Since I began giving the black-oil sunflower seeds a light spray of this before filling the bird feeder, foraging visits by marauding black bears have stopped. Two bears tipped over the feeder pole at different times, and took a bite of the treated seeds. Then they walked away, perhaps to seek a drink to dilute the taste of the pepper oil, and have not returned. Meanwhile, the chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches that frequent the feeder reportedly can't taste the pepper, and peck away the husk before eating. the seed, so they're not ingesting it. For our bird clientele, this is a much more cost-effective approach than buying pre-treated seed mix, especially as the millet and cracked corn components were left uneaten.