hardware cloth makes an excellent peanut feeder and it works for a suet holder too. It comes in different mesh sizes. Peanuts bring in all kinds of interesting birds. I tried a True Valu--nada.

[icewoman]

I have just gotten into this bird watching (feeding) this spring. I am having an absolute hoot. I have two places, one on a lake with very few trees and a place surrounded by hardwood forest next to pasture land. I should not be surprised at the significant difference in the type of birds I get at each place. Mostly finches and pine siskins at the lake place with an abundance of woodpeckers, blue jays, grossbeaks and chicadee's at the home place. I can see Piliated Woodpecker pair in the woods at home but have not yet been able to get them to come to the feeder.

[oldtimer]

Suet will bring in the woodpeckers. Have a summer place up near Hayward,ws and they always warn us about bird feeding & BEARS--Hummingbird feeders included.

[sparcebag]

Beef suet from a butcher shop in winter will draw the Piliateds,once there they will show till their eggs hatch then it seems they prefer other foods till next late fall.

[icewoman]

Last night I went over to my neighbor who is a perpetual pack rat and asked him if he had anything like what I was looking for. He pulled out a sheet of material used for stucco work....the stuff you attatch to the house to put the stucco on. It would work for sunflower seeds probably.. just a thought.

[Steve Foss]

I thing to look out for is whether birds can get the claws of their feet stuck in the holes. That's one reason the onion bags people often use to hang suet are frowned on. Birds sometimes get their feet tangled in it and can't get loose.

Just something to be careful of. I think a metal mesh with holes small enough to hold sunflower probably would be OK, but if the holes are much smaller I could see some birds getting stuck there.

[Tom7227]

I use hardware cloth, 1/4 inch on the bottom, then some metal screen material and more hardware cloth on the top layer. Sandwich the whole thing between some 1 X 2 material, put some sheet rock screws into it using lap joints and you're done in about 15 minutes. The hardware cloth supports the stuff from the bottom and the hardware cloth on top stops the birds and Squirrels from tearing up the screening.

[Shetek kid]

There is an industrial supply company that sells many different types of screens, even stainless steel or aluminmum.

It' called McMaster Carr do a search.

[icewoman]

I will check out the web site, Thank You. This afternoon I was walking around Fleet Farm and found something that will work. In the gutter section they sell metal gutter screens. they are only about three to four inches wide but long. A person could cut it and it would work for a larger feeder. It has smaller holes but not to small for claws.

[icewoman]

Shetek Kid, thank you for the heads up on McMaster Carr. That is what I am looking for. I will have to spend some time going thru the HSOforum, lots to choose from. Someone always has an answer, just have to be patient!