Pesky Squirrels... (1 Viewer)

So, we've got the dozen bird species that visit our feeder every day. We also get those blasted gray squirrels that try so desperately to get a bunch of seeds. The squirrels have chewed through a cylindrical object near the top of the feeder we have (the rod is supposed to prevent squirrel access to the topmost seeds in the feeder). The squirrels climb up a 1-cm-thick rod (this is the hanger for the feeder). Once the squirrels get to a good height on the rod, they jump onto the feeder, making it swing wildly. I'm not always there to shoo them away (one time I used the water sprayer from the kitchen sink, but the shower never did get far enough).

In one day, I could shoo them a half-dozen times, and they'd be back the next day. This is really starting to tick me off.

What can I do to deter these pests?

What about the smaller red squirrels? Although I've never actually seen a red squirrel on or near the feeder.

Put squirrel baffles on any poles - on the attached picture you can see in the foreground our latest feeder set-up, with a seed tray/baffle. So far no squirrel has managed to get round it. In the background you can see a triple feeder on the left and a bird table on the right - in ten years no squirrel has got round the baffle. We regularly have two squirrels or more in the garden - all we have to do is ensure there are no nearby jumping-off points to enable them to get onto the table/feeders from above.

I sympathise with your problem and share your frustration. I've accepted that the squirrels are here to stay - so invested in more expensive bird feeders. Although the squirrels can get to them, they haven't as yet managed to destroy them, which is a plus. I've also found that providing the squirrels with their own supply of nuts seems to generally (though not completely) deter them from the bird feeders - they now have their very own squirrel feeder that they use. This didn't happen overnight - it took a some time for them to cotton on and take less of an interest in the bird food !! You can get squirrel feeders that are weight srung so that smaller red squirrels can feed from them but the bigger greys can't (not that there are any reds round my way, more's the pity).

Take a look at : http://www.wbu.com/edu/sqr.htm or http://www.rspb.org.uk/gardens/advice/deterrents/grey_squirrel_deterrents.asp

which have some ideas - mainly similar to Elizabeth's. And if all else fails - try a trained corvid :

http://birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=13076

Good luck

Annie

gthang said:

I'm not always there to shoo them away (one time I used the water sprayer from the kitchen sink, but the shower never did get far enough).

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You could always try a "Super Soaker" -those high-capacity long-range water-guns for kids. Powerful enough and accurate enough to wet a squirrel enough to make him give up at at least 30 feet (or at least it works on London squirrels: American natives may be tougher)

yeah, they're tougher. One of the squirrels broke into the house and done did a pile driver on me... i'm still reeling from the attack...lol