How to Build Squirrel Feeders Yourself

This is not the safest way to feed squirrels.

Squirrels are one of the few animals that actually resemble their cartoon counterpoints. Cute, furry, energetic and persistent, they can be a joy to watch. The best way to attract squirrels to your yard is to make squirrel feeders. Simple squirrel feeders are also great craft projects to do with kids because they are inexpensive and can be finished in under an hour. Make sure you hang even the most basic squirrel feeders far away from bird feeders, or you will not be able to convince the squirrels to leave the bird food alone.

Things You'll Need

• Weather-proof twine
• Scissors
• Dried corn on the cob, six ears or more
• Two sturdy sticks, at least 10 inches long
• Permanent marker
• Large, open pine cones
• Peanut butter
• Bird seed
• Pie pan or shallow dish
• Large spoon
• Optional:
• Cooking oil

Instructions

Simplest Corn Cob Squirrel Feeder:

1. 

   Squirrels love dried corn.

   Cut weather-proof twine into varying lengths, ranging from 10 inches to about 18 inches. This doesn't have to be exact.

2. Tie one end of the twine tightly around an ear of dried corn, about one-third of the way down from the top. Repeat for all of the cobs and twine.

3. Tie the loose ends among your tree branches, so that the corncobs hang at varying heights.

Balancing Corn Cob Squirrel Feeder:

1. 

   Squirrels are natural acrobats.

   Cut weatherproof twine into four pieces, each 8 inches long. Tie one end of each string around a corncob, about a third of the way down.

2. Tie the free ends to the ends of the two sturdy sticks, so that you have two sticks, each with a corncob tied to each end. Try to keep them dangling at the same height, but this doesn't have to be exact.

3. Hold out your index finger and balance one stick on it. Slide the stick back and forth along your finger until you find the balance point, where you don't have to hold the stick to keep it on your finger. Mark that point. Repeat with the other stick.

4. Place the two sticks in an "X" shape, one on top of the other, and tie them together with the another piece of twine that is long enough to secure the sticks and hang them from the tree; at least 12 inches or more. The squirrels will have fun negotiating the wobbly sticks to get to the corn.

Pine Cone Squirrel Feeders:

1. 

   Open pine cones make excellent squirrel feeders.

   Cut your twine into 12-inch lengths, as many as you have pine cones. Tie one end of the twine around the pine cone, about a third of the way down from the top.

2. Smear the pine cones with peanut butter, making sure to get it all up in the petals of the pine cones. You could use a spoon, but it's best to just use your fingers to really stuff the pine cones full. You can coat your hands with oil first, to make washing off the peanut butter a little easier, but it's not necessary.

3. Fill your pan or shallow dish with bird seed. Roll the peanut butter-coated pine cones in the bird seed, using a large spoon to help sprinkle the bird seed into hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.

4. Hang the pine cones at varying heights in your tree.

Tips & Warnings

• Hang your squirrel feeders low enough to make replacing the corncobs or pine cones---or cutting down old strings---easy.

• Never try to hand-feed wild squirrels because they do bite, and can be rabid.

References

• Kid Info: Build a Squirrel Feeder for Fall Fun
• Luma Gardening: Squirrel Feeders
• Make Play Dough: Pine Cone Bird & Squirrel Feeder

Resources

• Woodworker's Workshop: Squirrel Feeders