hot pepper bird food

Product labels warn that chili peppers are a strong irritant to eyes, nose, and skin. They advise washing thoroughly with soap and water after handling and keeping the product out of reach of children. Some items also state the product is not for human consumption.

A no-melt formula is formulated to remain stable in warm weather so you can feed suet year-round. It’s designed to keep suet bars, bites, or cakes from becoming overly soft or melting in summertime heat.

Listings describe attracting a range of songbirds and woodpeckers. Named species include woodpeckers, finches, nuthatches, chickadees, flickers, wrens, cardinals, jays, juncos, titmice, and (in one listing) bluebirds.

Hot-pepper ingredients make the feed unpalatable or irritating to squirrels and other mammals, which discourages them from eating it while allowing birds to feed. Some product descriptions note that birds tolerate capsicum differently than mammals.

Packaging commonly includes resealable pouches, vacuum-sealed easy-open pouches, and boxed packaging to prevent crumbling. Some suet items also include hangers or built-in perches for feeding.