Birds are not at all harmed by hot peppers or by cayenne spiced bird seed. And it truly does keep the squirrels and other varmints from eating the seed.

I've used cayenne to keep chipmunks and squirrels out of my seedling trays and planters, too.

I used to have a cockatiel, and she would love, love, love it when I'd add some chopped jalapenos to her morning 'salad'.

I added red pepper flakes to my BOSS to try to keep the squirrels out, and they just keep on eating the seed as if the pepper wasnt in it! Maybe I need another sort of pepper? Silly squirrels. I ask them nicely to leave the seed alone, and like my teen boys, they just ignore me! :o)

Use the ground cayenne pepper powder. You should be able to find it in large canisters at the grocery. It coats the seed nicely and the squirrels can't really avoid getting a taste of it when handling the seed.

I go through one large canister of it a year, between the bird seed and protecting my container plants and veggies.

Thanks rhizo!! I will pick some up on this very day!! Poor squirrels. I hate lighting up their mouths, but I also hate for them to hang on my feeders all day long. :o)

Does not work for me. When they are hungry, they will eat anything, even hot peppers. They also build a tolerance to it. The ones in my yard starting out avoiding it but soon grow a tolerance to it. Doesn't determine raccoons at all.

Paul