I buy G & S no melt suet dough. Wal-mart is the only place I have found that sells it. The woodpeckers, wrens and gold finches eat more of it than any suet I have ever tried.

I've used a crisco, peanut butter and cornmeal (I assume yours has the cornmeal?) recipe in the summer without any problems, but I only put out small amounts at a time. Not enough to stay out there long before it goes bad. If you use it in small amounts it shouldn't be a problem. Even the no-melt cakes get cruddy if they stay out there and need to be thrown away.

I don't use a suet cage/basket though, but make a crumble out of it and hang it on a small tray so more than just the woodpeckers can eat it. My brown thrashers love it - the only thing they come for and they couldn't use a suet basket. The woodpeckers have no problem with the tray.

Thanks Laylaa, I'll do it. Yes, mine has cornmeal and also oatmeal. I have a platform type feeder so an assortment of birds come for it, and my red bellied woodpecker uses that instead of the cage. I'll just try to change it regularly (or only put out a little) so it doesn't go bad.

Ann

I used the Kaytee brand of woodpecker suet year round and have no problems with it in the summertime even when temps are in the 90's.

Donna

I want to make my own, that's my concern. I'm vegetarian and don't want to handle store-bought suet if I can avoid it. The birds devoured my veg suet all winter, I'm just trying to find a recipe for no-melt that is vegetarian (if possible.) Otherwise, I'll do what Laylaa does.

Ann

catlady4444 - the tray is just a personal choice because I didn't have great luck with a basket. Too many natural bugs in GA for a lot of woodpeckers to eat suet! The tray gave more birds the option of eating, those that normally would not eat seed. Yesterday two catbirds came repeatedly to eat the suet - first time I've seen them here. They wouldn't go to my seed feeders and can't use a basket. I have wood thrush and pine warbler regulars as well. But I have no starlings either so it's no problem.

I've been using the crisco for over a decade, no problems. I've tried a zillion dehydrated fruits, etc. I'm just strange that way. I have more bird food in my freezer than human food. :)

I make a home-made suet & peanut butter mixture with flour, corn meal, crushed nuts etc. I feed it all year round and the birds absolutely love it. The suet is a product called "Simply Suet" from Wild Birds Unltd, which is pure rendered suet that stays solid at temperatures up to 95 degrees F, and it rarely gets that hot here in New England. Never had a problem with the mixture spoiling.

I do stop feeding the raw unrendered suet once the hot weather comes though, because that melts and spoils at much lower temps.

I think you can use Knox gelatin instead of lard or fat for a no-melt suet.