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Anti-Squirrel Bird Feeder Designs
Here's what works, and what doesn't
Designing an object that will accommodate one animal, but not another animal of similar size, is a tricky endeavor. A bird feeder is a good example: How do you allow your avian friends to access the seed, without greedy neighboring squirrels helping themselves?
One solution might be to cover the seed-dispensing apertures with a wire mesh. But here we can see that another design feature of this bird feeder--a wide aperture that allows humans to easily load it--can be exploited:
Enter a caption (optional)Another idea is to encircle the feeder in a cage. But this, too, can be defeated:
Enter a caption (optional)This squirrel has even managed to squeeze its entire body into the cage:
Enter a caption (optional)A more clever solution might be to exploit physics and gravity. If the feeder reacts differently to the weight of a squirrel than of a bird, it could be made to spin or rotate in such a way as to fling the squirrel off.
Squirrels have managed to counter that.
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)How about an umbrella-shaped baffle over a suspended feeder? That would prevent the squirrel from climbing around it, no?
No.
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)
Enter a caption (optional)So, what does work?
Vaseline:
A Slinky:
And placing a spinning feeder the proper distance away from anything on which a squirrel could use to stabilize itself:
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Comments
Mission Impossible Squirrel
One advantage of putting wire over the feeding area is that it reduces waste. I've watched birds sweep their beaks through the feed, tossing it out onto the ground (which my chickens and guineas appreciate) until they find exactly what they want. Now I add wire to feeders with open areas.
I've learned not to fight the little nutty buddies. I place a dish of shelled peanut rejects(I get them from a local Tractor Supply Store or Wild Birds Unlimited Store) away from trees with bird feeders..they eat and go on their happy nutty way. 😁
We've had really good luck using a bird seed that has hot pepper on it. The birds like it just fine, the squirrels and chipmunks don't touch it. What I really need to figure out though is a way to keep the squirrels out of our peach trees. A much larger target to defend.
I have a bird feeder which is a tube with openings inside a cage, but the cage slides down and covers the openings if anything as heavy as a squirrel latches on. Works pretty well.