Bird feeders and squirrels

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by ArkansasSlim

Squirrels are very, very smart and I like to sit and watch them trying to figure out a way to get to a new feeder or one that has been moved. You can almost hear the wheels spinning. The young ones, when Mom first takes them out for "training", are especially fun to watch.

They are resourceful little rodents and they do provide hours of free entertainment. Some deer seasons watching these furry little tree rats are the only thing that keeps me awake in my stand.

[culturedmom]

Thanks everyone. I cannot move the feeder because it is cemented in and was built with the house. It's quite a lovely wooden feeder that look slike a small gazeebo. Now why they put them (there are 2) right under a tree makes no sense, but not much I can do about that now. I thought about creating a squirrel feeder and using the chilli pepper laced food to maybe sway them to leave the bird food alone. We shall see.


BTW, I like squirrels too. I just don;t like my bird seed being thrown about and stolen.

[Nighteyes]

The "twirl-a-squirrel" feeders are not only quite entertaining for us humans , but rather effective as well!!!

Being in an area that is heavily invested with squirrels, here's the solution I eventually came up with. I selected a place in the yard that is at least 15 feet from the nearest structure or tree or branch or... you get the idea. There is nothing above it, either.

I planted a 12-foot section of gas pipe about 2 feet into the ground, and poured a 10-inch "dish" of concrete around it for security/stability. On the top I placed a flat "platform" on which to scatter seeds and unshelled roasted peanuts. I added two 2-foot "arms" just below that, and hung two finch feeders on them.

The squirrels cannot climb the gas pipe, and they cannot jump that high. There are no nearby "launching pads" from which to jump or dive. Not that they haven't been trying, of course. I do need a step-stool to reach the top platform, but what the hey?

Lately I've heard rumors about about secret squirrel-meetings to identify and plan ways to get even with me, but so far nothing of interest has occurred!

[johnny999]

I have three bird feeding stations and the best way I have found to defeat the rats with fuzzy tails is to place the feeders where they can't jump onto them from trees or fences, use a pole long enough to keep them from jumping from the ground, and then place three foot sections of galvanized stove pipe around the pole just under the feeder platform itself. I haven't had a squirrel on a feeder in three years and they congregate under them and feed on what the birds drop.

[joey2000]

Originally Posted by ArkansasSlim

The other has a motorized perch around the base. The weight of a bird will not activate it, but a squirrel will. When the squirrel gets on it, it rotates and the squirrel finally looses its grip and falls. I had one of those feeders hanging above a deck rail. A squirrel jumped up onto it and was "rejected". It came right back onto the deck rail and went through all that again. It came back again and stopped below the feeder, looking at it. It would get ready to jump, then change it's mind. It did that several times, then gave up, left, and never came back. As I said; "I could write a book".

lol. We had one of those, but it didn't hold up ie stopped working before long.

The "hot" food is an interesting idea, will have to try......