Songbird SEIA30034 Essentials Seed Hoop, 16 x 16 x 1 inches

The Seed Hoop has been a huge help for my birdfeeder setup. I have a major issue with starlings knocking all the sorghum seed out of the feeders and onto the ground, which was causing a constant mess of weeds in the garden bed below. Now, the hoop catches everything they drop. The birds have actually started landing right on the edge of the mesh to finish off the seeds that fell, so almost nothing goes to waste. It’s going to save me a ton of money on birdseed and, more importantly, hours of tedious weeding. Installation was very straightforward. I’ve already set up a second one on another feeder and am planning to grab two more. They work with most of my feeders, though I did find it won't work with my flat feeder since they are about the same width. Once you get the length calibrated for your specific feeder, you can just trim the excess cord for a cleaner look. If you’re tired of seed waste and "volunteer" weeds, these are a perfect solution. The hoops seem durable enough to last multiple seasons.

This seed hoop works very well for my feeder. I have a round, cage-like metal feeder and I fastened this seed hoop just 6 inches below the feeder. Because my feeder is quite wide, all of the strings on the seed hoop are fairly tight, so it does not swing in the wind at all. It was very easy to install, since it has metal hooks already attached to the seed hoop, which fastened directly on the wires of my feeder. I did have to use pliers to pinch the hooks closed, otherwise the hooks kept coming off. The birds will actually perch on the seed hoop and eat the fallen seeds too, so it is better than I had anticipated. There hardly any seed on the ground now.

We have been using 3 of these seed hoops for over a year. Our feeders hang over our back yard lawn and the seed dropping (and subsequent bird/squirrel ground clean up) was killing the grass. These hoops have virtually eliminated this problem. And, as an appreciated bonus, the ground birds really like them, too, as it makes their job much easier. The oldest of the three hoops (probably 18 months old) has started to tear around the stitching, but we have definitely gotten our money's worth out of it and don't think this is premature wear at all. As for squirrels (and we have PLENTY of them), they are not a problem. No, these hoops don't help, but we do have baffles and tall poles set far away from fences and trees that keep the the long-tailed rodents away. There is one significant concern and it's really the reason for my review, though it is not a product flaw in any way. These hoops do require maintenance Our three feeders have different bird food blends in them, but all suffer from the same problem. Namely, these hoops will grow stuff. Once enough seed, bird poop, and rain mix together in the hoop, you will see fungal/mold growth and, if there is enough stuff, plants will even sprout. We dump the bird seed/shells from the hoop every time we fill up the feeders, but even doing this, we have seen stuff growing in them during rainy periods after just a few days. The problem with this fungal/mold growth is that it can be poisonous to the birds. So, in order to keep the hoops safe for the birds, we have to unhook and hose the hoops down any time it has rained. The hooks that ship with the hoops don't make this easy; they are rather stiff and difficult to remove. We've solved this problem by using some cheap carabiners instead of the provided hooks. Once you have the hoops down, spraying them clean only takes a few minutes with a hose. The overall benefit of the hoops well outweighs this extra work, but it is something to consider before purchasing. Note that we also bought one of the 24" hoops by the same manufacturer. It is identical except for size. However, we found it too large to use with our feeder poles. Unless your feeder hangs 15" or more away from the pole, this 24" hoop would be constantly jostled by even light breezes and will upset the dropped seed in any significant wind. In other words, if you are trying to decide between this size and the 24", I'd suggest starting with the 16". Happy birding.

I bought one of these to put under my cylinder bird feeder because so much of the seed ended up on the ground and wasted. Wow, it worked so well, as the smaller birds eat right out of the tray and little or no birdseed is wasted. So, I just bought a second one for my chickadee feeder. They look nice and really do the job. They are well made and packaged nicely for future storage when not using. Would highly recommend!

