Question: I have weeds coming up under my bird feeders. I’m sure they’re coming from the seed that was dropped by the birds. How can I prevent that?

Answer: Try black oil-type sunflower seed. It’s a favorite with all kinds of desirable birds. Any seeds that fall to the ground are quickly eaten by ground-feeding species, and, should any germinate, you can easily cultivate and remove them with a well-sharpened hoe. What you’re probably seeing is millet that the birds have kicked out of the feeder as they looked for seed they preferred. You could also place your feeders over a bed of bark mulch, again, so you could spray or cultivate to remove any seedlings that appeared.