A Coffee Ground Trick That'll Help Deter Pests From Your Bird Feeder

Squirrels will do almost anything to keep their bellies full, from tightrope-walking on power lines to reach acorn-filled trees to doing acrobatics on bird feeders in order to access their seeds. Their penchant for birdseed can empty your feeder quickly, and their chaotic presence may counteract your efforts to attract more songbirds to your yard. Plus, squirrels don't need birdseed to survive. As omnivores, they'll eat insects, plants, fungi, and even cheese. One of your best tools for repelling these bushy-tailed interlopers is ground coffee beans. Instead of tossing your used beans in the trash, leverage their scent to keep squirrels away from your feathered friends' feeders. You can also use spent beans to discourage squirrels from digging up your garden or foraging for snacks in your garbage cans.

Studying how squirrels react to the aroma of coffee isn't a high priority in academia, but it's pretty clear that these creatures don't like the smell of your morning joe. There's also reason to believe that coffee's potent aroma makes it harder for squirrels to smell food sources such as bird seed. Squirrels and other rodents also seem to dislike the gritty texture of the grounds beneath their paws, and some bird lovers report that fewer squirrels visit their feeders when this coffee byproduct is scattered nearby. Coffee grounds' smell may deter other unwanted feeder visitors too, including cats and ants.

Though freshly ground coffee will repel squirrels, recently used beans are just as good. Caffeinated and decaf varieties are both effective, and squirrels will find most any roast or flavor unpleasant. You can even combine coffee with another humane squirrel repellant such as cinnamon.

Coffee grounds are best used in conjunction with other methods of repelling pests from bird feeders. If fending off squirrels is your main objective, try sprinkling grounds over spots that they frequent and adding rodent barriers to your feeders. (For a whimsical touch, use a Slinky to protect each feeder from squirrels.) Aim for a layer of grounds that's about an inch thick in rodent-prone locations. This should create a noticeable coffee aroma and plenty of under-paw grittiness to deter pesky squirrels. Any thicker and you risk inviting mold to the area. Letting the grounds dry before scattering them around your bird feeders also helps prevent this problem. To keep the scent nice and strong, add a new batch of grounds once a week and after rainstorms.

In addition to assisting your pest-deterrence projects, coffee grounds will add nutrients to soil when spread on a lawn or garden. Plus, they can draw beneficial creatures to your yard. They're especially good at attracting earthworms, which can capture the attention of birds that like to snack on them and bring them closer to the other goodies at your feeders. If you don't drink enough coffee to produce a 1-inch blanket of grounds on a regular basis, consider asking a local cafe for its spent beans.