Cole's HM05 Hot Meats Bird Seed, 5-Pound

This food completely eliminated squirrels from the feeder but the birds love it!

I mixed it at one third with my regular seed and it works. Squirrels now stay away. The birds seem to like it fine.

The only bird seed that I buy. Such a good buy and it keeps our birds happy. The squirrels and chipmunks aren’t interested, and that’s a good thing. Appreciate the price and the shipping.

Amazing! I bought only the small bag because I didn't think there was much real chance the "hot" element could actually deter the legions of squirrels I have for at least nine years been inadvertently and unwillingly feeding with a couple of fine quality bird-attracting seed mixes. But in the now six or seven days I've been using Hot Meats in my two feeders I have seen only one squirrel come near - yesterday. After cautiously inspecting the seeds which had fallen to the ground it finally gently picked one up in its mouth - then immediately leaped up onto the nearby (and, happily, freshly filled) bird bath to take the longest drink of water I've ever seen a squirrel take. It then walked away and hasn't returned. Nor have I seen any others of the many who always voraciously and enthusiastically devoured much (most?) of what they clearly deemed to be "their" food. Although I missed the very first hour or two of the Hot Meats stuff being in the feeders I have to believe, given the present complete dearth of squirrels anywhere near the feeders, that during those first several hours after the Hot Meats mix was put into the feeders all the others had experiences similar to the one I later witnessed. The seed doesn't disagree with the birds at all, however. In fact, it even seemed to attract more and more varied birds. For example, I got my first blue jay in five or six years, and a small flock of migrating White-Crowned Sparrows - a type of bird which has never deemed my feeders worth visiting - gorged themselves for several days. And there is still a bit more seed in the bag! Which reminds me, no squirrels means, at least in my yard, filling the feeders far less often while still providing the same amount of sustenance for the birds. I have have just ordered the much more ecomomical 20-lb bag. Yes, pricey. But since I was using a a great deal of less expensive (though not cheap) regular Cole mixes - most of which was being gobbled up by the squirrels - I fully expect to come out ahead money-wise by feeding only the Hot Mix seed. I'll also not have to fill the feeders nearly as often But since some reviewers have said this doesn't work well for their birds, you might want to try a 5-lb bag before springing for the largest one.

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY! I have a bird feeder with a camera and with normal bird seed I'd have high activity with 20 visits per day. My only problem with normal seed is the squirrels would get into the feeder too. So I bought this seed. Complete flop! No one likes the seed! The squirrels have been on the feeder and don't eat it and the birds completely stopped coming to the feeder!

Even using for years. The only thing that keeps squirrels away. I tried the Walmart red pepper bird feed and that didn’t work against the squirrels. Also lasts a long time since just meat and no shells. More expensive since Covid, but still worth the money and I’m frugal! My birds all love it! All varieties of birds!

I was in an all-out war with the squirrels. I had squirrel baffles. I had poles. I had homemade booby traps that would make Wile E. Coyote proud. None of it mattered. These furry little food thieves treated my bird feeder like an all-you-can-eat buffet. I’d pour in half a bag of seed, and three hours later… gone. Not a feather in sight—just fat, smug squirrels. Then I bought this spicy bird food. Game. Changer. Now I get front-row seats to the funniest show in the neighborhood. A squirrel climbs up with all the confidence in the world, grabs a mouthful, freezes for a split second like it’s questioning every life decision it has ever made, and bolts. The birds couldn’t care less, but the squirrels have officially filed for relocation. For the first time in ages, the birds are actually getting the food I bought for them.

I really like this. It works well. Birds flock to it and the squirrels, opossums and chipmunks want nothing to do with it. One caution - I learned not to mindlessly put my fingers near my eyes after distributing the seed. It takes a while and time, along with some eye wash, to get over it.