
I enjoy seeing the birds in my backyard, hearing their cheery chirps and watching them feed from my bird feeders. Apart from providing them with essential energy and aiding their survival during harsh winters, bird feeders encourage these feathered friends into our yards for other environmental reasons — they are excellent natural pest controllers and will munch on all sorts of insects, including ants and beetles.
However, bird feeders can also encourage other wildlife into our yards, which we might not be so happy about. For me, this is squirrels, which pinch all the rich pickings that fall to the ground. For others, rats are a big problem, and they scurry about for the morsels that fall below the feeders.