How do you deal with hulls?

I can't believe it! From having only one house finch just weeks ago to this! Now I tend to have 12+ house finches visiting at once. I also have seen a downy woodpecker a couple of times, and 4 goldfinches (they've since moved on, I think) and 2 darling chickadees!

I also can't believe the rate at which they are eating my seed! If this keeps up, I may have to switch from sunflower kernels to BOSS in the hulls. I've used this seed before, but couldn't keep up with the mess.

I know that the hulls can kill the grass, so once or twice a week I was out there raking the grass. However, I only got up some of the hulls, the rake passes over many. So I worried constantly about the grass dying from the missed hulls, and I hated having to pluck sprouts from the lawn!

What does everyone use to clean up hulls in their yards? Thanks! ;)

I do several things to combat this problem, Eagle.
Sometimes, I use a leaf blower to blow them through a fence that parts my property with the woods next to me.
The same leaf blower has a vaccum attachment so I sometimes just vac 'em up and dispose of 'em that way.
I use a broom instead of a rake and sweep 'em up if I don't want to drag out the leaf blower.
I've also been known to put an old sheet under the feeder so they fall on that instead of on the ground, especially the feeder that has stuff in it I know some birds are going to chunk out stuff they don't want... it goes on the sheef for the squirrels, etc. What's left gets pitched... it's a lot easier to fold up a sheet and shake it in the Dumpster than sweep, etc.


This message was edited Sep 14, 2007 2:18 PM

I forgot to mention that I tried the broom, too, and I just didn't make much headway.

The leaf blower! I never thought of that. I just bought hubby a leaf blower/vacuum, wonder if he'll let me borrow it? :)

A little shop vac might do the trick, too. Thanks, Judy!

What is wrong with putting the hulls in the compost bin?

Is that what you do Frank? Pelle

I compost everything. I don't worry about hulls hurting the grass because I have deep shade and no grass close to the house. Then when the rains come(like yesterday) the hulls are all washed away. Since I have trees I just think of the hulls as adding to the forest floor.

Thats good! Do you see whether they take a longer time to break down than other things?

The ones in the compost seem to take a little longer than the oak leaves that I mostly have. The main thing is that they are composted enough so that they will not stop the plants from getting plant food.

Very good! Thanks Frank!

I'd agree with composting them. They make a very good bulk to mix in with soft stuff like grass clippings that would otherwise make the compost a nasty soggy mess.

Or use them for shipbuilding, all boats need hulls ;-)

Resin

Tee hee!

LOL! :-)

I'm having more trouble getting them up out of the grass than deciding what to do with them after. Raking and using the broom just seems to imbed them worse, and my feeders are above my nicely manicured lawn! So I want those hulls gone.

Even the sunflower kernels are making a huge mess under the feeders, and I fear drawing mice and rats. I haven't attracted any ground feeding birds yet that will help hoover up the leftovers.

Thanks for the replies!

*snicker* All boats need hulls!

Good one Resin.

Lady-Eagle...may I suggest moving your feeders to an area that has no grass. Not only would they be easier to get up but the kernals would be more available and may attract ground feeding birds.

My entire yard is lawn and sidewalk. Except for the fire pit area, that's all paved in with bricks. I think the vacuum idea is my best bet so far.

I just saw seed trays that attach underneath the feeders...do these help with the mess?

They do and the don't.(thanks, Judy, you're saying to yourself). They DO catch the seed the birds pitch from the feeder, but other birds still pick through THOSE seeds and toss those to the ground.
My feeders are for the most part hanging over bare ground... my backyard has SOOOOO many trees, it's hard to get grass to grow so I have a lot of fern, hosta, moss and the like... so raking, using the vac or leaf blower works well for me.
I have a seed tray that screws onto the bottom of one of my tube feeders because the cardinals seem to like to feed out of it. I've also had a lot of doves land in it and chow down.
I had to take the seed tray off for a while because in addition to the cardinals and doves, a STINKIN' SQUIRREL was able to grab ahold of the tray on its way to the ground having being thrown off by the Mandarin Squirrel Baffler hanging above the feeder. Aggravated the snot out of me. I think I saw him flip me off... Brings a whole new meaning to "giving someone the bird."

This message was edited Sep 19, 2007 2:27 PM

Yes they would but you have to make sure the feeders are directly above the seed tray and not over to the side.

Your talking about the large ones that attach lower on the pole right?

"Giving the bird!" LOL

Thanks again for your answers, Judy. I'm back to the vacuum idea. My neighbors are going to think I'm absolutely crazy: feeding the birds but yelling at the big black ones to get away from the bird feeder, and now I'm vacuuming my lawn. :p

Another birdwatcher goes off the deep end... Didn't take you long, Lady Eagle. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome.
I think when my neighbors saw me chase a squirrel across the yard whilst banging a wooden spoon on a pot lid, they seriously considered calling the authorities.

Did the neighbords film that? I'd pay to see that!! :-)

Yes, and I am the crazy lady that scares off the starlings by using the electric blower aimed at the sky running thru the yard! :) And I also bang the fireplace ash bin with my senior device to scare them also!

ROTFLOL- I wish all of you could be my neighbors (well okay.. maybe not directly next door considering the noise level). :-)

Pelletory, they might someday round us all up and put us on an acre somewhere to keep us away from the normal people. I just hope there are birds there!

I feel so much better knowing I not the only 'bird nut' chasing the unwanteds from the yard!!! Evil cowbirds, noisey grackles, bad, bad tree rats.......thank goodness no starlings at my house.........

Let's just all admit it.... we're a few chickadees short of a full nest. A beak short of a bird....

I say we name our road Birdbrain Lane.

a feeder short a few kernals