Feeding Peanuts in garden

In my garden the blue tits far prefer whole peanuts to kibble or using the mesh feeder but I am concerned about the risk of choking.  I know you can’t leave out whole nuts in breeding season but what about the dead of winter when presumably they need as much food as possible?  They eat far more of the whole nuts than anything else. When the whole nuts are there the garden is absolutely swarming with tits, noticeably less so when I have just left kibble & mesh feeders.  Any advice anyone? 

  • Hi Melanie, in my garden the bluetits prefer suet blocks and sunflower hearts to peanuts. I have a variety of feed in different areas of my garden and most of the time I need to throw the nuts away as they dont get eaten fast enough. The only time the needed filled up constantly was when the squirrels could get access to the feeders
  • Isn’t it strange how the same species can differ so greatly in their tastes. I have experimented at length with a variety of different foods and different feeders. They do also enjoy suet balls. It’s just the ‘whole’ nut issue which is worrying me. Left whole, they will eat their way through sackfuls of them!
  • The problem is that if I just leave out kibbled peanuts and mesh feeders for a couple of days they barely touch it. I don’t want to leave them without food in this weather. I relented and put whole nuts out again today and have had to refill the feeders two or three times! It isn’t the squirrel even, he comes in the morning and takes a bit then leaves. It’s the swarms of tits. Just can’t seem to wean them onto the kibble but will have to somehow before the breeding season begins.