9/18/2023 0 Comments Best squirrel proof suet feeder![]() ![]() One of my next posts will be a study of how much seed the birds in my garden get through. If you want a better feeder that works against squirrels, buy something that shuts the feeding ports when a squirrel climbs on. It might just be that you are happy to put up with a visiting squirrel or three and hope for the best with your squirrel proof (*coughs*) feeder. Be aware, though, that these cost money.įor many people who just want to feed the little garden birds, £50 plus for a feeder is quite steep. After bashing the generic squirrel proof feeders I feel it is only right that I offer some kind of reassurance that there are some squirrel proof bird feeders that can work quite well. Yes, there are birds feeders that are better at being squirrel-proof, if you are happy to invest the money in squirrel prevention. Is There A Bird Feeder That Is Squirrel Proof? They are just not actually ‘squirrel proof’. There will be small amounts of debris though, which will encourage the pests.ĭon’t get me wrong, the more mainstream squirrel busters are OK they make it more difficult for a squirrel to get to the seed and, hopefully they will move on to other feeders. Birds generally peck at those, so no nuts should loosely fall out. The saving grace for the caged peanut feeder is that the peanuts do not fall freely from the tube when disturbed. He has also learned the famous ‘jump on top of the feeder’ technique to release seed from the feeding ports for easier access. The squirrel knows this and, although he cannot get through the cage to the seed holder, he easily gets to the discarded seed on the base. The unwanted seed either falls to the ground or gets left on the base of the cage. As much as some bird seed is marketed as ‘No Mess’ bird seed small garden birds, especially the great tits it would seem, are a bit fussy and tend to throw some seed from the feeder in favour of the best bits. The problem with many caged bird feeders is that they have a base on which birds can stand inside the cage. But, I don’t pay good money for bird seed to feed the pests. I am lucky in that my garden is not overrun by squirrels the lone squirrel, or whichever of his siblings comes along is just plain annoying, rather than a massive problem. They knew… Another Reason Why Caged Feeders FailĪfter the pigeons learned how to get to the seed it was the squirrel’s turn. Over time they knew exactly what they were doing. Often it looked as though they initiated this release of food by accident as they landed. “Down!”, cried the pigeon and gorged his little face on my seed. Guess what… seed fell out and dropped to the ground. Before the squirrels got to the feeder I saw the pigeons do something interesting.Īs they are larger and heavier, when they landed on top of the shepherd’s crook the feeder shook and rocked. Actually, only one squirrel visits at a time so I will assume it is ‘the squirrel’ for now. Don’t be fooled.Īfter putting out a caged seed feeder in my fight against the rodents, I watched with interest to see how the squirrels attacked the problem. ![]() The theory is that because they can’t fit through the cage to reach the food, the food is safe. ![]() ![]() If you haven’t, where have you been? Very briefly, the cage around the central feeder is sized to allow small birds through the gaps but not larger birds and squirrels. You have no doubt seen the variety of caged feeders available to buy, like this one or this one (on Amazon). This is the bit I need to explain – bear with me. The best way to beat them is to concentrate your efforts on the feeder itself. Greasing a pole or some other way that may be harmful to them, electric shocks for example. You are unlikely to prevent a squirrel getting to your feeders unless you take extreme measures. Also, like most things in this life, nothing is guaranteed! Let me explain why most squirrel proof feeders do very little to deter squirrels. Some feeders that claim to be squirrel proof are pretty good but they can be pretty expensive.
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