Bird Feeders

[Rich Riddle]

Does anyone know of a bird feeder that is squirrel proof? I had considered the Yankee flipper before seeing this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TWDSZu7Tbw

I guess I am an old man when wanting to feed the birds and not the squirrels.

[Brian Libby]

I do not think there is ANY bird feeder that is squirrel proof! They are certianly NOT "dumb animals"- they are pretty crafty.

[Joe Angrisani]

We have had good luck using baffles on the pole holding the bird feeders (versus actual "squirrel-proof" feeders).

Baffle.jpg

[Ken Garlock]

The easy solution is to get some automotive grease and smear it around the pole that holds the bird feeder. It is entertaining to watch the squirrels come running and jump on the pole and slide down.

[Robert McGowen]

We have one that has been squirrel-proof for over a year so far. I took the photo to show you that the squirrels still try though!

Amazon - search for Brome 1024 Squirrel Buster Plus Wild Bird Feeder with Cardinal Perch Ring

It seems to bounce around in price from $50 to $90 for some reason though, so you have to watch it. squirrel.jpg

[Mel Fulks]

Why not build a little fire station around the bottom of the pole ? Cut away front ,like a dollhouse.Now there's an idea!

[Kevin Bourque]

http://youtu.be/UjYLRLwphcs

This guy has the right idea.

[Paul Saffold]

P1120533.JPG
This works. The baffle is a 2 ft. length of 8" galvanized stove pipe and cap. A 3/4" coupling drilled and tapped for a thumb screw, slides over the 1/2" pipe and holds up the baffle and lets it swing and rock back and forth when the rodents try to climb up it. It helps that I'm 6-4 and have the hopper feeder so high I can just barely reach it's top to fill it. But a black bear just has to lean on the pipe and it bends over like a wet noodle. DAMHIKT I try to remember to take the feeder down in the spring to avoid having to rebuild it.

[Ted Calver]

+1 on Paul's method. I bought 'squirrel baffles' @$20+ each and they worked for the squirrels, but the raccoons could shinny right up them, so those got retired. Went to Lowe's and bought the 2' x 8" galvanized pipe and end caps and made baffles for all four feeders. The next day there were little raccoon prints half way up the baffles ending in a big long skid mark where they slid back down. Has made my feeders squirrel/raccoon proof for years. Glad there aren't too many bears around though.

[Kevin Bourque]

I hang all my feeders from branches and I coat the wire with automotive grease. I also have baffles on top of all of them in case them varmints "break the code". It works great as long as the feeders are at least 5' above the ground and 8' from the tree trunk. Mostly they've resigned themselves to hanging out on the ground under the feeders waiting for falling seeds.

[Joe Kieve]

Squirrels don't get on mine, not for long anyway. I have an electric fence charger hooked up to it. Will take a picture of my setup tomorrow when it's daylight out. Been using this for over ten years and works well, except when I forget to plug it in. Gives a pretty good tingle if I forget to unplug it before adding birdseed. DAMHIKT!

joe

If anyone might be interested, here are pics of my setup. I use a "fido shock" charger, fairly low voltage, not enough to kill but just a pretty good tingle. The feeder hangs on 1/8" cable which is the ground side of the charger. The sheet metal over the feeder is the positive side. It sits off the feeder about an inch. The only way a squirrel can get to the feeder is to climb out on the cable, then he can't get to the feeder without getting onto the sheet metal. Front legs on the metal, back legs on the wire, complete circuit, BAM, he's off.100_1444.jpg

[David Weaver]

Schedule 40 pipe wide enough that they can't grip it is what works for us.

I do so enjoy putting grease on the post of those feeders and watching the squirrels get their feet caked in it, but the mrs. doesn't like that so much. Plus, the first few clean the grease off and the rest can go up.

If the feeder hangs too close to the ground here, they will literally jump straight up off the ground several feet up.

[Jerry Bruette]

I had actually quit feeding the birds because of the squirrel problems, until my wife and kids bought me a Yankee flipper. The gray squirrels won't even try to go in it anymore and the red squirrels quit coming in the yard altogether.

Had some trouble when I first got the feeder, I hung it too close to the post and the squirrels would hold onto the post with their hind legs and reach out with their front ones and eat from the feeder.

I did have a raccoon unhook the feeder from it's post one spring and drag it into the woods. I no longer feed the birds in the late spring and summer.

Jerry

[Myk Rian]

Pellet gun.

[Larry Frank]

I have a lot of squirrels and have been successful with a dome like thing which can swivel and move. It keeps the squirrel from being able to climb down to the feeder. The feeders are hung so that the squirrel can not jump from anywhere to get to it.

For a good story about this problem read about Genghis Khan in Creatures of the Kingdom

by James A. Michener