[NatureNS] Pepper in the bird seed?

From: "Andy Moir/Chris Callaghan" <andyandchris@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:02:40 -0400
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Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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I've been told that adding pepper to the bird seed will keep the =
squirrels away, but not harm the birds.  The pepper, according to the =
note I got, won't hurt either the birds or the squirrels...but the =
squirrels choose to find another source of food that isn't so spicy.
I looked up a site on the net. http://www.squirrelproof.ca/index.html  =
It talked about an ingredient in chili peppers.
"Capsaicin is the natural, organic active ingredient in chili peppers =
that gives them their "hot" taste. Mammals have special neural receptors =
(similar to taste buds) for capsaicin and therefore, experience the =
"heat." Birds either lack these receptors or have receptors that are =
insensitive to capsaicin. Most botanists and ornithologists believe that =
chili peppers evolved this way so that small mammals would avoid the hot =
taste, while birds freely eat the pungent pepper pod. This =
adaptation/coevolution would result in wide ranging dispersal of the =
undigested seed to ensure the natural propagation and long term survival =
of the chili pepper plant."



Does anyone know if the pepper you'd use at the dinner table has the =
same effect as capsaicin is alleged to have?  Has anyone tried using =
capsaicin?  Does it work?

Andy Moir

Freeport=20

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<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I've been told that adding pepper to =
the bird seed=20
will keep the squirrels away, but not harm the birds.&nbsp; The pepper,=20
according to the note I got, won't hurt either the birds or the =
squirrels...but=20
the squirrels choose to find another source of food that isn't so=20
spicy.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I looked up a site on the net.&nbsp;<A=20
href=3D"http://www.squirrelproof.ca/index.html">http://www.squirrelproof.=
ca/index.html</A>&nbsp;=20
It talked about an ingredient in chili peppers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=3Dtext>"Capsaicin is the natural, organic active ingredient in =
chili=20
peppers that gives them their "hot" taste. Mammals have special neural =
receptors=20
(similar to taste buds) for capsaicin and therefore, experience the =
"heat."=20
Birds either lack these receptors or have receptors that are insensitive =
to=20
capsaicin. Most botanists and ornithologists believe that chili peppers =
evolved=20
this way so that small mammals would avoid the hot taste, while birds =
freely eat=20
the pungent pepper pod. This adaptation/coevolution would result in wide =
ranging=20
dispersal of the undigested seed to ensure the natural propagation and =
long term=20
survival of the chili pepper plant."</P>
<P class=3Dtext><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=3Dtext>Does anyone know if the pepper you'd use at the dinner =
table has=20
the same effect as capsaicin is alleged to have?&nbsp; Has anyone tried =
using=20
capsaicin?&nbsp; Does it work?</P>
<P class=3Dtext>Andy Moir</P>
<P class=3Dtext>Freeport&nbsp;</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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