Any pictures?

If they are just coming up this spring it shouldn't be too hard to pull up or smother since it's a small area.

Vera

I was having this problem along with molding seed on the ground -- I use the blackoil sunflower seed. One day I saw a shallow plastic tub in the hardware store that you put under an hot water heater. I bought it and put it under the feeder with some big rocks in it. Now I can periodically clean it out, and it keeps the squirrels happy eating the leftovers. The sprouting sunflowers are gone, as is the mold problem. Not the most aesthetically pleasing garden ornament I have, I guess, but it's working. This is a new house, so please excuse the lack of beds, etc., -- I'm working as fast as I can! Later, when I do this section, I'll try to blend it in with surrounding plants. Here's a pic. Good luck to you, and please don't put that weed killer down.

Here is a link that might be useful: Seed catcher

Old seed should be kept raked up and disposed of. A pain, but important. Have you considered a little weed torch for those that you don't want to pull or hoe?

To prevent the problem next spring, switch to sunflower chips instead of whole seeds in the feeder. They are more expensive by the pound, but a bag lasts a long time and there are no hulls to clean up and no seedlings to pull.

Keep the area under the feeder mulched with 2" to 3" of mulch to prevent other weeds germinating.

i agree with the mulch. also, some of the volunteer weeds come from the bird droppings. i found some poison ivy under the birdfeeders this year.

am am interested in seeing pics of marlo_gardener's set up