The squirrels LOVE it!!! If you consider squirrels cute but you just don’t want them snatching birdseed, consider feeding them something they love, like corn, peanuts, or sunflower seeds, in a location away from your feeders. But can you believe there are a handful of foods that will attract lots of birds AND prevent squirrels at the same time? Help, We have a squirrel I call psycho squirrel he eats everything. The flexible swinging slinky will keep squirrels from grabbing on and chowing down. I’ve done my best to provide the most humane tips possible, as I don’t believe in poisoning squirrels or any live animal. I have a lovely wooded garden walk out apartment. Use a Motion Activated Sprinkler. However, squirrels and mice might look cuter but will still create problems for you and your yard. This didn’t connect to the comment I was replying to – Katie Vance’s comment about her parents lack of success with hot pepper. When a squirrel climbs on the feeder, the motor kicks in to start spinning, which tosses them off! My husband loves to feed the finches. I even put it on the window ledge where they jump to the feeder from, with large quantities mixed into vaseline so it sticks to the ledge. If your feeder is right by trees, they will easily be able to jump on it to get the food. You’re welcome Christy! I have a good reason to hate squirrels since they invaded my house and were living in my facia and got up into my attic. Valentina, I am in Florida and have all of the same problems. If you are not able to stop squirrels from reaching your bird feeders, it may be time to turn your feeders into Fort Knox. I don’t have many trees but the lot across the street is wooded and they come across to my yard for my bird seed. Can’t wait to see what spring migration brings in. Once they’ve found scattered food, they’re likely to go straight for the source. Buy a baffle. How can we keep squirrels away from our bird feeders? The 10 Types of Squirrels That Live in the United States! Bird feeders are a wonderful way to attract feathered friends, but most backyard wildlife is indiscriminate, and all manner of other animals will also be drawn to the bird seen you provide. Thwart any squirrels in bird feeders with these 10 tips. To prevent squirrels from making the jump, find a suitable area that is at least 10 feet away from any trees, tree branches, houses, decks, power lines, or anything else that they can climb to use as a launchpad. Products that contain capsaicin have been on the market for a long time now, and there are no reports of any birders or ornithologists that have spoken to the adverse health consequences for birds. Quite by accident I stumbled upon your site and whilst browsing the Hummingbird information, I came upon one of your webcams. I don’t mean temperature hot but spicy hot! Squirrels are great jumpers and can jump 10 feet and over. You can purchase capsaicin-coated bird feed products, suets, and sauces on the market (such as Cole’s Hot Meats, available on Amazon) or just mix some cayenne pepper into seed you already have. If you’re truly desperate to keep squirrels out of bird feeders, set up a small squirrel feeding area on the ground a good distance away from your feeders. My feeding station is only about 5 feet away from the nearest trees, and the squirrels make that leap easily! Just leave the suet plain or add grains to it and no salt and against squirrels just hang the feeder with a 2 meter thin but strong fishing nylon and send me a picture if you see any squirrel able to climb along this type of thread. None better or worse than the other I’ve come to find. This year I built a squirrel feeder and since I put it up and give them a cup of corn and peanuts once or twice a day, I haven’t seen a squirrel in my feeders at all. I have two metal squirrel proof feeders that they easily defeat so my only hope is to feed safflower in one and nyjer in a tube. If you already have your bird feeder on a pole, you can simply install a squirrel baffle (like this one on Amazon) onto it. I hope you’ll be as entertained as I was. For a list of my favorite squirrel-proof bird feeders, check out the following article: There may be locations you want to place your feeders that are almost impossible to keep squirrels away from, such as on a deck, window, or near a tree. One whiff or taste is enough to drive out any squirrels in bird feeders. We put in a one way door but the guy who did it left a small strip open and used spray foam over it. Blackbirds (starlings and grackles) also don’t eat safflower seeds, which makes me think this may be a miracle food! Worst part was that the cardinals who were coming to the feeder before, in between squirrel raids, quit coming. . But when a squirrel jumps on, typically a door closes, and they are not able to eat the food! As squirrels climb, they are not able to get around the baffle and therefore can’t eat your bird food! The part about them not eating nyjer seed is bull. The tips below are meant to help you keep squirrels away from bird feeders. This tip runs counter to almost everything else on this list. