According to the British "Mirror", in order to welcome the arrival of the bird breeding season, the British government encourages gardening enthusiasts to add some Tabasco or other hot sauces to bird feeders this spring.
As the weather gradually warms up, birds such as starlings, sparrows, finches, tits and blackbirds will come out to forage for food, build nests and find mates. But studies show that the number of insects has dropped by 60% in the past 20 years, which means that birds have much less natural food available and are facing a serious hunger crisis. Therefore, the British government encourages residents to provide birds with some much-needed nutrients within their ability.
Birds like a variety of foods, from special bird feed mixtures such as mealworms, to household foods such as raisins, oats, sunflower seeds, and various nuts and seeds. However, putting food on bird feeders may also attract uninvited guests such as squirrels and mice, especially gray squirrels, which pose a major threat to birds. These invasive species have largely replaced the native red squirrels in the UK, eating bird eggs, damaging trees, digging up planted bulbs, and eating birds' food.
Therefore, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) recommends that if residents have bird feeders or bird baths in their gardens, they can add some Tabasco or hot sauce to the food to discourage pesky squirrels. The RSPB advises: "Fruit, especially slightly rotten apples and pears, is very popular with thrushes and blackbirds. Home-cooked foods such as cakes, cooked rice, and breadcrumbs can also be offered occasionally in small quantities. Highly spicy chili powder or hot sauce (such as Tabasco) can be put on the bird food. Birds are not afraid of spicy, but most squirrels cannot tolerate the burning sensation, so they will not steal the birds' food."