Charlie Spencer Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 I've read about it but never tried it. Any hints or tips? I assume it's best to start with a small amount, far enough from the house that any attracted insects won't be a nuisance. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bird Nuts Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 Following. I have tried it, but never had success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestranger Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 We have pretty good luck with the jelly here in Ontario. All we do is use a plastic lid, usually from a plastic peanut butter jar, as a dish and secure it to our fruit table with a small screw. We use grape jelly and it's often just the cheap no name stuff. It does attract ants, squirrels, chipmunks, etc., so don't set it up right at your front door. The orioles are probably attracted as much by the orange halves we put out but they dive right into the jelly when they find it. The adults have fed the young ones jelly but the young are usually feeding themselves by the time we see them on the fruit table. Not only do the orioles here love the grape jelly but the cardinals, catbirds, and grosbeaks enjoy it too. I highly recommend a fruit table/station with any combination of grape jelly and assorted fruits, orange halves and watermelon slices work great for us. The orioles also like the sugar water mix we feed the hummers, we don't have an actual oriole feeder but they get their fill easy enough from the hummingbird feeders. I'm not sure if this link will work, but page 13 of my flickr photo stream has some pics of orioles at the fruit table from our old place. https://www.flickr.com/photos/27232701@N04/with/20420995539/ 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bird Nuts Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 I think my problem is that the orioles don't notice the jelly before it has to be thrown out and refilled. Do I just have to expect to waste a lot of jelly at the beginning? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonestranger Posted March 5, 2019 Share Posted March 5, 2019 Hmmm, I'm not sure ours has ever lasted long enough to have to throw it away. As I said, the squirrels and chipmunks like the jelly too and they do a good job to make sure there's no waste. We only put out a big tablespoon or two at a time, which becomes a daily thing later in the season when the young start showing up. We don't see much of the orioles during nesting season though, they must be eating the same insects they're feeding their young and ignoring the fruit table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted March 5, 2019 Author Share Posted March 5, 2019 I'm in SC and am hoping to attract migrants. I don't think there are any orioles that breed here. I'm not sure if they'll be here long enough to find it. Nestings need a lot of protein, so parents of many species will increase their intake of insects while they have young. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 Well, so much for that. Jelly for a month, replacing every five or six days. Zippo, nada, zilch, nyet, nothing. If anything, even squirrels, have touched it, I can't tell. Guess I'll re-purpose the feeder for peanuts or mealworms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsnyder Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 We tried a commercial jelly jar feeder (either Walmart or Tractor Supply. It came with a despenser into which one screwed an upside jar of jelly. Problem was the jelly got very runny (maybe due to heat/sun and then dripped onto ground. Also, like orange halves spiked onto long finishing nails driven into cut limb. Woodpeckers including red-bellied enjoyed the fruit was well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludzil Posted May 19, 2019 Share Posted May 19, 2019 I'm new here and wanted to share my bird experiences from the last few weeks. Two weeks ago on a Saturday evening I put the hummingbird and oriole feeders. I cut several oranges in half and put them out with grape jelly. The next morning I woke up to the sound of a male Baltimore Oriole at the feeder. Not long after some females arrived. After about three days I stopped counting the number orioles I had in our backyard. They eat up the grape jelly and oranges in a few days and so I make sure to keep the feeders full. The last week I noticed purple finches and gray catbirds going to the oriole feeder as well. The funniest thing I noticed are the orioles avoid the orange skins at all cost and eat around them. I hope to post some better images soon but they absolutely love this feeder. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthcatrin Posted May 20, 2019 Share Posted May 20, 2019 I do both jelly and oranges till the wasps notice the jelly, and then I just do oranges. Nothing fancy feeder wise here, I took an older hummingbird feeder that I don't use, removed the top, and just plop a spoonful of jelly in the base, and then add orange halves. They do enjoy the jelly, picking it over the oranges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannacarington Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 Jelly is very good for orioles but sweet things always attractive to ants. If you want to feed oriole by jelly you need to buy First Nature 3088 Oriole Feeders. Nothing is more annoying than these little sweet tooth creatures. This means that choosing the best oriole feeder that is bee proof has to be done and done fast. I had used that product and I think it did very great. After 3 years of being full on in the sun daily, the orange has faded to a lighter color, and it's just now starting to feel brittle. I'm going to order two new replacements. This has been the best feeder I've ever used. It is super easy to clean as it comes apart, and many different kinds of birds including hummingbirds and orioles visit it regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 Who opened a can of tuna? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliet Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 Jelly is one of the most effective oriole foods you can offer. Smooth grape jelly is best, but the birds will also take orange marmalade or red cherry, strawberry, apple, or raspberry jams or jellies. Offer jelly in small dishes, in a hollow orange rind, or smeared on an orange half and the orioles won’t be able to leave it alone. I like Perky-Pet because when the racoons try to get into it they end up just flipping it upside down - all the jelly runs to the "bottom" of the jar and they can't get to it. I usually put a full jar of jelly in it in the spring when the Orioles are first returning because they eat it so fast but during the summer I only put about 1/4 of a jar because otherwise the jelly seems to melt in the heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver305 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Oriole favorite foods: nectar, jelly, and fruit. I often feed them jelly and they love it. You can use Birds Choice Flower feeder, the open cup design which allows birders to combine jelly flavors such as marmalade for hummingbirds or grape jelly for orioles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aveschapinas Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 This thread seems to be attracting a lot of ants of a different kind. I'm going to lock it now, but if any members have questions or want to discuss strategies for feeding jelly please start a new thread! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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