Birdfeeders

The first step in thwarting squirrels is making the location of a bird feeder very difficult for a squirrel to get to. This means having it at least 4 feet off the ground, more than 10 feet from any jumping off point and protected from above as well. Obviously, this isn’t always possible. Luckily for us, bird feeder designers have been working on squirrel proof bird feeders for a long time, so now there are many types to choose from. The cages around a tube feeder work quite well, but some people don’t like the look or want larger birds to be able to get to the feeder. There is another type of squirrel proof bird feeder that has spring operated counter weights that close the feed ports when a very heavy bird or a squirrel steps on the feeding platforms. These can be quite effective. Now there are also battery operated squirrel proof bird feeders that begin to spin as soon as the weight of a squirrel is present. They spin faster and faster until the squirrel flies off. I have a friend who has one of these in a location that is easy for squirrels to approach. Watching the local squirrels on this feeder has offered hours of entertainment for her house bound mother!

Almost anytime people talk about feeding birds, the talk eventually turns to ways to keep those darn squirrels from emptying the bird feeders! They can jump over 3 feet high from a standing start and with a running start can jump 10 feet or more to get to a feeder! They can dangle and drop from above or figure out any number of ways to get past whatever obstacle we dream up to stop them. Some people give up the battle and actually put out corn and peanuts for the squirrels in the hope that they will leave the bird feeders alone. This sometimes works, but more often, they enjoy the extra treats, but still raid the bird feeders. Obviously, we all are searching for the perfect squirrel proof feeders, but I haven’t discovered it yet. There are many possible deterents, but it depends on the arrangement of your yard and the determination of your squirrels. We only seem to have 2 squirrels (now!) and after I put a plastic large hood over the tube feeder so they couldn’t climb down the wire, they seem to be content cleaning up under the feeder. If they figure out how to get to the feeder, the next step is a caged squirrel proof bird feeder. This is a tube feeder that is surrounded by a cage. The squirrel cannot reach the seed ports, but small birds have no trouble getting to the seed. This is usually successful and can solve the problem.