How to Build a Wood Bird Feeder for Squirrels
No matter how conscientiously you put out food for the birds, these exasperating little criminals inevitably arrive to make off with the millet. You can shake your fists and rig all sorts of devices to keep them out of the bird feeders--usually to no avail. The easiest solution is usually to give up and make the cute little critters their own feeder, so they leave the birds alone. Build this simple feeder based on designs similar to one of the many free plans at Woodworkers Workshop. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- One 1-inch-thick x 6-inch-wide dog-ear-style cedar fence board
- Measuring tape
- Saw
- Drill
- 1/8-inch drill bit
- Box, 1-1/4-inch-long flathead wood screws
- 1 large nail (4 inches long)
Instructions
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1
Use a measuring tape to measure down 12 inches from the top end of the cedar fence board (end with "dog ears"). This is the back piece.
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2
Cut the board at that point using a hand or power saw.
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3
Measure two more pieces of the board--each 6 inches long, and then cut as before.
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4
Draw a line diagonally across (corner to corner) on one of the 6-inch pieces, and cut it in half on that line to make two triangular pieces. (Set one aside and discard the other--or use to make a second feeder.) This is the bracket for holding the feeder shelf.
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5
Drill a hole all the way through on both the top and the bottom of the 12-inch piece, in the center (width-wise) and around 1 inch from each end of the board. (These are for nails to attach the feeder to a tree.)
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6
Drill a hole in the non-triangular 6-inch piece (the feeder shelf), positioning the hole in the center of the width of the board and about 2 inches from one end (leaving 4 inches beyond that). Insert the large nail--from the underside, so the sharp point faces up (this is to spear an ear of dried corn for the squirrels to eat).
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Center the triangular piece in the middle of, and at a right angle to, the 12-inch-long piece (about 1 inch above the hole you drilled at the bottom). Attach it from the back with 1-1/4-inch-long flathead screws.
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Position the feeder shelf against the back piece on top of the triangular bracket, so that it forms a shelf with the nail point facing up, 2 inches from the front. Use flathead wood screws to fasten in place from the top. (The sitting portion of the shelf should be to the inside, so the squirrel sits with its back to the back piece and the tree while eating.)
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Nail the feeder to a tree as high up as you can reach (to protect squirrels from dogs and cats); stick on an ear of corn and sit back to watch the fun.
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Tips & Warnings
Cedar is naturally weather-resistant and needs no painting. If you use another wood, you may want to paint it with a solid coat of exterior latex for protection from the elements.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit squirrel eating image by Jeff Dalton from Fotolia.com
