Peanuts bring woodpeckers, nuthatches and titmice that a sunflower tube never will. They also bring the animal an entire product category exists to keep out, and that is what decides which feeder to buy.
By Scooter M.Published September 21, 2026Content updated September 21, 2026Prices verified September 21, 2026
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Decide the squirrel question first, because it is the only thing on this page that costs real money. Three of these four feeders publish no squirrel mechanism at all and their makers claim none; the Brome Squirrel Buster Nut is the one with a weight-activated shroud that closes when a squirrel climbs on. That protection is expensive: Brome holds 3/4 of a quart where the Nature's Way Midnight holds 2.75 quarts for about a third of the price. If nothing has raided your feeders, buy the Birds Choice economy feeder for about twenty dollars and find out whether peanuts bring anything to your yard before spending more.
Peanuts are worth the trouble because they reach birds a sunflower tube largely misses. Three makers on this page publish their own species lists and all three name the same core group — woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice — with Birds Choice adding jays and towhees and Nature's Way adding cardinals and grosbeaks. That convergence across three independent manufacturers is about as good as evidence gets without testing, and we have not handled any of these feeders. Every figure below is the maker's own, read on the dates in the sources.
What we judged on
Whether anything stops squirrels. The deciding criterion for this food specifically. A whole product category exists to protect nuts, which tells you what the manufacturers think the risk is. Three of these four do nothing about it and say so by omission.
Capacity, priced honestly. The spread here is enormous — 2 cups to 2.75 quarts — and the most expensive feeder holds the second-least. We have put the cost per quart of capacity on the page because no listing does.
Mesh opening size. This is the spec that decides whether a given nut stays in the feeder, and exactly one of these four publishes it. That is a genuine failure of the category and it is marked down where it applies.
Whether it comes apart. Peanuts are oily. A feeder you can empty and scrub is a feeder that stays in use; one you cannot is a feeder that eventually goes rancid and gets thrown away.
What the food does on the ground. Shelled peanuts leave no hulls, which Brome publishes as a selling point and which is genuinely true of every feeder here. This is a tidier food than sunflower.
What the maker publishes at all. Birds Choice and Nature's Way both publish dimensions, weight, capacity, materials and a species list. Brome publishes capacity, dimensions and the mechanism. Nobody publishes a squirrel exclusion list for a nut feeder.
The picks
Ranked picks with what each is best for, our score out of ten, the budget band it falls in, and a link to check its current price on Amazon.
#
Pick
Best for
Score
Price
01
Brome Squirrel Buster Nut FeederA weight-activated shroud on the one food squirrels will work hardest for — you are buying the mechanism, and the capacity figure makes that plain.Under $100
The only pick here that closes when a squirrel climbs on
Nature's Way Midnight Metal Mesh Seed and Peanut Feeder (KMESH-9)2.75 quarts under a twist-off lid, with a 360-degree seed tray and drain holes — the feeder to buy if the peanuts are actually getting eaten.Under $50
The most capacity, and the most birds on it at once
Birds Choice Copper Mesh Peanut and Sunflower Feeder (BC400)The only feeder here that publishes its mesh opening size, which is what decides whether a given nut stays in the feeder or falls out of it.Under $50
One feeder that takes peanuts or sunflower, in a material that ages well
Birds Choice Small Economy Nut Feeder (LCNUT)Two cups of shelled peanuts in a steel mesh tube with a push-button base — the cheapest honest way to test the food before committing to hardware.Under $25
Finding out whether peanuts change your yard, for the least money
Ranked on the assumption that squirrels turn up, because peanuts are the food that brings them. If nothing has raided your feeders yet, start at the bottom of this list and spend twenty dollars finding out whether peanuts work in your yard at all.
Pick 01
The only pick here that closes when a squirrel climbs on
Brome Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder
A weight-activated shroud on the one food squirrels will work hardest for — you are buying the mechanism, and the capacity figure makes that plain.
