Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeders

Just buy more seed.

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The pricey Brome Squirrel Buster Classic did a decent job of repelling squirrels

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Had that one and the squirrels figured how to eat the plastic opening where the seeds come out and it was a water fall of birdseed, enough to fill their bellies, the rats and mice from all around!!

Full disclosure, we've got a Arundale squirrel baffle on the wire rope above the feeder.

This drastically improves the squirrel resistance of the feeder.

What I did was I bought about 40 feet of small coated wire cable at Lowe's and fittings to make loops on each end. I mounted this cable using a large nail on 2 trees about 15 feet off the ground.

Before putting up the wire, I put another wire attached to the main support wire for hanging the feeder. On this wire, I attached a baffle using a 17" diameter plastic platter. To attach the platter, I drilled a hole in the center. Then I used a treaded "pipe like" connector that came off an old light fixture. Using this and a couple of washers held the platter in a horizonal position.

This has to be mounted such that there are no tree limbs close enough to allow a squirrel to jump to the feeder. We once had a squirrel that would try jumping from limb about 10 feet above the feeder and 8 feet off to the side. His success rate was about 1 in 5 tries. When it jumped, we could hear it hitting the feeder while in the Den.

Total cost was about $25. One modification I need to figure out is putting some clamps on either side of where the hanging wire attaches to the main wire. Several times very high winds have caused the feeder to be blown over towards one of the trees.

You can also get hot pepper bird food. Birds don't feel the heat but squirrels do and can certainly smell it.

I tried everything and finally gave up. We did start buying "hot" bird seed that the squirrels won't eat but the birds will. I've had success with that.

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Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeders

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I don't mind the squirrels that much. It's the raccoon that comes and dumps all the seed on the ground. I don't know how to keep them away.

40 yrs ago I bought an electric fence transformer and wrapped copper wires around the feeder pole such that the coons and squirrels couldn't climb the pole without grabbing hot and ground wires. Critters only climb it once and they jump a mile when that 30,000 volts zaps them. They never try again.

The first transformer was continuous and the squirrels would bit the wire and couldn't let go. Sparks would fly and the dead critters would start smoking. It was fun to watch but I swapped to a transformer with intermittent pulses so they can jump (fly) off.