Why Texans Should Always Sprinkle Coffee Grounds Around Their Bird Feeders

Why on Earth would Texans want to begin doing something that sounds as silly as sprinkling coffee grounds around their bird feeders?

I mean, don't we have enough to worry about already?

I recently installed a bird feeder outside my Tyler, Texas area home. So when I ran across a story shared by House Digest about this subject, I was fascinated. I confess I was initially concerned that coffee grounds could potentially cause harm to birds or other little creatures roaming the area--like squirrels, for example.

As adorable as they can be, squirrels are known to enjoy the buffet that we provide for any feathered friends who may pop in for a snack at our Texas homes.

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But here's the thing about squirrels:

According to Home Digest, squirrels DETEST the smell of coffee. As hard as it is for us humans to imagine, squirrels do NOT feel the best part of waking up is Folger's in their cup.

If you'd like to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder, they recommend sprinkling a one-inch layer of brewed/used coffee grounds around it. Don't worry, the coffee grounds won't harm the squirrels, and can actually be good for the soil. However, since they don't enjoy the smell, it will allegedly keep them away.

According to the story, 'Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, which can be beneficial for certain plants, as per the University of Wyoming. Over time, the coffee grounds will work as a fertilizer, adding nutrition to the soil and beautifying your garden. This can be especially helpful if you have plants or flowers near your bird feeder.'

Depending on weather conditions, you may want to re-sprinkle your one-inch layer of coffee grounds around the feeder once per week.

Also, since we love our squirrels too, you may want to consider creating a separate area for squirrel snacks while leaving the bird feeder resources for...well, birds.