I have a couple of dozen squirrels in my yard. I am fine with that except they're tearing down my bird feeders and eating my bird seeds. Is there a trick I can use to keep them away from the bird feeders or repel them?
Hardiness Zone: 8a
By Donna from FL
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We've also had this problem, even though we also put out corn cobs for squirrel food. We recycle gallon milk jugs as bird feeders, and hubby was cutting a fair-sized hole in the side for access. Obviously, this was big enough for the squirrel to help his greedy self. Bigger and nastier birds like crows and blue jays were following Mr Squirrel's bad example.
Last time hubby made a new feeder, he only cut a hole big enough for a sparrow or wren to fit through. This seems to have solved, or at least minimized, the problem. We've also noticed those smaller birds fighting the larger creatures for their share of the food, it's awesome, especially when the smaller birds win!
Try squirrel b gone feeders. I have 4 of them, they work. I work in a bird feed store and we get this issue from everyone. I also, have a feeding area just for my squirrels, farthest away from the bird feeders.
I saw a bird feeder in a garden store the other day that had a outter shield slide down over the feeder from the weight of the squirrel on the feeder protecting the seeds inside the feeder. Other than that, I used to have a bird feeder on a pole that I kept a distance from any trees so the critters could not leap from the tree to the feeder. However, they would shimmy up the pole until I started to spray the pole every day with silicone spray. It was funny watching the critters try to shimmy up the pole only to slide back to the ground.
I have that feeder with the shield that slides down, got it at Home Depot. It works well, but be careful when you open the top and fill it.
Hello,
You can find information for this at Birds and blooms.com
I was told to try using Safflower Birdseed. It has worked great for me, no more squirrels. Also, the larger birds stay away from it too. Good luck!
I've lathered the pole to the bird feeder with vasoline; it doesn't look terrific but it seems to work as it's too slippery for the critters to climb/walk on!
Pam spray causes the squirrels to die. They lick it off then dehydrate with it in their system. Not a nice thing to do to the squirrels.
Vaseline is dangerous to squirrels and birds. It gets in their fur and feathers. They then ingest it and can die as a result. It's a painful death. Use cooking spray instead.
That is a really good idea for keeping squirrels off feeders, although it is extremely harmful to the birds if the vasoline gets onto the birds' feathers. It can actually cause their death.
The oil kills the birds if it gets on them. Just put a feeder up with corn and the squirels will get it.
They're just trying to survive too.
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