Gardeners urged to mix chilli flakes into bird seed

It's the time of year when garden birds are preparing for the winter months ahead, including both British natives like robins which stay for the winter and migrating birds who come to the UK from even colder climates.

As such, autumn is actually one of the most important times of year to keep birds fed in your garden with extra feed and seed on bird tables and in feeders, especially as food like insects and berries become increasingly scarce. But one of the biggest problems with feeding birds is how often other animals - particularly squirrels - try to steal it, which is why gardeners are being urged to use chilli flakes.

Grey squirrels are a big problem in gardens. Not only do they eat food meant for hungry birds, but they even find and eat birds' eggs and sometimes even their chicks.

According to British Red Squirrel.org, which pushes for the reintroduction of native red squirrels: "Grey squirrels eat song-bird chicks and eggs. Research carried out by the Game Conservancy and Wildlife Trust demonstrates that grey squirrels have an adverse impact on many native woodland birds, reducing fledging rates by an average of 15%."

That's why doing what you can to repel squirrels from bird food can be doubly helpful for birds, as squirrels won't be attracted to your garden and mess up their nests either.

That's where squirrel prevention, both in the types of feeder and in what you put out, comes in.

As Richard Jacksons Garden explains: "Bird food can be easy pickings for squirrels and other hungry creatures. If you want to prevent squirrels from feasting on your bird feeders choose a squirrel resistant design that prevents these acrobats from robbing the feeders.

"There is a wide range of squirrel resistant designs, some of which also preclude large birds from feeding. You can also mix chilli flakes into your bird food, which will help stop food thieves of all sorts."

Just be sure to always clear off any uneaten feed every few days, and regularly clean bird tables - especially if they're flat - to prevent the spread of disease.