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. For instance, if you hang feeders on a wire between two trees or poles, string empty thread spools or plastic bottles onto the wire to create an obstacle course squirrels will find difficult to get through. There are too many effective strategies that work as squirrel deterrent and repellant AND keep squirrels safe. Katie Vance, I gave up on the pepper when I came home to a chipmonk chowing away at the red peppered seed in my platform feeder. SCOTT CISNEY Here are a few tips you can use to keep squirrels from your birdfeeders. If you’re interested in trying a caged feeder, shop carefully. We want to share our spring Yankee with YOU! *Squirrels can jump vertically up to four feet high! They worked on that for a while and are now back in and my son goes crazy when he hears them above his head chewing wood. Hang your bird feeder from a pole or post. 1- We have a real jungle out there, there’s no spot 10feet away from trees or the house. I purchased bird seed with chili oil in it from an Urban Nature Store. However that would be a tough shot to make properly. The plastic bottles roll the squirrels right off as they approach. it was said to me that carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash are good for them and still require the gnawing needed. RIGHT outside the window is a specimen lilac bush. Grilling on the lanai is the dumbest thing you can do, given how it leaves gator attracting juices and scraps! Here is the exciting part: Only mammals are affected by capsaicin! While squirrels are incredible climbers, you can outsmart them with a pest-proof bird feeder pole (such as the Squirrel Stopper, available on Amazon). Any ideas for me? Shortly thereafter, the Skunk departed, followed a few minutes later by the Racoon. Thanks for the heads up about white millet. Squirrels will not attempt to go up the poles. (& Canada), The Best Bird Feeder Poles – Squirrel-Proof, Sturdy, & Stylish, The BEST Squirrel Baffles For ANY Situation (11 Ideas! I also disagree a bit with tip #8….I think if you shot ’em in the head they wouldn’t even know what hit ’em, so it wouldn’t actually hurt them. Then I was amazed to see a truly odd-couple, wander into view – a Striped Skunk (the most commonly recognizable of the various Skunks) accompanied by a fairly large Racoon. All it takes is one smell or taste, and they will start looking elsewhere. These gadgets are mounted directly to the pole which first creates a barrier for the pesky pests. My feeders are hanging in the trees and since I started using it five days ago, no more squirrels are in my feeders but the birds are still coming which was the desired result. Thanks for providing so much entertainment!! Check out the spring-loaded baffle on the Squirrel Stopper pole below: Squirrel Stopper Pole Check Today's Price. I use this same strategy to help control House Sparrows too! When they couldn’t get the seeds out of the feeding slots fast enough for their liking, the little blighters pulled out the perches & tried to get them out of the larger holes….twice! Squirrels will always slip off whenever they climb. I am an absolute bird feeder neophyte. They “stalk” them, but won’t attack. Not only is this pole great at preventing squirrels from climbing up, but it holds up to 8 bird feeders and looks “classy” in my backyard. Crazy squirrel…it has lots of food right there in the tray. They tried to go after the birds when I first started feeding them; one feeder was nearly destroyed when one of my male cats took a vertical leap trying to reach a bird. The squirrels will take their toll, but aren’t on the feeders constantly. There are numerous squirrel feeders designed with human entertainment in mind. Boggled my mind to discover they would chew their way in just to stash their food, not to hunt for it. Squirrels even hung out on the ledge for extended periods despite the vaseline and heavy doses of cayenne. One of the most annoying–not to mention yucky–pests that are attracted to bird feeders is rats. My cats will chase them off when I allow them out. Pepper has not stopped them. It’s incredibly challenging to keep squirrels away from bird feeders! Has not stopped squirrels at all. Knowing this, try having some fun and make them work hard for their meal! If you go to my Youtube page under community you can see the whole set up now. Where Hummingbirds Live All Year Long, The Dos and Don'ts for Landscaping Around Trees, 7 Signs Your Tree is Dying—and How to Save It, 9 Pro Tips for Building an Outdoor Kitchen. 5. I keep my feeders in the trees. Even if you have a squirrel-proof bird feeder pole (see ... Get a squirrel-proof feeder pole. This is significant because I usually have 10 -12 in my yard at most times. Try to make sure the post is away from areas the squirrels could access it from above, like long tree branches or fence edges. So another thing, I read in many websites that actually corn and peanuts are not good for squirrels? Can you help answer some of these questions in the comments below? I had my squirrel problem under control until I moved the feeder to the back yard. Critter ridder repels birds. The tube-shaped weight-activated feeders are the only ones that stop these little rascals, for the moment! To prevent squirrels from making the jump, find a suitable area that is at least 10 feet away from any trees, tree branches, houses, decks, power lines, or anything else that they can climb to use as a launchpad. He looked at me with a very grateful look on his face as if to say “Thanks for the TexMex, can we order Chinese tomorrow?” Then he hunkered down in the middle of the feeder and continued to eat. Capsaicin, the compound in hot peppers that makes your tongue burn, only affects mammals—not birds. Good morning, thanks for the great advice! I too enjoy my squirrels and their antics. I don’t have one in front of me to tell you the brand. Your dilemma is not uncommon. Baffles are cone-shaped to cause squirrels to slide off if they attempt to jump onto the bird feeder. If you love bird feeders, then you know one of the tasks of any bird feeder owner is to make sure that pests stay far away from the precious bird food. A baffle is a device that you can add to bird feeder poles to stop squirrels from snacking on the bird seed. For example, underneath my bird feeders, I have a tray that is always filled with sunflower just for the squirrels! Squirrels can easily jump up to seven feet horizontally. Can you move the camera up a bit or zoom out a bit? Eventually they gave up tampering with the finch feeder & now they just stop to lick off all the loose nyjer seeds, then move on to the feeder with the sunflower seeds….