Invasive Weeds in your birdseed?

Chickadee

(Today's post is written by Susan Florian, who has joined me in keeping the office running smoothly on Thursdays & Fridays.  Please give her warm welcome when you get the chance- we are excited to have her around!)



We have bird feeders stationed outside our office windows and we never know who might show up during the day to provide us with a
delightful distraction.  Finches,  chickadees, cardinals, nuthatches, juncos, song sparrows, turkeys and other  species are all regular visitors.  
 

 
If you feed birds to attract them to your yard, seed that isn’t cleaned up by the birds or other wildlife during warm weather may sprout, resulting in volunteer plants growing under your feeder.   Unfortunately, some of these plants may be invasive weed species.  Weed seeds have been identified in samples from several commercial wild bird feeds. 

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Male Cardinal

To avoid this problem, purchase seed mixes that have been baked, or select alternative bird favorites like raisins, peanut butter, suet and sunflower heads.
 
If you can’t find baked seed, or prefer to bake your own, here are a couple of different ways to stop seeds from germinating.
 
Using an Oven:
 
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spread the birdseed in a single layer
on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes and let it cool completely before using.
 
Using a Microwave: 
  
Spread bird sheet on a microwaveable platter or pie plate and place in your microwave. 
Make sure your microwave is set on “high,” and heat for two minutes.  Allow the seed to cool completely before filling your bird feeder.

Baking the seed doesn’t change its nutritional value. It simply sterilizes it and prevents germination…and unwanted weeds.

Common housefinch- female

Common housefinch- male