Birdfeeders

If you put up a bird feeder in an area where squirrels live, they will find it, so it is necessary to take measures to keep them out of your bird seed. There are basically two goals when dealing with squirrels. First, do everything you can to keep them from getting to the bird feeder and second, if they do get to it, prevent them from destroying the bird feeder and eating all the bird seed. For the first goal, hang your bird feeder at least 8 feet away from the nearest jumping off point (roof, fence, tree, etc) and at least 5 feet off the ground. If the bird feeder is mounted on a pole, be sure to use a baffle under the feeder. If you are using a tube bird feeder, don’t use a tray under it, for that is a great landing platform for a squirrel! A top baffle will prevent a squirrel from coming down to a hanging bird feeder. Even with all of these precautions, squirrels somehow manage to figure a way to get to that bird feeder, so the last defense is a good quality squirrel proof bird feeder. If they cannot chew through the feeder or reach the seed ports, your seed will be protected. We have found that by offering inexpensive cracked corn on the ground, the squirrels may be content to eat that. Besides, they are fun to watch too.