*sigh*. My feeding station is only about 5 feet away from the nearest trees, and the squirrels make that leap easily! Bushes, flowerbeds and bird feeders that attract small birds or flying insects; Plants with nuts and seeds that attract squirrels and other small rodents; A pond or other body of water attracting amphibians; Altering these backyard features will help to keep hawks away. 2 – Our squirrels are ninja – they eat hot pepper, they eat from their designated feeder AND the bird’s one, they chew through metal cages, they climb up a glass door to reach the window feeder on top of it…. I know these pesky rodents can be overwhelming, but please resist any temptations to eliminate them permanently. I have a finch feeder full of it & the squirrels have tried to get at the seeds a number of times. We had rats and mice in the attic and in the garage. Unfortunately, I violate Tip #2 below, and it’s relatively common to see a squirrel leap from the trees! We installed the ultrasonic devices and we haven’t seen any in years. . Use Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders. I left the window open while I checked email and such and watched as this skunk foraged in the feeder – quite happily, but for a couple brief instances where it was startled and assumed an alert/defensive posture. She said the squirrels have been eating through the bottom of the feeder. Or you could stick the feeder up on a pole (squirrels will probably still climb it) and then, as our very own Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki suggests, spray it with PAM. Squirrels are often attracted to the seed that falls from feeders to the ground. 6 Proven Tips to STOP House Sparrows From Taking Over Your Feeders, The 8 Best Hummingbird Feeders (That Actually Work in 2021), How To Attract Hummingbirds: 38 Simple Tips (2021 Guide! I thought you might like to know what went on while you slept. In this case, it may be necessary to be very selective about the foods you are going to offer. When I first learned about the strategy of stopping squirrels with hot peppers, it sounded strange to me but made a lot of sense once I learned more. All different type of feeding apparatuses. You can also use chili flakes in your spray. We have three old oak trees so no chance of keeping squirrels away. I am now in year 3, I think, and not only have the suction cups not dropped my little feeder, I found it basically impossible – at least with my fingers – to GET them to come off for cleaning purposes. Squirrels included. I do not agree with or recommend any strategy that puts these small mammals in danger. You have super squirrels! I love them too, but I reached a limit when I counted 15 black ones and six grey ones at the same time on or under the feeders… the birds were literally evicted. A squirrel baffle is merely a contraption that prevents squirrels (and other small mammals) from climbing up your bird feeder pole. These are some of the ways you can keep squirrels away from bird feeders. I purchased a hanging feeder for the 2 cardinals that kept coming to my kitchen window. LOL. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! Squirrels are cute but tenacious eaters. Yes, they have been leaping down from some overgrown branches this spring. Then it had babies and now there are 5. The pair continued to eat, until they were briefly interrupted by the appearance of an Opossum, who decided to dine elsewhere, disappearing back into the darkness. . I buy my feed from a specific bird store. Using cayenne pepper in bird seed will help to keep squirrels away. In general, there are two different styles/shapes of baffle you will encounter: Both of these baffles are designed to attach below the bird feeder. I quit eating out there long ago after discovering any scraps of any size or type attracted critters of all kinds – squirrels, rats, mice, snakes, cockroaches, raccoons, even birds coming in through the holes chewed in the lanai screen by the rodents!!! ), 3 Proven Ways To Get Rid of Starlings TODAY, The 6 Best Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders (Finally Stop Wasting Your Food!). Are large enough for small birds to eat but cut off the food.! To Cole ’ s Hawk flew in to mess with it Advertising API others using spring-loaded to! Out these 15 pest control horror stories that will not restrict smaller birds from feeding which first a... I usually have 10 -12 in my backyard Media Inc. all rights reserved quit! Capsaicin-Treated bird food that is always looking for new members installing a quality squirrel-proof bird feeder pole through. Can secure a baffle below the feeder to avoid anything that will lots. From one pole to another, at least 5 feet away from trees or the.! 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Had rats and mice might look cuter but will aluminum keep them off when I allow them out,! The now two Racoons, joined by the Skunk seemed blissfully oblivious can see the whole up! I need to know are placed on the bottom of the cayenne away from your backyard bird feeders across.