Bird Houses

If you feed the birds then you will probably already know that you are feeding squirrels as well. In addition to being a real nuisance by scaring away the birds you are trying to feed from your bird feeders, they can also have a large appetite and be very destructive too.

We all know that feeding the birds in your own garden or backyard can be fun and entertaining, but when the feeders are constantly under threat from squirrels it can become a little frustrating and eventually annoying.

Stopping Squirrels Is Not Easy

However the good news is that there are ways and means to deter the attackers and even prevent them from stealing the food that you have paid good money for as food for your birds. The easiest way is to go on the attack yourself and squirrel proof your bird feeders so that only the birds can then take advantage of the food that you offer.

If you like to see the squirrels and their crazy antics then don't expect them to disappear. They will always be around and newcomers will always try their luck at your feeders to see if there is an easy way in to a free meal! You just have to find a way to stop them taking the bird food.

Squirrels Eat Bird Food!

All the food that you feed your birds, such as peanuts, sunflower seeds and suet, is also attractive to your local squirrel population and they will take it all themselves given the chance. They are also very determined and will totally destroy a feeder just to get at the seeds or nuts within. You should be aware that they can easily chew through wood and hard plastic and even metal feeders have been destroyed by squirrels in my yard.

So although it may cost you to implement your squirrel buster strategy, it will save you money in the long run, as the cost of replacing broken feeders and stolen food consumed by these agile creatures can be quite high. If you have squirrels in your neighborhood then the best policy is to initially make the extra investment in squirrel proof bird feeders even though they may seem expensive compared to a standard feeder.

Squirrel Proofing Tactics

Fortunately there are many different ways to make your bird food as well as your bird feeders less attractive and tempting to the squirrels. And this can be done without any restriction on access to the birds you really want to feed.

Bird Feeder Location

Squirrels are great at jumping and can leap up to 10 feet quite easily. So just make sure that when you locate your feeders in your yard that they are put up away 12 to 15 feet away from any other object that a squirrel could use as a launching pad. A single metal pole with the feeder over 5 feet off the ground is your best bet.

Spicy Bird Food

Surprisingly birds are immune to the effects of spicy food such as peppers whereas animals, including squirrels, are not. Therefore by adding cayenne pepper or a similar spice to your bird seed you will find that the squirrels will leave it alone. This is a great initial tactic to employ as it gives instant results very quickly.

Bird Feeder Cages

This is the most popular tactic and you can do this yourself with existing feeders or buy squirrel proof bird feeders that already have them built in. It needs made of wire that squirrels cannot chew through and the openings need to be too small for squirrels, but large enough to let your birds through. Remember if you add your own wire mesh it needs to protect the whole of the feeder including top, bottom and sides.

Bird Feeder Baffles

These are another great tactic that always seems to work well. They must be made of smooth plastic or metal a minimum of 15 inches in width and these baffles should be located above or below each individual bird feeder unless you have several mounted on a pole. Sloping or dome shapes are best as they do not provide an easy location for squirrels to sit as they will tend to lose balance and slide off before reaching the feeder above or below.

Specialist Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders

There are now many different purpose built squirrel proof feeders on the market which have been specially designed to deter and stop squirrels accessing the bird food they contain. They can employ some clever features that ensure the seed remains there just for the birds to eat.

Some of these feeders use special mechanisms that cause the feeder to spin when the squirrel lands on it and this throws the animal off the feeder. More popular though are the versions where the weight of the squirrel on the feeder will cause the feed holes to close and thus stop the animals getting to the seeds etc. These work particularly well if they are made of sturdy material such as metal that they cannot chew through.