3/4 quart, which the maker states as 1.3 lb / 750 ml / 600 gSource: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
Dimensions
5.125 in W x 5.125 in L x 19.375 in H; 27 in including the hangerSource: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
How it works
Openings in the shroud align with the feeding ports; when a squirrel climbs on, its weight forces the shroud down and closes accessSource: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
Adjustment
Patented weight-adjustable spring sets how much weight the shroud will carry before it closesSource: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
Materials
All parts exposed to squirrels are made with chew-proof materialsSource: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
Mesh
Two interchangeable mesh sizes, for different foodsSource: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
Cleaning
Dismantles by hand into individual components without toolsSource: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
Food
Shelled peanuts, other nuts, suet nuggets and dried fruit — all foods the maker notes leave no mess on the groundSource: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
Birds the maker lists
Downy, hairy, red-bellied and red-headed woodpeckersSource: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
What it will not stop
Not published by the manufacturer in a form we could verify — Brome publishes an explicit exclusion list for some other Squirrel Buster models but not for this one
Maker's list price
$98.95 on 2026-09-21Source: Brome Bird Care, Squirrel Buster Nut Feeder product page (store.bromebirdcare.com) and its product-support specification page (bromebirdcare.com), both read 2026-09-21
What it gets right
The only mechanical answer on this page to the animal that wants peanuts more than any other feeder food
The weight-adjustable spring means you can shut out large birds as well as squirrels, which no other pick here offers
Chew-proof on every exposed part — the detail that matters when the reward inside is peanuts rather than seed
Comes apart by hand with no tools, which is what makes a greasy nut feeder practical to keep clean
What it does not
3/4 quart against the Nature's Way feeder's 2.75 quarts, at roughly three times the maker's price — about ten times as much per quart of capacity
By far the most expensive thing on this page, and four times the entry-level feeder
Brome publishes an explicit list of what its mechanism will not stop on some other models; there is no such list for this one, so treat the claim as squirrels only
A weight mechanism does nothing about rain, and no roof or drainage is published
Who it is for
Anyone who has already watched a squirrel empty a peanut feeder. Peanuts are the food that makes the mechanism worth paying for.
Skip this if
Nothing is raiding your feeders yet. This is a fix for a proven problem, and at this price it is a lot to spend on a problem you may not have.
Pick 02
The most capacity, and the most birds on it at once
Nature's Way Midnight Metal Mesh Seed and Peanut Feeder (KMESH-9)
2.75 quarts under a twist-off lid, with a 360-degree seed tray and drain holes — the feeder to buy if the peanuts are actually getting eaten.
2.75 quarts, which the maker states is over 4.875 lb of seedSource: Nature's Way Bird Products, Midnight Metal Mesh Mixed Seed and Peanut Bird Feeder (model KMESH-9) product page, natureswaybirds.com, read 2026-09-21
Dimensions
14.5 in H x 9 in W x 9 in D, 1.65 lbSource: Nature's Way Bird Products, Midnight Metal Mesh Mixed Seed and Peanut Bird Feeder (model KMESH-9) product page, natureswaybirds.com, read 2026-09-21
Feeding surface
360-degree seed tray, which the maker says lets several birds feed without competingSource: Nature's Way Bird Products, Midnight Metal Mesh Mixed Seed and Peanut Bird Feeder (model KMESH-9) product page, natureswaybirds.com, read 2026-09-21
Drainage
Drain holes in the seed tray to promote rain drainageSource: Nature's Way Bird Products, Midnight Metal Mesh Mixed Seed and Peanut Bird Feeder (model KMESH-9) product page, natureswaybirds.com, read 2026-09-21
Materials
All metal with durable powder-coated partsSource: Nature's Way Bird Products, Midnight Metal Mesh Mixed Seed and Peanut Bird Feeder (model KMESH-9) product page, natureswaybirds.com, read 2026-09-21
Filling and cleaning
Twist-off lid and a large tube opening; the maker states all parts remove for cleaning without toolsSource: Nature's Way Bird Products, Midnight Metal Mesh Mixed Seed and Peanut Bird Feeder (model KMESH-9) product page, natureswaybirds.com, read 2026-09-21
Food
Black oil sunflower, striped sunflower, shelled peanuts, nuts, mixed seed blends or suet nuggetsSource: Nature's Way Bird Products, Midnight Metal Mesh Mixed Seed and Peanut Bird Feeder (model KMESH-9) product page, natureswaybirds.com, read 2026-09-21
Birds the maker lists
Woodpeckers, chickadees, cardinals, grosbeaks, titmice, finches, nuthatches, house finchesSource: Nature's Way Bird Products, Midnight Metal Mesh Mixed Seed and Peanut Bird Feeder (model KMESH-9) product page, natureswaybirds.com, read 2026-09-21
Mesh opening size
Not published by the manufacturer in a form we could verify on the maker's product page
