Should you use hot sauce, chili powder or cayenne pepper to keep squirrels off your feeders? Learn if adding hot pepper to bird seed is safe.
Is Hot Pepper Bird Seed Safe for Birds?
Updated on May 23, 2025
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Will Cayenne Pepper Keep Squirrels Away From Bird Feeders?
“Will it hurt birds if I put hot pepper on bird seed to keep squirrels away?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Richard Yelverton of Jackson, Mississippi.
Birding experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman say, “Expert opinions differ on this, and it’s good to question these things. The taste of cayenne pepper does often repel squirrels, and eating moderate amounts of pepper apparently won’t harm birds directly. In the American tropics, many birds even eat the red fruits of native wild peppers without being affected by the capsaicin they contain. In general, birds have far fewer taste buds than mammals, and the burning sensation doesn’t bother them. Avian digestive systems, including throats and stomachs, are very tough, which allows them to eat all kinds of things that would seem daunting to us.
But there’s a possibility that loose cayenne pepper on bird seed could blow around in the wind, potentially getting in birds’ eyes. Of course, the pepper can also get in the eyes of humans who are adding it to bird seed. For a safer option, place baffles and guards above and below feeders. It can take some experimentation to make the feeders truly squirrel proof.”
Is Chili Powder Safe for Birds?
“My wife feeds ground-up pecans to juncos. She also has pecans that are dusted with chili powder. Is it OK to feed those to birds?” asks reader Delmar Hunt of Savannah, Missouri.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “The taste of chili powder won’t deter the birds, and they can eat it without harm since they have tough digestive systems. In fact, some wild bird stores sell birdseed treated with chili extract to keep squirrels away. And in the American tropics, birds will eat red-hot ripe chiles right off the plants. The reason we hesitate to recommend the powdered form is because the chili powder may blow around, potentially getting in birds’ eyes (or the eyes of pets or children). If you can serve the treated ground pecans in a secure location out of the wind, it’s probably OK.”
Do Birds Eat Hot Peppers?
“A friend recently discovered that a female cardinal who visits her feeder was also eating her jalapeno peppers off the plants. Are peppers a regular food source for cardinals and other birds?” asks reader Diana Curtis of Casa Grande, Arizona.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “Yes, as surprising as it might seem, many kinds of birds regularly snack on peppers—even some of the very hot types. More than 20 species of peppers in the genus Capsicum are native to the American tropics, and birds regularly eat the fruits of both the wild plants and many of the cultivated varieties. Most peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin that produces a burning sensation in the mouths of mammals—including humans, which is why peppers taste hot to us. Capsaicin may also repel many insects, thus protecting the peppers, but birds are unaffected by it.”
Does Hot Sauce Deter Squirrels?
“I added hot sauce to my sunflower seed to discourage squirrels, but they still came. How much hot sauce should I be using?” asks reader Doug Decker of Kansas City, Missouri.
Kenn and Kimberly say, “Hot sauce on bird seed is effective enough for discouraging squirrels that some bird feeding stores now offer their own brand of hot pepper sauce for that purpose. We’ve tried this method ourselves and found it a bit messy. The results varied. Fortunately, there are good alternatives.
Stores that specialize in bird feeding also sell squirrel-proof feeders that are consistently reliable. You could also try seed cylinders, which are blocks of seed bonded together with gelatin to cut down on loose seed falling to the ground and attracting squirrels and other unwelcome visitors. And, if you’re interested in giving the method another try, take the guesswork (and mess) out of it by purchasing pretreated suet cakes or bird seed.”
