How to Make a Squirrel Feeder From Wire

Squirrel can be adorable and pesky at the same time.

Squirrels can be adorable and a nuisance at the same time, especially if they constantly empty your bird feeder. One of a squirrel's favorite things to eat is corn, but if you set corn on the ground, it can rot and decay. And if you set it on a bird feeder, they will chase birds away. The best solution is to make a corn cob squirrel feeder out of wire. This will keep the squirrels satisfied and happy and will keep them away from the bird feeding area.

Things You'll Need

• Needle nose pliers
• Wire hanger
• Empty paper towel roll
• Corn cob

Instructions

1. Take the wire hanger and unwrap the wire where it meets the hook, creating one long hanger. Do not straighten the hook end, as this will be needed to hang the feeder on the tree, but straighten the rest of the hanger.

2. Cut 4 inches off the wire on the end opposite the hook with wire cutters.

3. Grab hold of the very bottom end of the wire hanger with the needle nose pliers. Twist it around the nose of the pliers, making three tight loops. This will be the bottom of the corn feeder.

4. Remove the pliers from the tight end, but continue winding the wire with wider circles until you reach the hook. As a guide, you can wind the wire around an empty paper towel holder so you have an accurate idea of how tight to make your coils. Continue winding the coils until you come to the wire hook.

5. Insert a corn cob down into the coils and hang the feeder from a tree branch, nail or fence railing.

Tips & Warnings

• For winter feeding, you can also make a similar feeder by wrapping the coils around the lemon for size. Remove the lemon and fill the feeder with suet mixed with nuts or seed for the squirrels.

• Be careful when handling cut wire, as the snipped ends can be very sharp.

References

• Example: Stokes Select: Corn Cob Feeder
• Education.com: Recycled Wire Hanger Bird Feeder

Resources

• Duncraft: Squirrel Facts and Diversion Feeding