Squirrel resistance
None — no mechanism, and the maker claims none
Maker's list price and stock
$33.99, in stock and ready for shipping on 2026-09-21Source: Nature's Way Bird Products, Midnight Metal Mesh Mixed Seed and Peanut Bird Feeder (model KMESH-9) product page, natureswaybirds.com, read 2026-09-21
What it gets right
2.75 quarts is roughly eleven times the economy feeder's two cups, for less than twice the price
The seed tray is the difference between a mesh tube that only clinging birds use and a feeder cardinals and grosbeaks also work
Drain holes published, which almost nothing else in this class bothers to mention
Every part comes off without tools, and peanut residue is exactly the thing you need to get at
What it does not
A 9 in seed tray is a platform for squirrels as much as for cardinals, and there is no mechanism at all
The seed tray also catches rain, so the drain holes are necessary rather than generous
The maker publishes no mesh opening size, so nut-blend compatibility is untested before purchase
Nature's Way's own store has been listing it below the usual Amazon price — check both before buying
Who it is for
A yard where peanuts already disappear and you are tired of refilling a two-cup tube every other day.
Skip this if
Squirrels are already a problem. A wide open tray on a mesh tube full of peanuts is the most attractive thing you can hang in a yard that has them.
Pick 03
One feeder that takes peanuts or sunflower, in a material that ages well
Birds Choice Copper Mesh Peanut and Sunflower Feeder (BC400)
The only feeder here that publishes its mesh opening size, which is what decides whether a given nut stays in the feeder or falls out of it.
Approximately 1 lb of black oil sunflower seedSource: Birds Choice, Copper Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder for Black Oil Sunflower and Shelled Peanuts (SKU BC400) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20, re-read 2026-09-21
Mesh openings
0.25 in x 0.25 in — the only published mesh dimension on this pageSource: Birds Choice, Copper Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder for Black Oil Sunflower and Shelled Peanuts (SKU BC400) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20, re-read 2026-09-21
Dimensions
4 in L x 4 in W x 11.5 in H, 1 lbSource: Birds Choice, Copper Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder for Black Oil Sunflower and Shelled Peanuts (SKU BC400) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20, re-read 2026-09-21
Materials
Copper top and bottom with a large stainless steel mesh screenSource: Birds Choice, Copper Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder for Black Oil Sunflower and Shelled Peanuts (SKU BC400) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20, re-read 2026-09-21
Food
Shelled peanuts and/or black oil sunflower seedSource: Birds Choice, Copper Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder for Black Oil Sunflower and Shelled Peanuts (SKU BC400) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20, re-read 2026-09-21
Filling and cleaning
Squeeze the butterfly clip and slide it up the hanging cable, then move the cover asideSource: Birds Choice, Copper Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder for Black Oil Sunflower and Shelled Peanuts (SKU BC400) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20, re-read 2026-09-21
Other detail
Center seed diverterSource: Birds Choice, Copper Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder for Black Oil Sunflower and Shelled Peanuts (SKU BC400) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20, re-read 2026-09-21
Birds the maker lists
Chickadees, titmice, jays, nuthatches, woodpeckers, towheesSource: Birds Choice, Copper Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder for Black Oil Sunflower and Shelled Peanuts (SKU BC400) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20, re-read 2026-09-21
Squirrel resistance
None — no mechanism, and the maker claims none
Maker's list price and stock
$31.99, in stock and ready to ship on 2026-09-21Source: Birds Choice, Copper Mesh Hanging Bird Feeder for Black Oil Sunflower and Shelled Peanuts (SKU BC400) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-20, re-read 2026-09-21
What it gets right
A published 0.25 in mesh is genuinely useful: you can check it against the nut you intend to buy rather than guessing
Takes sunflower as well as peanuts, so it is still a useful feeder if the peanut experiment does not work out
Copper and stainless rather than powder-coated steel — nothing on it rusts through when the finish chips
Fills and empties by sliding one clip, with no tools and no disassembly
What it does not
One pound of capacity for half again the price of the economy feeder; you are paying for materials, not volume
0.25 in mesh is sized for shelled peanuts — whole peanuts in the shell will not fit through it at all
No squirrel resistance, on the food squirrels want most
The published capacity figure is for sunflower, not for peanuts, so the peanut capacity is left to you to work out
Who it is for
Someone who already knows peanuts work in their yard and wants a feeder that will still look right in ten years, with the flexibility to switch it to sunflower.
