Spring brings life to gardens with birds, but also unwanted guests like squirrels and rats. These rodents have sensitive noses and can smell food from far away.

Many people make a mistake by filling bird feeders with cheap food that has wheat and grains. Birds prefer seeds, but they can't eat grains and drop them, which attracts rodents.

Annie Krug has a simple solution to keep rodents away from bird food: cayenne pepper.

Annie said rodents don't like the smell of cayenne pepper and it won't harm them, but it will stop them from coming back. You can add cayenne pepper to bird seed for the same effect.

Rats and squirrels come into gardens if they smell spilled bird food.

Cayenne pepper has a compound called capsaicin that makes it spicy.

Birds can't feel spice like mammals do, so they can eat spicy bird food without problems.

Rats and squirrels have very sensitive noses and can be irritated by spicy smells.

Cayenne pepper keeps rodents away without harming birds.

Rodents think an area is dangerous if they smell something unfamiliar, so cayenne pepper can keep them away.

Rodents like easy food, so adding cayenne pepper to bird feeders can help keep them away in May.

Cayenne pepper has limits because rain can wash it away, so it needs to be reapplied.

Birds are not affected by spices like rats and squirrels are.

Some rodents may still try to eat spicy bird food, but this method works well in spring and summer.

Using cayenne pepper with bird food that rodents don't like is the best way to keep them away.

Using foods like nyjer seeds and sunflower hearts can help attract birds and keep rodents away.