Robins and other winter birds will flourish in your garden if you follow a key rule and leave coffee grounds on bird tables.
While many people will do their bit to help the wildlife in their garden in the peak of summer, birds still need a helping hand in winter. In fact, they probably need a boost even more urgently.
Food is much more scarce in the cold, wet winter months as insects die off and fruits and berries vanish, and perennial birds like robins need to find food even in the deepest depths of the coldest season.
According to Maria Kincaid, in-house ornithologist for smart bird feeder FeatherSnap, the biggest hurdle birds face in winter when it comes to feeding on tables or feeders in your garden is that their food is stolen.
Squirrels, especially invasive species the grey squirrel, will steal food left out on bird tables intended to feed hungry robins.
That’s why Maria says you should lace food left out for birds with coffee grounds, and then follow the ‘5-7-9’ rule to deter squirrels.
She told the Express: “Deterring pests is always a struggle when it comes to feeding our garden birds.
“Besides using baffles and regularly cleaning spent shells and spilled seed from underneath your feeder, which should be done regularly, your coffee habit may help! Try spreading a layer of used coffee grounds on the area around the base of your feeder.
“Squirrels and other pests don’t like the strong smell of coffee, so it may deter them further away from your feeder, and as a bonus as the coffee grounds break down they’ll add beneficial nutrients and organic matter back into your garden soil.”
She added: “If you’ve ever filled a bird feeder only to find squirrels treating it like an all-you-can-eat buffet, the 5-7-9 rule might save the day!
“The 5-7-9 rule with feeders is a way to help avoid those pesky acrobats.
“Place your feeder 5 feet off the ground, 7 feet from structures like fences or decks they may be able to jump from, and 9 feet from overhanging branches.”
Coffee grounds have another benefit in your garden, too – they can also stop slugs and snails.
Molluscs won’t cross a barrier of coffee, as it kills them if they touch it. But this should be used more as a deterrent than actively being scattered on slugs, because it’s an excruciatingly painful and therefore excessively cruel method of killing them.
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