Hanging Suet Ball Feeder

A hinged wire sphere on a chain that holds a standard fat ball. The cage splits open, the ball drops in, and it clicks shut — which is the whole reason to own one rather than hanging a fat ball in the plastic net it came in.

Those nets are worth avoiding. Birds catch their feet in them, and so do the woodpeckers you most want. A wire cage does the same job without the hazard, and it lasts years instead of one ball.

What you get

• Hinged spherical wire cage, powder-coated steel
• Hanging chain with an S-hook
• Fits standard fat balls and suet balls

When to put it out

Suet is a cold-weather food. Hang it once nights drop below about 70°F and keep it going through winter — that is when birds need the fat and when it holds its shape instead of going soft and rancid.

What it brings

Woodpeckers above all, and they are the reason most people start with suet. Also nuthatches, chickadees, titmice and wrens. Hang it from a branch or a hook near cover, and expect a week or two before anything finds it.

Good to know

Fat balls are not included — any supermarket or garden-centre ball fits. Squirrels can and will feed from this one; if that is your main problem, it is not the product to solve it.