Squirrels on the birdfeeder (Rose Bushes, pepper, bird, eat)
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After a day or two of success, the squirrels would be sitting on the bird feeder.
The baffles only worked for a couple days.
I then bought 6 inch stovepipe and encased the center pole.
After a couple days, the would crawl the 6 inch stovepipe.
I oiled the stove pipe. Two days later they are in feeders.
I installed a 6 ft section of 4 inch silver stove pipe and it did the trick.
Evidently the narrow diameter stove pipe makes it impossible to crawl up it.
I guess they can't get traction? I'm definitely going to look into it. I miss feeding the birds!
I had the same issues. I cured it several ways. The bird feeder must be far enough away that they cannot leap to it from fences, trees, wires, house, etc. I believe this is about 8-10ft. I set feeder on top of a pole. Below the feeder, mounted on the pool was what looked like an upside down dinner plate which I bought at Lowes #212554. The device mounted on the pole below the feeder. They could climb the pole but they could not get past the inverted plate. They tried and tried but could not. It was funny watching them climb the pole and try to get around/over the plate. They would fall off (not hurt themselves) and try, try again. After a bit they just gave up.
The squirrel-proof feeders work for me. The bigger birds don't like them, so I have to put up with a squirrel dumping the contents of a lantern-style feeder every now and then to keep the cardinals etc. coming.
I've had great success with the combination of a Droll Yankee squirrel-proof model, and two dogs. I have the feeder set just far enough from anything the squirrels might use to get on it, and as soon as they come close, the dogs chase them anyway.
I had a bigger problem with deer emptying my feeder each night, so now I just put about 1/2 cup in every morning, rather than filling it.
I use a squirrel baffle on my feeder pole and the squirrels can't get up the pole. You also have to locate the feeders far enough away from trees that the squirrels can't jump onto them.
This is the baffle I have, but there are others - most hardware stores that carry bird seed have them; often they're shaped like a flattened cone, sort of like "Chinese" hats.
I never had great luck with only using a squirrel-proof feeder. But I haven't had any problems since getting a purpose-made pole and squirrel baffle.
I went to the fancy bird store and bought it a few years ago. Has held up great and no squirrels or chipmunks get up there. They try occasionally, but they can't get around this thing.
The baffle actually hangs loose, I believe that is part of its effectiveness. There's a clamp to the pole underneath it, and then you just slide the baffle on over that. Have watched a squirrel disappear into it but there's nowhere for it to go, and it can't get around the outside at the bottom.
You don't have to get the fancy stuff. Wrap-around baffles like this: 18" Wrap Around Baffle | Bird Feeder Baffle fit poles of many different diameters so you could put this on an existing pole perhaps. Or if you're handy you can rig up your own gadget (like the stove pipe mentioned).
Other than that you just have to be clear of anything the squirrel could jump from to still get to the feeder. I have heard the number 8 feet bandied about, but at any rate you want several feet between the feeder pole and any structure or tree that is higher than the ground the feeder pole is on. My pole is actually near a hill that goes up but I haven't had trouble with that as long as I don't hang a flat tray feeder too low on the hill side of the pole.
There was an episode of Shark Tank where a guy brought in a novelty bird feeder with a remote control. The idea was for your amusement you would watch the bird feeder and if a squirrel came and got on the bird feeder you would press the button and give the squirrel an electric shock to teach the squirrel to not get on the bird feeder.
We must have particularly dumb squirrels around here!
I have two feeders hanging from one of those double J-hook feeder stands, and another hanging from a limb of a spruce tree on a rope. Each roughly 4' from the ground. I've yet to see squirrels shimmy up the pole, or climb down the rope, nor jump onto a feeder.
Plenty of squirrels here too; sometimes there will be a veritable herd of them under the feeders.
I used to have a big feeder mounted on a 4x4, which of course the squirrels shimmied right up. I discovered a very low-tech way to deter them...taped a black plastic trash bag a few feet up the post so it bulged out. The squirrels wouldn't go past the trash bag. Mind you that is not the most picturesque option.
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