Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Special Tweet: Dinner is Served!





When it’s finally too cold and/or snowy to go outside, winter still holds fantastic entertainment value in the form of wild birds. Turn your customers on to the delightful sights and sounds a wild-bird feeder can provide outside their window at home! With a bit of planning, nature can provide an enticing visual display and soothing soundtrack to take the edge off a chilly day for young and old alike.

Setting the table
Wild birds have three necessities for survival: food, water and protection. Consumers can assist them by providing extra food and water options at or near their homes.

Birding experts recommend that feeders be cleaned regularly to prevent diseases that are common among birds throughout the year. Some of the leading feeder manufacturers offer models with removable tops and/or bottoms for cleaning convenience. One of the best, Aspects, has a top-quality feeder that offers all the best features and a lifetime warranty.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology recommends feeders be cleaned every two weeks. Your customers don’t have to feel intimidated; let them know it’s easy to do:
  • Simply remove the feeder and soak in warm, soapy water.
  • Using rubber gloves, brush crevices and perches with a bristle brush. 
  • Mix a solution of one part household bleach and nine parts tap water, and pour it over the feeder to disinfect.
  • Allow the feeder to dry completely and refill with fresh, clean seed.


Placement
Most folks instinctively want to place bird feeders near their windows; educate your customers on how to lessen the risk of birds flying into clear window panes. Here are a couple of tips you can offer:
  • Apply some reflective tape on glass surfaces, or hang CD discs to break up birds’ sight lines
  • Position feeders within three feet of your home; doing so offers some good views and lessens the birds’ takeoff speed to impact with glass



Different bird species feed where they feel most comfortable. The most common way to hang a feeder is by suspending by a hook from a tree branch. The security of a tree is a huge benefit for birds from predators like cats and hawks. Surrounding shrubs can also offer protection and security. Many avid bird watchers use multiple feeders and foods to attract the greatest variety of bird species. These should be placed at various levels for best results.

What’s on the menu?
Birds require more protein and fat in their winter diets to maintain warmth and energy levels. The most commonly sold fuel for birds is black oil sunflower seed. Meaty seed offerings provide some oil content and lots of protein. Lyric Delight is a hullfree, waste-free bird food that features a mixture of five high-quality seeds and nuts like pumpkin seed, pecan pieces, sunflower hearts, pistachio chunks and shelled peanuts. These meatier seeds are fantastic for wild birds in winter! Another solid favorite is Coles Special Feeder food. It features a mixture of black oil sunflower, sunflower meats, striped sunflower, raw peanuts, pecans and safflower.

You may also consider stocking another homeowner favorite -- suet -- to your bird-feed assortment. Pine Tree Farms is a New York-based company that offers some of the finest suet products available. High quality seeds, grains, peanuts and their time-tested rendered beef kidney-fat formula, make their selections unmatched in variety and a consumer favorite.

Party crashers and unwanted guests
We’ve all experienced unexpected guests to arrive for dinner at some point in our lives.
The common gray squirrel is one of the busiest creatures during the fall, gathering acorns and other foods, and burying them everywhere imaginable. Yet, they’re still drawn to bird feeders like a magnet. Thankfully, you can offer several alternatives for customers who didn’t invite squirrels to their backyard party.

Squirrel baffles are worthy complements to any feeder offering; styles exist for mounting both above and below bird feeders. Squirrel-proof feeders are another option for consumers. Brome is a splendid manufacturer of great squirrelproof feeders and a top choice of consumers nationwide.

Pepper-coated feeds turn up the heat for squirrels, but they won’t bother the birds. Cole’s offers three outstanding foods like Hot Meats, Cajun Cardinal and Blazing Hot Blend, all of which offer a 100% natural and chemical-free liquid habanero chili pepper coating to spice things up a bit.

Eat, drink and feel merry
Wild birds occasionally have some difficulty sourcing water when outdoor temperatures turn truly frigid. Help your customers keep a steady flow of feathered friends by offering small water heater elements to install in their bird baths. Another unique item is the antique-looking Mason Jar Wild Bird Waterer from Perky Pet. The birds will appreciate the steady and easy access to fresh liquid refreshment!

Stock up and save promotion
Restock or expand your wild-bird department with these great products from Griffin, now available at special prices to help you heat up your sales during the cool season!



