9 Ways to Squirrel-Proof Your Bird Feeder

Squirrels are cute, curious little creatures, but they can dominate your bird feeders and nibble their way through all the food. To make the situation more annoying, they can even chew on your feeder and destroy it.

If you'd like to feed birds without interference from squirrels, try the following tips to help squirrel-proof your bird feeder:

1. Place your feeder in the right location
Squirrels are little acrobats that can jump distances of about 10 feet, so if your bird feeder is too close to a jumping-off point, a squirrel will be able to feast on your bird seed. To make their job more difficult, put your feeder at least 10 feet away from trees, roofs, porches, gutters, and wires.

2. Serve food that birds like, but squirrels don't
Choosing birdseed that contains sunflower seeds, corn, fruit, or nuts will attract squirrels, who love these foods. Fortunately, they don't love everything that birds do, so choose safflower seed, nyjer seed, and white proso millet, which appeal to birds but not to squirrels. You can also buy bird food with capsaicin, an active compound found in chili peppers. It irritates mammals, including squirrels, but not birds.

3. Protect your feeder with cages
Buy a feeder that's surrounded by a cage or add mesh to a feeder that you already have. Smaller birds will be able to fly through the spaces between wires, but squirrels won't be able to fit through.

4. Use a baffle
Add plastic or metal domes called baffles below feeders on poles. These curved barriers help make it hard for squirrels to climb over them to reach the food. Baffles should be wide and long enough so squirrels can't simply reach around them. They should also be attached high enough so squirrels — who can jump several feet high — can't jump over them.

5. Cover bird feeder poles
Make it harder for squirrels to climb up a birdfeeder pole by adding layers of plastic tubing around it. Some bird lovers have even had success using a child's plastic Slinky for this purpose.

6. Remove their shelter
Squirrels will be more likely to raid your bird feeders if they have a nest located conveniently nearby. Keep areas in sheds, under eaves, and in your attic free of squirrel nests.

7. Try a new feeder type
Some feeders are specially designed to deter squirrels, so when it's time to replace your old feeders, consider buying one of these. They often have doors or latches that close when they're triggered by a squirrel's heavier weight.

8. Suspend your feeder on a wire
Find an area between two mature trees that are at least 10 feet apart. Run a thin wire horizontally between the trees, pulling it tight and making sure it's far enough off the ground. Use objects that can spin — such as thread spools — and string them on the wire. Hang your bird feeder in the center of the wire, and squirrels who try to access the feeder should be tripped up by the spinners.

9. Provide them with their own food
If you can't beat them, feed them! Lure squirrels to their own feeder that's a good distance away from your bird feeders. Stock it with corn and/or nuts, so squirrels can enjoy some of their favorite foods and not be tempted by what you set out for the birds.

Although squirrels can interfere with your efforts to feed and enjoy birds, these methods can help deter them. Each is a humane way to encourage them to move onto another food source and let the birds eat in peace.

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