Well constructed of long lasting material. I feel this or something similar is essential for grain feeding wild birds. It catches grain that would have ended up on the ground wasted and attracting rodents. Be sure to leave enough room between the hoop and feeder for the birds to stand on the hoop and feed there. This is the favorite eating place for many of our backyard birds. There are two modifications necessary. 1) When a bird lands on the netting the hoop tilts to a great degree, moving all the collected seeds to one edge which perpetuates the tilt. My solution was to fill an empty small cat food cat with plaster (a small tuna fish can would work) and place it in the middle of the hoop as a stabilizer weight. Since birds don't weigh much the counterweight keeps the whole thing somewhat level. 2) With many feeders it's hard to get the hooks to stay on. If a hook comes loose the hoop steeply tilts, spilling most of the seed which had collected on the hoop onto the ground. I use a pliers to make the hook openings smaller as needed so they hold on better. On one feeder I drilled holes all around for the hooks, which still needed to be made tighter so they don't come out with bird usage. Once the hooks are bent to the right amount you don't have to change them for the duration.

I have two of this type seed catcher and it really helps to cut down on wasted seed the birds and squirrels throw about and to keep seeds taking root in the garden. Easy to adjust. I put a zip tie on one rope next and attach to the pole to keep it from moving about as much with the wind and when animals jump on it. I also cut slashed in a feeder rain cover to slide each rope into to keep more stable, same, wind and animals. The birds love to feed on it also.

This is a very good idea for all the listed reasons. It has limited the usual mess of feeding and extended our seed usage. The functionality is really good overall and it does everything as advertised. We have used it for several years and eventually the elements seem to take their toll. The screen can rust, and the seams are showing signs of wear from sun, wind, rain, and cold. But it's such a good idea I bought again and would recommend it as a good solution to an annoying problem. It probably pays for itself in the seed it saves.

I set this up at its longest length and attached it to the top versus bottom of the feeder. You can resize to shorten the length of the catch. And I'm not sure why I thought this, but I thought the catch was sturdy made of a metal. But its canvas and folds up into a little bag for storage into 1/4 its size. Makes sense it wouldn't want to add weight to your feeder. Given its "flimsy canvas" (I don't mean that as a negative description) - that may make it difficult for squirrels to hang out easily....maybe.... The plastic carabiner that attaches the ropes to the catch are very sturdy. They seem like they would hold up in direct hot sun of the south and not rot easily. The silver hooks at the top are large but thin is girth giving flexibility to attach to many things. As a user of it - personal thoughts - if I need to move it so it hooks to the bottom of the feeder because birds find it a deterrent with all the hanging ropes, then I will. But given my feeder has a low angled lip with nothing to secure the silver hooks in to, I don't want the hooks to slip off if a squirrel jumping on it causes heavy movement. My feeder isn't designed for large birds and they try to eat from it anyway. This might help them be able to eat from the feeder now. The feeder makes it difficult for squirrels with the top roundness. The clever ones figure out how to really stretch hanging from the top - but its a while before they figure it out. I am sure the catch will enable them to now eat from the feeder. Which will be fine. I don't mind feeding them. My concern is the waste. I have always wanted to have bird feeders in the gardens, but the waste that causes the seed growth is insane. I tried a rock bed below one feeder and that was worse. This seems like it will be fantastic! As you can see from the picture with the couch in it - on the ledge is a very exhausted squirrel after emptying the bird feeder all over the floor to the far left floor. Poor lil guy. Ha. I look forward to seeing the catch do its job and hilarious squirrel moments.

Great idea. My tip: thread the suspension strings through the bars of the cage to hold the tray more securely under the feeder. I found it swung to much in windy conditions until I did this, Stops all the seed getting thrown onto the floor

Great product....works exactly as described. I attached it to the hook that holds my 19" tube bird feeder and its a perfect fit. It catches most of the seed that falls out when the birds feed and, after about 10 days the birds were hopping around picking up the seeds that had fallen into the hoop. I've even seen the cheeky little chipmunk sitting in the hoop having a nice snack. I would highly recommend.

took weeks to arrive and i found the product to be expensive for what it is. the initial description reads 2PK seed hoop 16 in. I rightly or wrongly read that to mean 2 pack, as in, two in the pack. Also, no, only one - hence the expensive comment. I contact the seller to ask what 2PK means if not two pack - no reply. so, it does a job but not worth the cost or the lengthy delivery time, in my opinion.

Works to catch the seeds the little birds are eating. If a large bird is getting at your small bird feeder, this doesn’t catch things they drop, lol! But some birds are cool also eating the dropped seeds in the catcher.

This is a nice product and works as advertised. I kept it suspended under my regular tube feeder and it caught a lot of seed and became a major hang out for small sparrows and chickadees. However, it does get very dirty with seed husks and droppings. It requires frequent cleaning.