Quick-Clean Tubular Feeders


Offers a simple solution to keeping feeders clean. Convenient removable base without the need of tools even with   seed tray attached. Constructed of heavyduty zinc die cast components, UV stabilized polycarbonate tube, and stainless steel hardware. Small 3⁄4 qt. cap, Medium 11⁄4 qt. cap, Large 13⁄4 qt. cap.
AB - Antique Brass
S - Spruce
BN - Brushed Nickel

Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80480043-2049 Small AB 026451123945 394 6/1 $34.49
80480044-2484 Medium AB 026451123952 395 6/1 $41.49
80480056-2484 Medium S 026451124249 424 6/1 $41.49
80480037-2111 Small BN 026451123914 391 6/1 $35.49
80480038-2608 Medium BN 026451123921 392 6/1 $43.49
80480039-3229 Large BN 026451123938 393 6/1 $53.99

Squirrel-X1


The X1, squirrel-proof bird feeder, features a metal sliding sleeve that closes all ports simultaneously when a squirrel's weight is applied to any perch or the roof.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
81210001-2381 4.2 lb. 815562011100 11 4/1 $39.99

Special Feeder™


This unique mix is a high energy treat for many birds. Cole's most popular blend because it attracts the greatest number of wild birds than any other mix out there. Plus woodpeckers absolutely love the pecans.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80370005-713 5 lb. 751478100333 SF05 6/6 $10.99
80370006-1348 10 lb. 751478100340 SF10 4/4 $19.99
80370007-2532 20 lb. 751478100357 SF20 2/2 $37.99

Blazing Hot Blend™


100% all natural, chemical free way to increase the number of birds visiting your feeder. It combines a patented habanero chili oil formula with the most preferred seeds of backyard songbirds. Woodpeckers, grosbeaks, buntings, cardinals, chickadees, bluebirds, gold finches, and more find this mix irresistible.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80370051-870 5 lb. 751478102535 BH05 6/6 $12.99
80370052-1662 10 lb. 751478102542 BH10 4/4 $24.99

Squirrel Buster Classic™


The Squirrel Buster Classic feeder is guaranteed squirrel proof! Clinging and perching birds have easy access to the food ports that are aligned with the wire shroud. Dismantles for easy cleaning.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80430002-3328 1.4 qt. 628209010158 1015 2/1 $55.49

Delite High Protein Wild Bird Mix


Many people are reluctant to feed wild birds during the warm months because the bird seed germinates and causes weeds. Bird food shells make decks, patios and lawns unsightly. This mix is waste-free, messfree and weed-free. It's also a great value, because you don�t pay for the shells. Ingredients: Shelled Peanuts, Sunfl ower Kernels, Pecans, Pistachios, and Shelled Pumpkin Seeds.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80350149-834 5 lb. 088685190674 26-47403 8/8 $13.99
80350150-2915 20 lb. 088685472916 26-47407 100/1 $48.99

Birdwatchers Best - Nutty Butter Suet


Ingredients: Rendered Beef Suet, Fine Cracked Corn, Chopped Peanuts.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80450024-099 11 oz. 748884020126 2012 12/12 $1.79

Birdwatchers Best - Superior Blend Suet


Ingredients: Rendered Beef Suet, Fine Cracked Corn, White Millet, Chopped Peanuts.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail

Seed & Suet Cake Hanging Feeders


Holds large and small suet and seed cakes. Made with vinyl coated wire.
Large: 8.25" x 3" x 7"
Small: 5" x 4.75" x 1.75"
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80450088-450 12 oz. (Lg.) 748884014514 1451 12/12 $7.49
80450089-142 8 oz. (Sm.) 748884014552 1455 8/8 $2.49

Mason Jar Wild Bird Waterer


Offers fresh, clean water to attract a larger variety of birds while adding a rustic look to any bird lover's yard. The blue color of this bottle is reminiscent of vintage blue glass canning jars used in the 1800's.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80191103-1223 1 qt. cap. 078978515079 783 2/2 $20.49

Going Green Deluxe Bamboo Feeders


Built with naturally durable bamboo. Resistant to weather, squirrels, and insects. Removable powder coated metal screen for drainage and easy cleaning. Hinged roof for easy filling. Environmentally friendly and an ultimate renewable resource.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80440260-1931 No Cages 047977011073 RANCHB1 4/4 $32.49
80440261-2574 Suet Cages 047977011080 RANCHB2 2/2 $42.99

Promo Bird Bath


This durable bird bath is 25" high and the bowl is 17" in diameter. Two piece construction allows for top fill of sand or gravel for added weight. Comes with 3 set screws.
Item # Desc UPC Vendor CS/UOS Retail
80920788-982 White 811214020773 270-10 6/6 $16.49
80920789-982 Peppercorn 811214020780 270-60 6/6 $16.49