Skip this if
You want whole peanuts in the shell for jays. The mesh is a quarter-inch square and that is the wrong feeder entirely for in-shell nuts.
Pick 04
Finding out whether peanuts change your yard, for the least money
Birds Choice Small Economy Nut Feeder (LCNUT)
Two cups of shelled peanuts in a steel mesh tube with a push-button base — the cheapest honest way to test the food before committing to hardware.
2 cups of peanuts or a nut blendSource: Birds Choice, Small Economy Nut Bird Feeder (SKU LCNUT) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-21
Dimensions
4 in L x 4 in W x 8.75 in H, 0.5 lbSource: Birds Choice, Small Economy Nut Bird Feeder (SKU LCNUT) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-21
Materials
Steel and mesh, with a green metal top and bottom and a black mesh screenSource: Birds Choice, Small Economy Nut Bird Feeder (SKU LCNUT) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-21
Cleaning
Push-button spring-release bottom; the maker notes there is no center rod, so it fills and empties straight throughSource: Birds Choice, Small Economy Nut Bird Feeder (SKU LCNUT) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-21
Not published by the manufacturer in a form we could verify on the maker's product page for this model
Squirrel resistance
None — no mechanism, and the maker claims none
Maker's list price and stock
$20.99, in stock and ready to ship on 2026-09-21Source: Birds Choice, Small Economy Nut Bird Feeder (SKU LCNUT) product page, birdschoice.com, read 2026-09-21
What it gets right
The cheapest way to answer the only question that matters first: do peanuts bring anything new to your yard
A spring-release base and no center rod make it genuinely easy to empty, which matters because peanuts go rancid
Half a pound empty, so it hangs anywhere without a pole
The maker's species list is the same one its far more expensive copper feeder carries
What it does not
Two cups is a day or two in a busy yard, and less than that once jays find it
No squirrel resistance whatsoever, on the food squirrels want most
No roof and no drainage published, so wet peanuts are your problem to manage
The maker does not publish a mesh opening size, so you cannot check it against a nut blend before buying
Who it is for
Anyone curious about peanuts who does not yet know whether their yard has the woodpeckers, nuthatches and titmice that make the food worth buying.
Skip this if
Squirrels already empty your feeders. Peanuts are the food they will work hardest for, and this feeder gives them an open invitation in a steel tube.
