Check this out!

http://www.gardengatenotes.com...

I could even see these as small gifts to bird-friends.

What a great idea! I wouldn't mind getting them as a gift ... and now I'm thinking about making some to give.

This is awesome!! I wonder if the boiling water/gelatin mix would be enough to keep the bird seed from sprouting. That's why I stopped using generic bird seed & went to pure thistle seed.

Well, now - you know I'm just gonna say "try it and let us know how it works!", don't you???

I'm *still* pulling up weeds from the birdseed I used 3 years ago!! Don't mind it too much if it wasn't all in a yard full of roses.. I know they're hungry and bloodmeal is good for roses, but I don't think that they mean *LIVE* human blood, especially from my arms.

!!!! sheesh~ no kidding! Poor thing.

Okay, I'm going to try it with 100% sunflower seeds. I know that the millet in a lot of the mixes attracts both doves and pigeons, so I'm not too hot on using the mixes.

Now, to figure out where in this backwater I'm going to get raw peanuts.

Sheryl - Maybe Home Depot? I know that HD here has 'em. Do you have any feed stores there? Here's a place that sells them for birdies: http://www.bulkbirdfood.com/mm... What kind of grocery stores do you have there? Do any of them have a bulk section?

Well, the closest city has a Lowes, no HD, but we do have a number of feed stores. No bulk stuff that I know of....unless the "health food" store has them - that's a good possibility.

Thanks for the suggestions, Toni! Hopefully I'll be able to find them at the same place I'm going to get the sunflower seeds.

Great idea, Sheryl!
Think I'm going to try it too.

Worse comes to worse, I can always tell DH it's health food....

When I checked my email I saw that my e-notes had arrived from Garden Gate and this tip was there. They have some really great tips (if anyone doesn't know). Lately I'm so slow getting to email sometimes.

Fortunately, I don't have to worry about seeds sprouting in my backyard. It's a little bit of everything since we back up to woods. And birds are always happy to deposit more here. But in the middle of roses. Ack.

The health food store might very well have them. Mine does.

As an aside, both Garden Gate and Fine Gardening send out really great info via e-mail. GG tends to be tips, whereas FG tends to be articles.

Do you get FG too?

I did but haven't renewed it yet. Same with Horticulture and Organic Gardening. I've got a stack of magazines piled up here from October onward. I'm very behind on them. Oh well, winter has yet to really set it. They will come in handy when I get too stir-crazy.

Oh, I meant the e-mails.

I couldn't keep up with GG mag and the AHS publication either. There's too much to do....

Great Idea, These will come in handy during the winter because you can hang them anywhere, you don't need a suet feeder.

I like to make peanut butter feeders this time of year. Look around for a piece of wood (branch) that has nooks and crannies...or enhance with my Dremmel. I mix cheap p-nut butter (smooth or chunky) with quick oats and wild birdseed. Amounts?? till it looks good or my mixing arm gets tired then I put it on the piece of wood and hang. I use an eye hook and cable tie. The birds LOVE it. I've had them "in my face" while adding the mix to the wood. I DO have to lable the mix, however, so Bill doesn't try to put it on his toast

Great idea Sheryl, but the darn squirrels would eat it all up!