Squirrels are always rather mercenary when it comes to getting food, but fall is when they become relentless. Nobody knows this better than the innocent bird lover. Youโre thinking about taking your feeder down for the year, but a few feathered friends still rely on it. So, your bird feeder remains, perched against the fall like a bird seed-based symbol of defiance. Thenโฆ the squirrels come.
These rodential rascals stop at nothing to deprive your birds of the meal thatโs meant for them. Theyโll hang upside down, perform death-defying acrobatics, and get shockingly aggressive, all in the name of a little seed. They seem unstoppable. Theyโre not. You just need to get even more creative than they are. Here are four ideas to help you get started.
Baffle Them
You can find a bowl-like contraption called a โsquirrel baffleโ for sale at most hardware stores. Theyโre designed to, well, baffle squirrels. Baffles are made of plastic or metal and hang near the bird feeder. If your feeder hangs from a tree, then the baffle attaches above the feeder. If your feeder rests on a pole sticking out of the ground, then the baffle goes beneath the feeder on the pole.
Place the โbowlโ upside down, so that the concave opening points down. When squirrels try to climb on the baffle, they wonโt be able to find purchase. Instead of getting at your feeder, theyโll slide off the plastic slope and fall off. Donโt worry–squirrels are master acrobats, so a little fall wonโt hurt them. It is pretty funny to watch, though. Baffles are cheap and relatively easy to make. Make sure your homemade baffle is wide enough that squirrels canโt stretch around it. If they can, you know they willโฆ
Diversion
Based on the gusto they exhibit in the act, itโs easy to assume squirrels enjoy their feats of robbery. Believe it or not, however, thatโs not the case. Squirrels go to great lengths to get at your feeder for one reason: theyโre opportunists. When temperatures start to drop, squirrels get desperate to fatten up for winter. They need the food, and theyโve got the skills, so why not stage their high-flying heists on your feeder?
But what if they didnโt need to? Squirrels are all about the path of least resistance. If you were to, say, distract them with a more accessible food source, theyโd leave your feeder alone. Weโre not saying this idea doesnโt have drawbacks. Youโd need a lot of food. Squirrels are nigh-insatiable this time of year. Plus, youโd invite more squirrels to your yard than ever. And youโd be feeding the enemy. When it comes to keeping squirrels away from a vulnerable feeder, however, a diversion may well be your best option. Everybody eats, everybody wins. ย
Spice It Up!
Alright, so you donโt want to deal with any more squirrels than you have to. And you donโt want to feed those glorified bandits anyway. Fair enough. What if you could make the food youโre leaving for birds into something only birds would want to eat? You wouldnโt have to set out more food or even go to great lengths to squirrel-proof your feeder!
Well, did you know that birds donโt mind spicy seeds? They canโt taste the difference. Guess what can? Sprinkle some cayenne pepper or a similar spice onto your birdseed before you put it out. Birds will eat the seed just fine, but squirrels will smell the heat and stay well clear. Youโll have to re-apply the spice frequently, however, or itโll wash off or blow away. Squirrels will notice the spice is gone as quickly as they smelled it in the first place, and then youโll be back to square one. Some stores also sell bird seed that starts spicy, so you donโt have to add the spice yourself.
Suspension
The squirrels around your house can leap up to 10 feet horizontally, but they canโt fly. If you could figure out a way to suspend your feeder just right, you could make it a birds-only zone. The easiest way to manage this gravity-defying trick would be to string up a wire between two trees.
First, find two mature trees that are at least 10 feet away from each other. Run the wire between the trees and pull it taut. Then, run some โspinnersโ along the wire to prevent particularly determined tightrope walkers. Spinners can be plastic soda bottles, yarn spools, or anything else that rolls. Squirrels wonโt be able to walk across the spinner without rolling off the wire and onto the ground. Finally, hang your bird feeder in the dead center of the wire, far from either tree. Voila! You have a floating bird feeder. Terrestrial mammals need not apply. Just make sure the bird feeder is high enough off the ground, too. All this work wonโt matter if your squirrels can just leap up and knock seed down whenever they want.
Look, all of these ideas may make it sound like we hate squirrels. We donโt! We actually find their determination and resourcefulness charming. Plus, they have those bushy little tails. The fact of the matter is, though, squirrels donโt need your birdseed. Theyโll be just fine on their own. They got this far, after all.
Unfortunately, squirrels arenโt the only wildlife youโll have be on the look-out for this fall–and most of the rest of it isnโt nearly as charming. If you have a pest problem in your home, whether itโs rodent or insect-based, give Griffin a call today. Weโll set you up for winter right, so you have nothing to worry about. Happy bird watching!