It’s one of the easiest ways to stop predators from stealing food as the colder weather arrivesAlex Evans Deputy Audience Editor and Sam Dimmer East Midlands Head of Brand
06:44, 07 Nov 2025
Chilli flakes on bird tables can help prevent their food being stolen(Image: Getty)
It’s the time of year when garden birds are getting ready for the winter months ahead, including both British natives like robins which remain for the winter and migrating birds who arrive in the UK from even colder climates.
As such, autumn is actually one of the most crucial times of year to keep birds fed in your garden with extra feed and seed on bird tables and in feeders, especially as food like insects and berries become increasingly scarce.
But one of the biggest challenges with feeding birds is how often other animals – particularly squirrels – try to steal it, which is why gardeners are being urged to use chilli flakes.
Grey squirrels are a significant problem in gardens. Not only do they eat food intended for hungry birds, but they even locate and consume birds’ eggs and sometimes even their chicks.
According to British Red Squirrel.org, which campaigns for the reintroduction of native red squirrels: “Grey squirrels eat song-bird chicks and eggs.
“Research carried out by the Game Conservancy and Wildlife Trust demonstrates that grey squirrels have an adverse impact on many native woodland birds, reducing fledging rates by an average of 15%.”
That’s why doing what you can to repel squirrels from bird food can be doubly beneficial for birds, as squirrels won’t be attracted to your garden and disturb their nests either, reports the Express.
That’s where squirrel prevention, both in the types of feeder and in what you put out, comes in.
According to Richard Jackson’s Garden: “Bird food can be easy pickings for squirrels and other hungry creatures.
“If you want to prevent squirrels from feasting on your bird feeders choose a squirrel resistant design that prevents these acrobats from robbing the feeders.
“There is a wide range of squirrel resistant designs, some of which also preclude large birds from feeding. You can also mix chilli flakes into your bird food, which will help stop food thieves of all sorts.”
Make sure to remove any leftover feed every couple of days, and clean bird tables regularly – particularly flat ones – to stop disease from spreading.
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