How to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Bird Feeders
For most of my life I had little interest in birds, but during the pandemic I started adding bird feeders to my garden and now I am completely fascinated by my new visitors. The number one threat to bird feeders is squirrels, an animal I have historically loved, but I have been able to create an environment where squirrels and birds can coexist on my property.
I’ve read every treatise on squirrel control (and tried just about everything), but here’s what worked for me.
You shouldn’t try to keep squirrels away at all.
The single best mitigation strategy for squirrels is to simply give them their own feeder. Squirrels, like most animals, are trainable, and if you give them food they like in an easily accessible form, they won’t care too much about your bird feeders.
This strategy doesn’t just protect your feeder; it also distracts squirrels from searching your garden. The squirrel feeders are also amazing, by the way. These range from simple horizontal can feeders to more complex squirrel cabin situations. I went for the English tea feeder myself.
Choose the right bird feeder
Once you have something attractive to squirrels, you can move on to a better bird feeder. In my opinion, the best squirrel-proof bird feeders are those that are pressure sensitive and simply close the seed ports when the feeder is too heavy. (Birds don’t carry enough weight, but squirrels do.) The best one I’ve tried, and the one I keep coming back to, is made by Roamwild . They have several types of squirrel-proof feeders, and the free-hanging versions work very well.
Window bird feeders , as much as I love them, are just squirrel bait. It’s too easy for squirrels to get to them (either from the roofline or windowsill) and unfortunately, even my Roamwild window feeder ultimately failed the squirrel test. It’s not just about squirrels grabbing food. Their weight on the feeder, especially when they jump on it, will be too much for the suckers and will cause the feeder to fall, eventually breaking it.
Use multiple squirrel control strategies.
Even with the right bird feeder, you still need a multifaceted approach to keeping squirrels. This starts with choosing the right location, meaning it should be more than 10 feet away from overhanging branches, roofs, or any other structure that a squirrel might jump from, including hanging lights. This includes lower structures such as patio chairs or raised beds. The bird feeder pole should be far enough away to give it a fighting chance. Of course, this is not an option for every home, but it is an important factor.
The bird feeder should also have a baffle, which is a clear dome on which you hang the feeder. Squirrels cannot climb over it, so it is more difficult for them to access the feeder from above. Although there are squirrel dividers under the feeder, I have not found them to be effective. What has proven effective is a cheap Slinky . Attach one end to the feeder and let the other end fall to the ground unwound. The squirrels seem to struggle with the mechanism of climbing onto the coils.
You can also try a squirrel-proof food.
It is believed that squirrels cannot tolerate cayenne pepper, and birds do not care for the heat of the seeds, so bird food with added cayenne pepper may help. I’ve had limited success with this, but according to the multifaceted method, you should try a little of everything.
I think it also comes down to the fact that some people are just determined to see squirrels as the enemy. I’ve had much more success treating them as part of the ecosystem rather than trying to exclude them from it entirely, which is a losing battle. I suspect that, as with birds, once you start feeding them and paying attention to them, you too will discover a fascination in them.