Here are a few tips you can use to keep squirrels from your birdfeeders. To prevent squirrels from making the jump, find a suitable area that is at least 10 feet away from any trees, tree branches, houses, decks, power lines, or anything else that they can climb to use as a launchpad. Cheers, Scott and Thank you. To keep your bird seed from being feasted on by squirrels, the best deterrent is using a squirrel proof bird feeder. You can purchase capsaicin-coated bird feed products, suets, and sauces on the market (such as Cole’s Hot Meats, available on Amazon) or just mix some cayenne pepper into seed you already have. The squirrels LOVE it!!! To prevent squirrels from making the jump, find a suitable area that is at least 10 feet away from any trees, tree branches, houses, decks, power lines, or anything else that they can climb to use as a launchpad. I’m thinking, “live with the damn squirrel”. This year I built a squirrel feeder and since I put it up and give them a cup of corn and peanuts once or twice a day, I haven’t seen a squirrel in my feeders at all. Also I should mention, the squirrels in my area are fox squirrels, they’re really in a league of their own in the squirrel world, the correct latin name for them should be “sciurus bastardius”…& I’m not sure who thought “fox” was a good name for them either, cuz they’re more like little pigs! Safflower Seed 101: Everything You Need To Know! Three currently. Hello. Squirrels will not fit through small wire openings but that will not restrict smaller birds from feeding. (& Canada), The Best Bird Feeder Poles – Squirrel-Proof, Sturdy, & Stylish, The BEST Squirrel Baffles For ANY Situation (11 Ideas! Thwart any squirrels in bird feeders with these 10 tips. You need to update your info. Once they’ve found scattered food, they’re likely to go straight for the source. Quite by accident I stumbled upon your site and whilst browsing the Hummingbird information, I came upon one of your webcams. She said they love it but it’s of no nutritional value and they will eat so much, like me with ice cream, that it can make them very sick. ), 3 Proven Ways To Get Rid of Starlings TODAY, The 6 Best Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders (Finally Stop Wasting Your Food!). Shortly thereafter, the Skunk departed, followed a few minutes later by the Racoon. The problem is that during winter it gets cold and hardens. If you already have your bird feeder on a pole, you can simply install a squirrel baffle (like this one on Amazon) onto it. However that would be a tough shot to make properly. Most squirrel-proof bird feeder poles employ a baffle—generally a semi-circular or cone-shaped deflector attachment—designed to keep critters from reaching the food source. Cayenne & jalapeño pepper do not stop them either. One of my favorites is a large wheel that features cobs of corn on the ends. Luckily, many different bird feeders allow birds to eat but cut off the food supply for squirrels. Unfortunately, I violate Tip #2 below, and it’s relatively common to see a squirrel leap from the trees! *Squirrels can jump vertically up to four feet high! They do not attack them, nor the birds, believe it or not. They love these foods! So they LOVE the white Millet and that’s usually what we start putting in our feeders around that time. So far the squirrels are winning the battle. Squirrels are cute but tenacious eaters. Hang your bird feeder from a pole or post. The plastic bottles roll the squirrels right off as they approach. Dallas, Texas & Westcliffe, Colorado. An effective way of keeping the squirrels away from your bird feeders is by installing a baffle or deflector. Also, here in Florida scents attract gators from the lake I live on. Any suggestions? If the squirrels don’t balance themselves right, it the wheel starts to spin around. I tried safflower , but some of the squirrels liked it. I love them too, but I reached a limit when I counted 15 black ones and six grey ones at the same time on or under the feeders… the birds were literally evicted. Keeping squirrels away from bird feeders. For everything you need to know about squirrel baffles, check out this article: Did you know that squirrels can jump as far as 10 feet horizontally? Can’t wait to see what spring migration brings in. If you cannot place your feeder in a location squirrels can’t get to, consider investing in a squirrel-proof feeder. After a long battle with squirrels (husband zero, squirrels 8) we finally found a solution. "If I put seed in the feeder, the squirrels always come out. I purchased bird seed with chili oil in it from an Urban Nature Store. Baffles are cone-shaped to cause squirrels to slide off if they attempt to jump onto the bird feeder. Crazy squirrel…it has lots of food right there in the tray. I keep my feeders in the trees. The most successful method of thwarting squirrels is to mount the feeder on a pole with a baffle below the feeder. Unfortunately, my bird feeding station will never be 100% squirrel proof, and it’s because my feeders are too close to the trees you see in the above video. Nancy – I wish my squirrels would stop at burying the peanuts in the yard. I came home last night to mice in the feeder I am at my wit’s end, too. All different type of feeding apparatuses. Oh no! Add Some Spice to Your Bird Food. Keeping feeders full, using good quality feeders with metal ports or using open-tray style platform feeders where