North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Stephen Sadler" <Docshiva@Docshiva.org>]

Chickadees eat about 70% caterpillars and spiders.  Nummy.  Suet will
attract other bug-eaters, and keep them in the garden.  The use of
squirrel-proof and squirrel resistant feeders will help you develop smarter
squirrels...

Orioles and tanagers are lovely bug-eaters to have around.  You can buy
nectar feeders for them, or keep orange halves out for them.  

Stephen Sadler, Ph.D.
USDA 9, AHS heat zone 8, 
Sacramento CA - Mediterranean climate

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Charles Paradise
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 10:01 AM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: [NAFEX] attract birds into apple tree?

Just now I saw a chickadee in the Northern Spy apple tree.  I don't know if
chickadees are insect-eating birds, but what means are available to attract
insect-eating birds into a tree?

Such as:
1] Suet?  If so, how prevent squirrels from accessing suet?  Is a simple
suet cage enough?
2] Growing intentionally some insects that would release from the apple tree
to provide an attaction for insect-eating birds to visit the tree?

Charlie Paradise, Massachusetts