Squirrels can be a major nuisance for backyard birders. These clever rodents have an amazing ability to get into bird feeders designed for smaller birds. Their persistence and agility allow them to defeat many deterrents. This leaves many bird lovers wondering if squirrel-proof feeders really work or if the effort is futile. There are some effective options to restrict squirrels, but they often come with tradeoffs.
How do squirrels get into bird feeders?
Squirrels are incredibly agile and persistent. They can jump horizontally up to 6 feet and vertically over 10 feet. Their sharp claws allow them to climb nearly any surface. Squirrels have excellent problem solving skills and will spend hours trying to reach a feeder. Some of the tactics squirrels use include:
– Chewing through plastic and wood feeders. Their sharp teeth can gnaw through remarkably tough materials.
– Pinpoint jumping onto feeder perches and platforms. They can land on very small surfaces with accuracy.
– Lowering their body weight to tip down feeders or poles. This dumps the seed supply onto the ground.
– Climbing nearby trees and structures. This allows them to descend upon feeders from above.
– Working in groups to distract humans while others access feeders. They use coordinated tactics.
– Gripping feeder tubes and shaking seeds out of small openings. Their dexterous paws can manipulate openings.
– Scattering seeds from platform feeders and raking them toward the edges. This tricks the feeder into reloading more seed.
As you can see, squirrels have diverse strategies and physical capabilities that allow them to overcome many feeder deterrents. Their creativity and persistence are why most standard bird feeders are so vulnerable.
What makes a bird feeder squirrel-proof?
There are several approaches used by squirrel-proof bird feeders:
– **Restricted openings:** Smaller openings that allow small birds to reach the seed, but prevent squirrels from entering. Openings are often combined with tunnels, cages, or mazes.
– **Weight activated perches:** The feeder or perch closes when a heavy squirrel is on it, protecting the seed accessibility.
– **Slippery and unstable surfaces:** Lubricated or rounded surfaces cause squirrels to slide off feeders when trying to climb them.
– **Electric deterrents:** Mild electric shocks are activated when a squirrel touches the feeder, scaring them away.
– **Distancing:** Locating feeders far from structures and trees squirrels may use to approach from above. Poles and baffles prevent climbing access.
The most effective squirrel-proof feeders use a combination of these approaches. However, none are 100% guaranteed to outsmart squirrels in all cases. Clever squirrels may still defeat them over time. The bird feeder design spectrum ranges from permissive (easy for squirrels to access) to exclusionary (blocking squirrels, but also some birds).
Permissive feeders
Simple open feeders provide no deterrents to squirrels and are readily exploited:
– **Tray or platform feeders** – Flat open trays or platforms easily allow squirrels to sit and eat or rake seeds off the sides.
– **Tube feeders** – Cylindrical transparent tubes are easily accessed by chewing or climbing.
– **Hopper feeders** – Transparent boxes are easily chewed into or shaken to scatter seeds.
– **Suet feeders** – Open cages allow squirrels to gnaw off chunks of suet.
While highly accessible to birds, permissive feeders attract high numbers of squirrels. They may empty the feeders daily, leaving little for birds. The only deterrence is locating them in naturally inaccessible areas.
Moderately squirrel-proof feeders
Some feeders add limited barriers to deter squirrels:
– **Caged tube feeders** – A metal mesh tube cage blocks larger animals but is Still vulnerable to chewing.
– **Weighted perches** – Perches close access when a heavy squirrel is detected, but crafty squirrels may defeat them.
– **Dome feeders** – A plastic or metal dome prevents top access but can still be chewed into.
– **Aromatic oils** – Strong scents like chili pepper, garlic, or mint oil may deter some squirrels but not all.
– **Lubricants** – Vegetable oil or petroleum jelly make surfaces slick but don’t prevent chewing access.
Moderately squirrel-proof feeders may slow down or deter some casual squirrels. But they only temporarily protect against focused and determined squirrels before being chewed through or circumvented. Using several deterrents together improves effectiveness.
Exclusionary (highly squirrel-proof) feeders
Advanced engineering creates serious obstacles for squirrels:
– **Jail-style cage feeders** – Seed tubes are fully enclosed in metal jail bars or mesh screening that prevents entry while allowing birds to access feeder ports. These are very chew-proof.
– **Maze feeders** – Seeds are accessible through multiple perches and tunnels that squirrels can’t fit through.
– **Moat feeders** – The feeder is surrounded by a water moat that squirrels cannot cross. Some use slippery poles.
– **Electric shock feeders** – Feeding perches or surfaces deliver harmless but startling shocks to deter squirrels.
– **Weight-activated feeders** – Feeder access closes when a certain weight threshold detects a squirrel.
– **Flex pole feeders** – The pole flexes and pivots when climbed, preventing squirrel access.
The most exclusionary feeders use combinations of physical barriers, discomfort deterrents, and advanced sensors to strongly resist squirrel entry. But they are also the most expensive and troublesome options.
The pros and cons of squirrel-proof feeders
There are some drawbacks to highly exclusionary squirrel-proof feeders:
**Advantages:**
– Prevent large seed losses to squirrels.
– Allow birds to share feeders in peace.
– Don’t require constant squirrel chasing and feeder re-hanging.
**Disadvantages:**
– Very expensive, especially electric and moat varieties ($$$-$$$$ range).
– Can be heavy and harder to install and clean.
– May intimidate some small and timid bird species.
– Require battery changes or electrical outlets for electronic types.
– Can mechanically jam or malfunction over time.