Start from whether anything is raiding you yet
The squirrel situation decides the feeder
The squirrel situation decides the feeder
Your situation
What to buy
Why
What it does not fix
Squirrels already empty your feeders
Brome Squirrel Buster Nut
A weight-activated shroud closes the ports, and it is the only mechanism on this page
Capacity — 3/4 quart, the second-smallest here
Peanuts already disappear and nothing steals them
Nature's Way Midnight (KMESH-9)
2.75 quarts and a 360-degree seed tray, for about a third of the Brome's price
Nothing about squirrels, and the tray helps them
You want peanuts or sunflower from one feeder
Birds Choice copper mesh (BC400)
Published 0.25 in mesh, takes either food, copper and stainless throughout
Only about 1 lb of capacity
You have never put peanuts out
Birds Choice economy nut feeder (LCNUT)
Two cups for about twenty dollars — the cheapest way to test the food
Everything else; it is a test, not a solution
You want whole peanuts in the shell
None of these
Every feeder here is built around shelled peanuts
See the in-shell section below — we could not source one honestly
The published figures, side by side
Every feeder on this page, on the maker's own numbers
Every feeder on this page, on the maker's own numbers
Feeder
Capacity
Dimensions
Mesh size
Squirrel mechanism
Maker's list price
Brome Squirrel Buster Nut
3/4 qt (1.3 lb)
5.125 x 5.125 x 19.375 in
Two interchangeable meshes
Weight-activated shroud, adjustable
$98.95
Nature's Way Midnight (KMESH-9)
2.75 qt (over 4.875 lb)
14.5 in H x 9 in W x 9 in D
Not published
None
$33.99
Birds Choice copper (BC400)
Approx 1 lb
4 x 4 x 11.5 in
0.25 in x 0.25 in
None
$31.99
Birds Choice economy (LCNUT)
2 cups
4 x 4 x 8.75 in
Not published
None
$20.99
Every figure is the maker's own, read 2026-09-21 (the BC400 page was first read 2026-09-20 and re-read on 2026-09-21). Maker's list price is the number on the maker's own store that day and is not a live retail price — the buy buttons carry the live Amazon price, which for some of these is higher than the maker charges.
What the squirrel mechanism actually costs
Nobody prints this, so here it is worked out from the published capacities and the makers' own list prices. The Brome holds 3/4 of a quart at $98.95, which is about $132 per quart of capacity. The Nature's Way Midnight holds 2.75 quarts at $33.99, which is about $12 per quart. The Birds Choice economy feeder holds 2 cups — half a quart — at $20.99, or about $42 per quart.
So the squirrel-proof feeder costs roughly ten times as much per quart of capacity as the largest feeder here, and holds about a quarter as much. Put the other way round: the Nature's Way takes over 4.875 lb of food where the Brome takes 1.3 lb, for about a third of the price.
That is not an argument against the Brome. It is an argument for being clear about what you are buying, which is a mechanism rather than a reservoir. If squirrels are emptying a feeder, a cheap feeder they empty repeatedly is the more expensive option. If they are not, you would be paying about $99 for 1.3 lb of capacity.
Shelled or in the shell, and why this page only covers one
Peanut feeders split into two designs. Fine mesh holds shelled peanuts, which is what every feeder on this page is built for. Wide mesh or a wire wreath holds whole peanuts in the shell, which is a different proposition — bigger, slower to eat, and mainly of interest to jays and larger woodpeckers.
This page has no in-shell pick, and that is worth saying plainly rather than quietly. The one whole-peanut feeder we found from a manufacturer that publishes real specifications — the Birds Choice magnet mesh model — came back out of stock when we checked availability, and the rest of the in-shell category on Amazon is unbranded product with no manufacturer page and no published specification of any kind. We would rather leave the gap open than fill it with a feeder whose figures we cannot check.
Mesh size is the spec the category will not publish
One feeder on this page publishes its mesh opening size: the Birds Choice BC400, at 0.25 in x 0.25 in. That single figure tells you it takes shelled peanuts and black oil sunflower and will not take anything larger — which is exactly the information you need and exactly what the other listings omit.
Nature's Way describes its mesh as Easy-Cling and publishes a food list instead of a dimension; Brome publishes that two interchangeable mesh sizes are supplied but not what they measure; Birds Choice's own economy feeder says only that it has a black mesh screen. If you are buying a specific nut blend rather than plain shelled peanuts, that omission is a real risk, and the BC400 is the only pick here where you can check before you buy rather than after.
