How to Keep Squirrels off Bird Feeders
Keeping squirrels off bird feeders can be done quite easily. It may seem the squirrel is outsmarting you at every turn, but you are going to win this time. True, they can jump five or six feet straight off the ground, dangle from bird feeders and run along wires. But you can defeat them and save your wild bird seed with four basic methods.
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Instructions
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Place your bird feeders out of reach. Keep at least 10 feet away from any tree, fence or deck. Do not hang from a wire. Place the feeder high off the ground.
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Use squirrel baffles. These contraptions can be placed either underneath the feeder if it's on a pole, or over the top of the feeder if it's hanging from a wire. The dome is slippery and difficult to get around. Even if the squirrel were to make it onto the dome, it would slide right off.
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Purchase a squirrel-proof bird feeder. Many options are available. Some will tip sideways when a squirrel hops onto them, forcing it to the ground. Others are surrounded by a wire mesh that smaller birds can fit through, but not squirrels. This can also be useful if you are trying to ward off larger birds. Some squirrel-proof feeders are weight-sensitive. When a bird perches, everything is fine. But when a squirrel hops on, the lever drops and shuts off the food supply. These feeders are a great option if you cannot place them out of the squirrels' way, or you do not want to look at a squirrel baffle.
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Try baiting the squirrels with their own feeding station. Yes, this is giving in. But it is a viable option. Consider stocking the squirrel station with sunflower seed or whole cracked corn, which squirrels love. Keep it stocked and very easy to get to. This should help your wild bird seed last longer.
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Tips & Warnings
Adjust as necessary. Squirrels are clever little critters.
Do not try to poison the squirrels! Many unintended poisonings are highly likely.
References
- Photo Credit Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