– May not exclude all squirrels, who find creative workarounds.
– Don’t prevent squirrels from raiding ground feeders.
The biggest tradeoff is cost, complexity, and effectiveness versus ease of use and accessibility. You have to balance your bird feeding goals with your budget and patience for gadgetry.
Tips for choosing an effective squirrel-proof feeder
When shopping for squirrel-proof feeders, keep these tips in mind:
– **Know your squirrel population** – Are the squirrels abundant, clever and aggressive? More robust deterrents will be needed.
– **Match feeder design with your bird species** – Make sure the protected feeder ports and perches accommodate desired birds comfortably.
– **Maximize pole and placement obstacles** – Isolate feeders from squirrel launching and climbing points to augment the feeder’s protections.
– **Combine deterrents together** – Using multiple physical and sensory deterrents boosts effectiveness.
– **Check construction durability** – Ensure all materials and moving parts are chew-proof and weather-resistant.
– **Consider weight-activated and electric features** – Electronic feeders offer the best squirrel exclusion but require more maintenance.
– **Be willing to experiment** – Finding the right squirrel-proof feeder may take trial and error with a few designs.
With smart selection and strategic placement, squirrel-proof feeders can succeed. But the sneaky squirrel acrobatics never end, so persistence and adaptation is key. When squirrels outwit one feeder, try another deterrent. Creating an obstacle course can help birds reclaim their dining space.
Top-rated squirrel-proof bird feeders
Based on expert reviews and customer feedback, here are 5 of the highest-rated squirrel-proof bird feeders:
Perky-Pet Upside Down Feeder
– Inverted transparent tube stops squirrels from accessing openings.
– Seed access holes only allow small birds upside down entry.
– Tube reservoir holds 2 pounds of seed.
– Chew-resistant plastic deters gnawing.
– Easy refilling from bottom hatch.
**Pros:** Very affordable, chew-resistant, blocks large animals
**Cons:** Plastic still vulnerable to very persistent gnawers
Squirrel Buster Classic Squirrel-proof Bird Feeder
– Weight-activated perch ring closes when squirrels land on it.
– Adjustable gold-colored metal port for accessibility.
– 6 feeding ports with chew-proof construction.
– Holds up to 1.4 pounds of birdseed.
– Roof helps keep seeds dry.
**Pros:** Very effective weight-activate perch, durable materials
**Cons:** On the pricier side, small bird species may not trigger weight
Roamwild PestOff Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder
– Metal mesh cage with access ports blocks squirrels.
– Hanging triple perch shelf.
– Transparent polycarbonate tube.
– Easy one-hand seed refilling.
– 2.5 pound capacity with seed level indicator.
**Pros:** Fully protective metal cage, decent capacity
**Cons:** Cage intimidating to small birds, not chew-proof
Squirrel Solution 200 Squirrel Buster
– Tiny access ports only allow small birds.
– Weight-activated perch ring.
– Chew-proof metal construction.
– 6 feeding ports with seed tube protected by metal cage.
– Holds 1.4 pounds of seed.
**Pros:** Very effective exclusion of squirrels
**Cons:** Expensive, limits some bird sizes
Songbird Essentials SE-6000 Magnet Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder
– Magnetic weight-activated perch deters squirrels.
– Steel wrapped polycarbonate tube.
– Angled top prevents perching.
– Easy one-hand cleaning and filling.
– 2.5 pound seed capacity.
**Pros:** Innovative magnetic closure, chew-resistant
**Cons:** Higher price, electronics may eventually fail
Home remedies for DIY squirrel deterrents
For a cheaper option, you can try making homemade squirrel deterrents:
– Apply hot sauce or capsaicin spray to feeder poles and surfaces. Avoid getting it in the seed.
– Use rubber or metal sheathing around wood poles to block climbing.
– Apply petroleum jelly to poles and feeder roofs to make them slippery.
– Sprinkle ground cayenne pepper or black pepper around feeders.
– Use feeder baffles above poles to block access. Alternatively, smear Vaseline on baffles.
– Position feeders at least 5-6 feet from structures, trees, and fences.
– Try companion planting with marigolds, garlic, and chilies to repel squirrels.
– Switch to safflower or milo seed, which is less appealing to squirrels.
– Use odor repellents like predator urine, garlic oil, citrus, or pipe tobacco around feeders.
– Scatter prickly pine cones, prunings, or twisted branches around feeders to obstruct squirrels.
– Apply slippery aluminum foil or mylar balloons to deter jumping and climbing.
– Use fake snakes, owls, or hawk kites to scare wary squirrels.
Home remedies are less robust but more budget friendly. The goal is making feeders annoyingly hard for squirrels to access. A combination of tactile and sensory repellents works best. Reapply deterrents frequently, especially after rain. Be patient and keep experimenting until you find what works for your squirrel personalities.
Conclusion
Outsmarting resourceful squirrels is an endless backyard arms race. The most squirrel-proof bird feeders use physical barriers like metal cages, tunnels, and moats along with discomforts like electric shocks and lubricants. But these come at a higher cost. Homemade remedies offer cheaper but generally weaker protections. No deterrent is guaranteed 100% effective against particularly motivated squirrels. The key is choosing a design that best balances affordability, durability, and effectiveness based on your squirrel activity levels. Proper placement also enhances protections. Be prepared to adapt and escalate if squirrels persist. With persistence, bird and squirrel can achieve a less destructive coexistence. The birds get nourishment and the squirrels remain entertained.
