Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders: The Never Ending Struggle Between Man And Squirrel

Man has achieved much in the course of human history. He has split the atom, cured diseases and even gone to the moon and back. The epic struggle between man and squirrel, however, stands out as one of our most disappointing failures. For those of us who love to feed the wild birds in our backyard, the common squirrel represents a frustrating and sometimes expensive nuisance. Not only can they eat more than their fair share of the seed, leaving the birds hungry, but they can also destroy your bird feeders, sending you back again and again to the store. You really can’t blame the squirrels. The squirrels share and enjoy some of the same foods that also attract wild birds, and there is no way that they are going to pass up a free meal. What makes it worse, however, is they don’t just eat what they need. They tend to steal the seed and store it away for the future. This behavior will cause the squirrel to repeatedly come back to a feeder over and over, quickly draining its contents. Not to fear, homemade and store bought solutions are available.

Homemade Solutions:

Most people have tried, at one time or another, some kind of homemade solutions for their squirrel problem. A favorite strategy is to suspend your feeder on a long line that has lengths of pipe or plastic soda bottles on either side of the feeder. The squirrels will try to climb across the pipe and it will spin them to the ground. Other popular homemade solutions include baffles, either homemade or store bought, placed above the feeder if it is hung or below the feeder if it is on a post. Squirrels are very clever creatures, however, and they have the capacity to learn from their experiences. Most of these makeshift fixes will work for a while but will eventually fail to stop a determined squirrel from reaching your seed.

Dedicated Squirrel Proof Feeders:

Those that have fought this fight before have usually graduated to dedicated squirrel proof feeders. One of the most popular includes some type of spring mechanism that closes off access to the seed with the weight of a squirrel but keeps the seed available for lighter birds. These come in many different forms and some are even adjustable to allow larger birds to feed but not the squirrels. The most sophisticated of the mechanical solutions actually employ battery powered motors that start to spin when it detects the weight of the squirrel and flings the squirrels off the feeder and down to the ground.

One of the most elegant solutions to the squirrel problem is the use of a metal cage that surrounds the feeder. This is designed to let smaller birds through to get the seed but keeps the larger squirrels out. The advantage of these types of feeders is there is no mechanism that needs to be maintained and they are often quite decorative and make a lovely addition to you back yard.

Food Choices:

Dedicated squirrel proof feeders, however, are often more expensive than normal bird feeders and some people are hesitant to spend that kind of money. A popular alternative is to simply offer food to your birds that the squirrels just don’t like. Many people have had great success offering safflower seeds or millet. If you offer Nyjer or Thistle seed you will attract a smaller variety of birds but the squirrels will leave it alone. You could also try adding some chili pepper flakes to the seed. It won’t bother the birds but it will aggravate the squirrels and they may leave your feeders alone.

Conclusion:

In the end, some people just give up and learn to enjoy the squirrels for what they are. You can chose to get a dedicated squirrel feeder to keep the squirrels away from your bird feeders. Some of the best of these actually enhance the entertainment value of the squirrels by making them really work for their food. One thing for sure, the never ending struggle between man and squirrel will continue.