Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders
Posted: Monday, October 29, 2007
by Susan Schlenger
Susan Schlenger Landscape Design
A wild bird feeder can bring much enjoyment when placed in the landscape. But then come those pesky little squirrels. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy watching them. So does my 18 month old Golden Retriever. Now that the squirrels are getting very busy, Jerzey is enchanted with them. He spends a good part of his day standing up at the window and watching them with frantic excitement.
But I digress. I don't mind if the squirrels have a little bird seed. I mean I know they have to eat too. However, let them feed off the ground and not from the bird feeders, scaring the birds away.
There are various bird feeders that have surfaced lately that are squirrel proof. In addition, there are items to buy to deter the squirrels from reaching regular bird feeders.
One such bird feeder that is presented as being squirrel proof is a tube or cylinder with a wire cage around it. Supposedly, the birds can get to the seed, but the squirrels cannot. It is claimed that the openings in the cage are too small for the squirrel to access the seed. HOWEVER, this is not completely squirrel proof. What about baby squirrels? There are stories where baby squirrels have entered and just ate and ate. Unfortunately, they could not get out. The feeder had to be taken apart so that the squirrel could be removed!
Yet there is a squirrel proof bird feeder similar to this that does really work. There is a cage with rather small openings that surrounds the tube feeder, but larger openings are left in both the tube and the cage for birds to access the seed. The feeder has a ring at the bottom. When the squirrel moves onto the ring, his weight forces the "cage" to move down. In doing so, the cage moves over the larger seed openings so that the squirrel cannot get to it through the smaller openings of the cage. These smaller openings cover the larger bird feeding stations.
Other types have a bottom ring which is motorized. The weight of the squirrel activates it and caused the ring to either spin or flip, causing the squirrel to either be tossed or spun around. There are some online videos showing it in action. It's pretty comical.
You can also purchase a baffle. If your bird feeder is, for example, hanging from a tree on a chain, the baffle, which is a large plastic dome, is placed above the feeder. When a squirrel jumps on the feeder from the tree, he slides off. I have used one of these on a long tube feeder for years and it works great. There is also the added advantage that the baffle protects the birds from rain and snow.
If you have a pole bird feeder, the baffle should be attached to the pole below the feeder. The baffle should be a minimum of 17 inches in diameter. This deters the squirrels from climbing up the pole. Once they reach the baffle, they have nowhere to go. Some squirrels can figure things out, but I have been lucky with this type also.
Squirrels are very persistent and determined. They will probably try quite a few times before they give up. Keeping the feeders a minimum of ten feet away from convenient jumping places is helpful, although squirrels can jump huge distances.
When I fill my bird feeders, I purposely get a little sloppy and let some fall to the ground. This is really for the Cardinals, but the squirrels eat it too. I really don't mind. I actually enjoy watching them...to a point.
Susan Schlenger is a Landscape Designer with a degree in Landscape Architecture. You can read more about wild bird feeders at her site: http://www.landscape-design-advice.com/wild-bird-feeder.html
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