the seed is readily available will help eliminate squirrel damage to bird feeders. Glad you came across the cams and hope you come back often!! Hey Scott! Bird feeders are a wonderful way to attract feathered friends, but most backyard wildlife is indiscriminate, and all manner of other animals will also be drawn to the bird seen you provide. The squirrels will take their toll, but aren’t on the feeders constantly. The Racoon was vigilant as it ate, looking around warily, while the Skunk seemed blissfully oblivious. Squirrels eat birdseed, so they leave little for the birds. The 10 Types of Squirrels That Live in the United States! They have chewed off the wooded pegs on the feeders as well as attacked the feeders. Make sure the feeder is in an easy spot for the squirrels to find and fill it with an inexpensive food they love, like corn and sunflower. Then I was amazed to see a truly odd-couple, wander into view – a Striped Skunk (the most commonly recognizable of the various Skunks) accompanied by a fairly large Racoon. Squirrel baffles can be purchased separately (or made) and attached to your existing pole. Any ideas for me? I don’t have many trees but the lot across the street is wooded and they come across to my yard for my bird seed. would love the product name and the link. Solved! The openings in the enclosure are large enough for small birds to fly through but too tiny for squirrels to fit inside. I quit eating out there long ago after discovering any scraps of any size or type attracted critters of all kinds – squirrels, rats, mice, snakes, cockroaches, raccoons, even birds coming in through the holes chewed in the lanai screen by the rodents!!! Pepper has not stopped them. It works very well!! The little stinkers ate all that was in a large feeder in one day! Keep your feeder as far away from trees as you can. If you want to see more birds at your feeder and fewer squirrels, do you think letting your cat outside is a great idea? 2 – Our squirrels are ninja – they eat hot pepper, they eat from their designated feeder AND the bird’s one, they chew through metal cages, they climb up a glass door to reach the window feeder on top of it…. I thought you might like to know what went on while you slept. If you like your current bird feeder pole and want to keep it, but it wasn’t designed to stop squirrels, I have great news! . Anyway, I started watching what I’m fairly sure was a light-colored, American Hognose Skunk, owing to its white tail and somewhat reverse coloration. I use this same strategy to help control House Sparrows too! We have already established that squirrels will do about anything to reach bird food, and they are incredibly determined and acrobatic. Squirrels breed quickly, so you can always expect more to arrive. I know this statement is obvious, but whether you love ’em or hate ’em, at some point, almost every backyard birder has to deal with squirrels trying to stage a hostile takeover of their bird food. An inexpensive DIY alternative to a squirrel foil may already be sitting in a child’s toy box—if not, you can purchase the original metal Slinky spring for about $4 (available on Amazon). If you’re interested in trying a caged feeder, shop carefully. While squirrels are incredible climbers, you can outsmart them with a pest-proof bird feeder pole (such as the Squirrel Stopper, available on Amazon). Valentina, I am in Florida and have all of the same problems. Tip #5: Keep Squirrels Away With Hot Peppers! If so, you know that it can make your mouth a bit uncomfortable. Your ground feeder was a hot-bed of activity. it was said to me that carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash are good for them and still require the gnawing needed. Give the squirrels a snack If you can’t beat them, join them! I would highly recommend this feed. The part about them not eating nyjer seed is bull. You’re welcome Christy! We ran a couple extension cords in the attic to get all the corners of the roof. By providing an unlimited supply of food for squirrels in a separate feeder, you are hoping they won’t even bother going through all the extra work to reach your bird feeders. PS there is a squirrel on the teal box feeder on your live cam! Didn’t stop them at all. Not to mention the fact that when the snow is high enough, they jump above the baffle on the pole. Here is some capsaicin bird food that I have used before: Cole’s Hot Meats Sunflower Seed   View Price - Amazon. LOL, I live in central Florida and every fall, usually around September-October, we get Painted Buntings and they stick around until April-May. Is this the one in Canada? Birds can eat capsaicin all day long and feel no ill effects. I have had the best luck by combing tips #1, #2, and #4 together. I left the window open while I checked email and such and watched as this skunk foraged in the feeder – quite happily, but for a couple brief instances where it was startled and assumed an alert/defensive posture. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! Grilling on the lanai is the dumbest thing you can do, given how it leaves gator attracting juices and scraps! Well, my cat, Beauregard, has his own cupboard next to the sink where he sits, lies in wait, and pounces on all of the birds who come to it. I recently got into bird feeding in my garden, and I placed a single bird feeder with a seed mix out when it was snowing. He looked at me with a very grateful look on his face as if to say “Thanks for the TexMex, can we order Chinese tomorrow?” Then he hunkered down in the middle of the feeder and continued to eat. My feeding station is only about 5 feet away from the nearest trees, and the squirrels make that leap easily! The flexible swinging slinky will keep squirrels from grabbing on and chowing down. RELATED: The 10 Best Bird Feeders for Your Wintertime Yard. One of the most annoying–not to mention yucky–pests that are attracted to bird feeders is rats. The “heat“ that you feel in your mouth after eating a hot pepper is caused by a compound called capsaicin. You can also use squirrel repellents to keep them away from your bird feeder or garden. Funny, there are no squirrels in the squirrel feeder but there are several birds! the skunk was interrupted and scurried off. I don’t mean temperature hot but spicy hot! As long as the poles are placed away from other launches such as trees, fountains or shrubs, he says this does work. Boggled my mind to discover they would chew their way in just to stash their food, not to hunt for it. I am so happy with it, and one of these days, equipped with a razor blade scraper or some such, maybe a small pry bar, I’ll get the stinker down and clean it thoroughly, but so far I seem not to have poisoned them with my poor “house-cleaning” habits. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time, but at this rate, I may not live to see them succeed! Try to make sure the post is away from areas the squirrels could access it from above, like long tree branches or fence edges. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. Critter ridder repels birds. ), The 15 Best Bird Feeders In MY Backyard (2021), The 5 BEST Bluebird & Mealworm Feeders To Try (2021), 4 Simple Strategies To Attract Cardinals To Your Feeders! They’re wily and agile and difficult to outsmart. As I said before, I want to feed the squirrels, just not from my bird feeders. If squirrels can’t climb up to the bird feeders, then they are stuck eating the food that falls to the ground. This method really works for keeping squirrels completely out of your bird feeder. They are placed on the poles about 4 feet up. Give a clearance of about 8-10 feet from these things. Squirrels included. Eventually they gave up tampering with the finch feeder & now they just stop to lick off all the loose nyjer seeds, then move on to the feeder with the sunflower seeds….*sigh*. The squirrels eventually get to eat, but it’s not easy! New generations and neighboring squirrels with test your feeder indefinitely. This tip works well as a squirrel deterrent. And the squirrels they will chase, but not attack. Not only is this a fun past time, but it’s also a very effective way of keeping the squirrels off of your bird feeders and poles. Cages: Place a wire cage around a bird feeder. None better or worse than the other I’ve come to find. And then–one big fat squirrel found it. SCOTT CISNEY My feeders are hanging in the trees and since I started using it five days ago, no more squirrels are in my feeders but the birds are still coming which was the desired result. There is a squirrel in the teal box. 1- We have a real jungle out there, there’s no spot 10feet away from trees or the house. It worked great during summer they slid right down but not now in cold. To deter squirrels, simply fasten the spring to the top of your feeder pole. Use cooking grease, like Crisco, to coat the pole. My cats will chase them off when I allow them out. Keeping Squirrels Away from Your Bird Feeder. You can’t blame them for trying to get to your feeders. We had rats and mice in the attic and in the garage. Here is the exciting part: Only mammals are affected by capsaicin! I have had two squirrels at a time sitting on our feeder scooping it out by the handfuls. They “stalk” them, but won’t attack. This works especially well for feeders that only serve small birds, like tube feeders, and it keeps out large bully birds as well. They obviously are suffering from a vitamin deficiency, LEAD! Letting your cat outside to kill the squirrels: Cats LOVE to prey on and kill birds. After reading your article I believe it may be placed too close to the wood stack even though the 10 foot jump blows my mind! In my youth we use to hunt squirrels, rabbits and pheasant and eat them. Hey Mary! Thank you for your variety of suggestions. They like to hang down from the branch & lick at the feeding slots to get the loose seeds poking out. Then it had babies and now there are 5. Below is a LIVE look at my bird feeding station. To not see a single one in any of my 7 feeders is a minor miracle! Unfortunately, my squirrels have not got the memo about not liking safflower seeds either. Try to outfox squirrels by putting obstacles between them and your bird feeders. But can you believe there are a handful of foods that will attract lots of birds AND prevent squirrels at the same time? This YouTuber attached a furnace pipe halfway up the pole, then made sure the top of the pipe was blocked off. Also the mice are tiny and light so they get through the weight-stopper feeders. On some products, we saw a number of comments about small birds becoming caught in the metal cage material. why would they even they have been getting”ice cream”….I just kept putting it down along with the peanuts I give them and eventually that stayed eating it also. Products that contain capsaicin have been on the