Peanuts are oily, which makes cleaning the real job
Peanuts carry far more oil than sunflower, and oily food is the food that goes off. The site makes the same point about nyjer on the finch feeder page, and it applies harder here. The practical consequence is that the cleaning design matters more than the capacity, and all four makers have clearly thought about it.
Birds Choice economy feeder has a push-button spring-release bottom and, the maker notes, no center rod — so it empties straight through.
Birds Choice BC400 opens by squeezing a butterfly clip and sliding it up the hanging cable, with no disassembly at all.
Nature's Way Midnight has a twist-off lid and a large tube opening, and the maker states every part comes off for cleaning without tools.
Brome publishes a Detachable Component System — the feeder dismantles by hand into individual components with no tools, which is the most thorough of the four.
Buy what gets eaten. All four hold small quantities by design. Filling a peanut feeder to the top and walking away is how you end up throwing the contents out.
What not to buy
A big open peanut feeder, if squirrels are already a problem. Peanuts are the highest-value thing you can hang out, and a wide tray on a mesh tube is the easiest possible target.
A squirrel-proof nut feeder for a problem you do not have. At about $99 for 1.3 lb it is a lot of money for a mechanism nothing is testing.
A feeder with no published mesh size, if you are buying a nut blend. Plain shelled peanuts are safe enough; anything chunkier is a gamble on an unpublished dimension.
Salted or seasoned peanuts of any kind. Feeder peanuts are sold plain and raw for a reason. This is the one mistake in the category that is about the food rather than the hardware.
FAQ
Questions people ask about this
What is the best peanut feeder for birds?
It depends entirely on whether squirrels are a problem. If they are, the Brome Squirrel Buster Nut is the only pick here with a weight-activated mechanism that closes when one climbs on. If they are not, the Nature's Way Midnight holds 2.75 quarts for about a third of the price, and the Birds Choice economy feeder is the cheapest way to test the food at around twenty dollars.
What birds eat peanuts from a feeder?
Woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees and titmice are named by all three manufacturers on this page that publish a species list. Birds Choice also lists jays and towhees; Nature's Way also lists cardinals, grosbeaks, finches and house finches; Brome specifically lists downy, hairy, red-bellied and red-headed woodpeckers.
Do peanut feeders attract squirrels?
The whole design of this category assumes so. Three of the four feeders here publish no squirrel mechanism at all, and the fourth is a purpose-built squirrel-proof nut feeder from a maker that specializes in them. If squirrels are already a problem in your yard, treat peanuts as the food that will test your defenses hardest.
Are shelled or in-shell peanuts better for birds?
They suit different birds and different feeders. Fine mesh feeders, which is every model on this page, hold shelled peanuts and suit clinging birds. Whole peanuts in the shell need a wide wire feeder or wreath and mainly interest jays and larger woodpeckers. Shelled peanuts also leave nothing on the ground, which Brome publishes as a specific advantage.
How big should a peanut feeder be?
Smaller than you would guess. Peanuts are oily and go off, so the right size is what gets eaten in a few days rather than the largest reservoir you can buy. The feeders here run from 2 cups to 2.75 quarts, and in a quiet yard the smaller end is the sensible choice.
What mesh size does a peanut feeder need?
For shelled peanuts, roughly a quarter-inch. Birds Choice publishes 0.25 in x 0.25 in on its BC400, and it is the only feeder on this page that publishes a mesh dimension at all. If you plan to use a chunkier nut blend rather than plain shelled peanuts, that unpublished figure is the thing most likely to catch you out.
Can you put peanuts in a normal bird feeder?
Shelled peanuts work in an open platform or tray, because there is no port to clog — that is covered on the platform feeder page. A standard seed tube with small ports is the wrong shape: peanuts are too large for the ports and the feeder simply blocks.
How often should a peanut feeder be cleaned?
More often than a sunflower feeder, because peanuts carry much more oil and oily food spoils faster. Every maker on this page has designed for it — a spring-release base, a sliding butterfly clip, a twist-off lid, or Brome's tool-free Detachable Component System. Whichever you buy, empty and wash it rather than topping it up indefinitely.