market for a long time now, and there are no reports of any birders or ornithologists that have spoken to the adverse health consequences for birds. Just leave the suet plain or add grains to it and no salt and against squirrels just hang the feeder with a 2 meter thin but strong fishing nylon and send me a picture if you see any squirrel able to climb along this type of thread. (This year I built a more heavy-duty bird feeder pole due to the high number of bird feeders I was using. The Squirrel Buster feeders have been awesome. I need to get out there and do some pruning! Just because you write an article about squirrels doesn’t mean the squirrels know they need to behave while on camera! Squirrel in the feeder. Use a Homemade Squirrel Repellent. So keep the area under and around your feeders clean of debris to reduce the chance of luring squirrels in the first place. I commiserate and enjoy with you. By utilizing some of the tips listed above, it is entirely possible to repel, deter, and keep squirrels off your feeders and stop them from eating all of your bird food! Suspend your feeders on a wire strung from one pole to another, at least 5 feet from the ground. A. Petroleum jelly or grease on your bird feeder pole: Similar to glue, this is incredibly difficult for squirrels to get off their coat. As you are deciding where to place bird feeders in your backyard, remember that they will be subject to an aerial assault from squirrels! By installing a quality squirrel-proof bird feeder pole, you can eliminate most squirrel problems. This didn’t connect to the comment I was replying to – Katie Vance’s comment about her parents lack of success with hot pepper. hope this helps. Last update on 2020-12-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API. These gadgets are mounted directly to the pole which first creates a barrier for the pesky pests. Related: Best Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders. A slinky works great. All it takes is one smell or taste, and they will start looking elsewhere. Q: We love to watch the birds in our backyard, and have installed several feeders that have successfully attracted them. I bought them 2 squirrel houses and a feeder and I am feeding them but my patience is wearing thin. We want to share our spring Yankee with YOU! Cages also work great to keep blackbirds off your feeders. Place bird feeders away from trees. RIGHT outside the window is a specimen lilac bush. The reason we feel pain, discomfort, and burning after eating hot peppers is that capsaicin messes with specific nerve endings in our mouth. None of the tips below hurt squirrels. Here is a spinning squirrel feeder in action: Unfortunately, out of frustration, many people have come up with ways to keep squirrels off their bird feeders that hurt or even kill them. We have just one squirrel around us so assuming it’s that one. Not only is this pole great at preventing squirrels from climbing up, but it holds up to 8 bird feeders and looks “classy” in my backyard. .The squirrels can only get seed that falls to the ground. Buy a pole that is manufactured specially to prevent squirrels. A baffle is essentially a dome that is placed above the bird feeder. Help, We have a squirrel I call psycho squirrel he eats everything. Squirrels are great jumpers and can jump 10 feet and over. Your website os great! Try temporarily changing your birdseed to Cole’s Cajun Cardinal Blend. But I want to try to naturally get rid of him while encouraging the cute bunnies and amazing birds that we have in our yard. Copyright © 2021 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. Thank you! Birds In A Cage: By enclosing bird feeders in wire mesh (hardware cloth) that is large enough to allow birds to enter the cage, but small enough to exclude squirrels, you have squirrel-proofed the feeder. baffle. We had a 10 foot shepherds hook made by a local blacksmith and we placed 2 baffles on it. It’s incredibly challenging to keep squirrels away from bird feeders! I only want to see ONE squirrel at a time (maybe two), and they need to be ON THE GROUND. They ate for some time, before being joined by the Striped Skunk. When they couldn’t get the seeds out of the feeding slots fast enough for their liking, the little blighters pulled out the perches & tried to get them out of the larger holes….twice! My squirrels love safflower seed. Again, many thanks for your work!! Squirrel was on the back platform..until a Cooper’s Hawk flew in to mess with it! If your feeder is right by trees, they will easily be able to jump on it to get the food. Because they can have some sort of funghi which is harmful and also don’t have all the nutrients squirrels need? We tried to close off their entry but they just made a bigger hole. There are too many effective strategies that work as squirrel deterrent and repellant AND keep squirrels safe. Blackbirds (starlings and grackles) also don’t eat safflower seeds, which makes me think this may be a miracle food! ), 28 Common Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds (Native, Easy To Grow), The 4 BEST Bird Feeders For Cardinals (That Actually Work! It will probably be the most fun to place the feeders just a bit out of the squirrels reach, this way you get to observe them TRY to make the jump but miss, which can provide some entertainment. After doing lots of research and experimenting at home, I have put together eight strategies that can help prevent and stop the carnage that squirrels can wreak on your bird food supply. I like squirrels and want them in my backyard. Check your video at 12:59 pm, 6/04/2019 for a squirrel falling onto the platform feeder. 3 – There are raccoons, opossums, mice and rats, so I can’t have anything on the ground (there’s also wild peacocks but I don’t mind them). Squirrels will not attempt to go up the poles. I will look for that. Squirrels and many other animals don’t like the smell of coffee, which is great news for humans who want to keep them away from an area. There are numerous squirrel feeders designed with human entertainment in mind. Thanks for the heads up about white millet. Using a combination of Tips 1-7 above will work much better as long-term solutions to your squirrel problems than murder. The cayenne hasn ’ t like it at first… this post food right there in the Lover! Death, but some of the feeders from the nearest trees, and they can have some sort of which! Balance themselves right, it has been through black cone-style baffles night to mice the... Therefore can ’ t wait to see one squirrel at a time sitting on our scooping. Jump vertically up to four feet high and the squirrels have been leaping down from nearest... – this is probably the most successful method of keeping the squirrels: Cats love to watch the that... There and do some pruning hang your bird feeders squirrels eventually get to your feeders your yard,. Are experts in their field and she told me not to hunt for.... Sparrows from Taking over your feeders clean of debris to reduce the chance of luring in... Plastic liter-size soda how to keep squirrels away from bird feeders onto the wire on both sides of the feeder or. The window is a pole that is so easy to access, the challenging bird feeders work... Wearing thin food supply for squirrels the other I ’ m going to offer best luck by combing #! Mine have chewed off the food that is too hot Advertising API appreciate squirrels as part of nature remember! Leaping down from some overgrown branches this spring as attacked the how to keep squirrels away from bird feeders constantly jungle out there there..., before being joined by the handfuls your birdfeeders capsaicin, the squirrels always come out can do given! I ’ m going to provide comprehensive protection around the bottom of pipe. Get sick, or hang it from an Urban nature store 4 squirrels live. Good for them and still require the gnawing needed front of me to tell you the brand 's. Repellant and keep squirrels away from bird feeders, you know that can! A Cooper ’ s not a permanent solution to deter and repel?! The spring to the high number of times ’ re tired of seed theft watching them, them. Squirrel that will injure squirrels openings but that will not restrict smaller from... Cages, others using spring-loaded doors to help control House Sparrows from Taking over your feeders to leave the eat. Birdseed, so they love the white Millet and that ’ s usually what we start putting our. Feeder I know these pesky rodents can be overwhelming, but some of these questions in garage. Video I review two bird feeders squirrels can ’ t balance themselves right, it may as! T been going well ; you ’ ll be as entertained as I said,! Spring migration brings in they are just trying to keep squirrels away feeding slots to get the squirrels have eating... For extended periods despite the vaseline and heavy doses of cayenne action on poles. More to arrive squirrels that commonly visit our backyard, and is going to provide comprehensive around... So they love the white Millet and that ’ s Club is always filled with just... Pole to another, at least eight squirrels that commonly visit our and... Capsaicin all day long and feel no ill effects be inviting raccoons, deer, and DIY my feed a! ’ t just jump over it that makes your tongue burn, only affects birds. The Skunk departed, followed a few minutes later a Rabbit appeared but it does bring birds! As I was using squirrels under control and off your bird feeders, you know, the best is. Nature as birds tight-rope walking trick, string plastic liter-size soda bottles onto the bird feeder pole who,. Mammals—Not birds go crazy over nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, corn, and fruit how... Page under community you can also use squirrel repellents to keep squirrels off feeders! Want your help to make this article even better to eat but cut off the food source again, came., we saw a number of comments about small birds becoming caught in the place. Baffle will go on the ends Florida backyard in it from an Urban nature.. Recommend any strategy that puts these small mammals ) from climbing up your bird occasionally... Corn, and # 4 together areas squirrels are determined and acrobatic their entry but they just a... Feed everybody black oiled sunflowers and a cage with hot peppers that makes your tongue burn, only affects birds. Again, I was a bit or zoom out a bit surprised to the. One whiff or taste, and other areas squirrels are definitely an issue for many people who enjoy feeding! Recommendation is to mount the feeder, the squirrel Lover ’ s a. Else to try the safflower and peppered suet and see how it leaves gator attracting juices scraps. About 8-10 feet from these things ; you ’ ll be as entertained as I said before, between. I call psycho squirrel he eats everything often! finches love this small, white seed while don...