Help! The squirrels are smarter than me!

January 5, 2007 9:55 AM

Squirrels keep eating out of our bird feeders, please help!

We have two birdfeeders in our backyard, and the birds really seem to enjoy them--it's not uncommon to look out and see 20-30 of them eating. However, the two or three squirrels of the neighborhood also enjoy the seed. We've tried all kinds of "squirrel-proof" feeders, including a spring-loaded one that was supposed to 'close' when a squirrel got on it, and one on a metal pole. To our surprise, both of these have proved to be no challenge for the furry little creatures. I just got done watching one scale the pole as if it were any normal tree!

Does anyone have any suggestions of what I could do? I've already tried putting out food for the squirrels, and while this works, they always go for the birdseed as soon as they've eaten a few peanuts. Also, I really don't want to really harm the squirrels, so please do not suggest that I shoot them with a BB gun (although I've considered it before, haha).

A friend suggested that I could mix in cayenne pepper with the birdseed, and that while the birds would be unable to taste it, the squirrels would hate it. Is this indeed true?

All suggestions would be appreciated, thanks for looking!

posted by DMan to Home & Garden (39 answers total)

The cayenne works...for about 3 hours. If you are going to play this game, get ready for an ongoing Warner Brothers cartoon style protracted war, as they accomadate to each of your battlements.

The thing that worked best for me was stringing a horizontal metal cable and hanging the bird feeder in the middle. Trash-can-lid sized metal disks towarsd either end of the wire prevent them from traveling along the wire. Make sure it is away from trees or shrubs above or below that can serve as a launching pad to land on the feeder or wire.
posted by StickyCarpet at 10:04 AM on January 5, 2007

I can confirm that capsaicin (what makes cayenne pepper spicy) does not effect birds, but will provide the heat that mammals dislike. Will this keep away the squirrels? I would guess so. But I have no proof.
posted by stovenator at 10:06 AM on January 5, 2007

If you put a cone, like the kind you see on dogs after surgery on the pole that will foil them, they climb up the pole but can't reach the edge of the cone to continue climbing. Don't feed them, you'll only encourage the blighters
posted by zeoslap at 10:06 AM on January 5, 2007

Something like this
posted by zeoslap at 10:07 AM on January 5, 2007

My favorite garden guru, Tom MacCubbin has a few tips for deterring squirels. They are mostly about keeping squirrels out of gardens, but they may be helpful. http://www.betterlawns.com/April99/blg_3.htm
posted by LoriFLA at 10:09 AM on January 5, 2007

My parents had good results with the Yankee Flipper bird feeder. http://www.yankeeflipper.com/droll/index.cfm. There's a perch for the birds to sit on and eat the birdseed but when the squirrels land on it, it flings them off. My father got great pleasure out of watching this happen. The squirrels eventually left the birdfeeder alone but the deer have somehow learned to work around it so my father's squirrel woes continue. If deer are not a problem in your yard, this might work for you.
posted by Kangaroo at 10:12 AM on January 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

We gave up and now share our birdseed with whoever comes around - birds, chipmonks, squirrels...
posted by fixedgear at 10:12 AM on January 5, 2007

You have to investigate the Yankee Flipper, just because it's so funny. I haven't tried it; we chose to stop feeding the birds.
posted by lockedroomguy at 10:16 AM on January 5, 2007

We buy the 'hot sunflower meats' with capsaicin pre-mixed in. It's kept the squirrels away for months now--and it's really funny to see when they do try to eat some.
posted by Jeanne at 10:16 AM on January 5, 2007

Jeez, that Yankee Flipper looks fun and all, but it's $125. Ouch.
posted by fixedgear at 10:16 AM on January 5, 2007

A few years ago there was a BBC special about the way squirrels can figure out how to foil special bird feeders.

They started setting up obstacle courses for the squirrels and filming them, just to see what kinds of things the squirrels could figure out how to get past. Squirrels are very smart and determined little buggers, and they will even work cooperatively to solve problems no single squirrel can deal with.
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 10:22 AM on January 5, 2007

I gave up. I put extra seed on the ground, and I fill up the bird feeder constantly.

One thing that does seem to keep the squirrels occupied - I bought a bunch of corn cobs (with I guess the dried corn still on it), they were fairly inexpensive, and I put those on the ground for the squirrels. That seems to keep them less interested in the seed.
posted by KAS at 10:24 AM on January 5, 2007

We got the Yankee Flipper as a gift for my dad several years ago, and it has deterred the squirrels to such an extent that they no longer make any efforts to reach it. The feeder is just a foot or two from a tree, so the squirrels could get up there if they wanted to.

Now they just hang out below and eat what the birds drop.
posted by schustafa at 10:26 AM on January 5, 2007

Unless you are willing to mount the feeder up on a straight metal pole (coated with some sort of space-age, über-slick layer that completely foils climbing) and then plant that pole in the epicenter of a completely flat, denuded and empty backyard, you will never win this battle. Think: post-nuclear landscape...nothing above the ground for the squirrels to jump from.

Those little fuckers will always find a way to the birdfeeder.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:28 AM on January 5, 2007

(This worked for my mother-in-law). Try greasing the metal pole with a lot of Crisco - it may work, and it's loads of fun for the entire family to watch the squirrels try to scale it. It's like the cartoons where the animals suddenly realize they are in midair, only in real life.
posted by true at 10:30 AM on January 5, 2007

nthing the Yankee Flipper. Not only does it keep them out, watching it in action is one of the most entertaining things ever.

You gotta give the little guys credit, the way they can hang on while that thing flings them around like they're pizza dough.
posted by bondcliff at 10:35 AM on January 5, 2007

Get a dog. My two beagles do a fine job of keeping squirrels away from the feeder, and the birds don't seem to mind the dogs presence at all.

It should go without saying that you don't want to get a dog that has been bred to hunt birds!
posted by COD at 10:35 AM on January 5, 2007

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions so far--I think I'm going to start with the pepper, and failing that, I'll try the cone idea. Yankee Flipper looks nice, but a little too expensive for now.

true--With the Crisco, wouldn't dirt and such stick to the pole when the wind blows? I'd rather not have a mess if I can help it. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
posted by DMan at 10:37 AM on January 5, 2007

My dad and I ran a charge through one of those supposed "squirrel-proof" birdfeeders and when we saw a squirrel feasting on seed, we flipped the switch, usually sending the critter flying ten feet in the air. After a few flips, the local squirrels lost interest.

Although we needed to remind them every year as they forgot, tried their luck again, or new squirrels moved into the neighborhood.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:40 AM on January 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

My squirrel-proof feeder works great - has for years. The squirrels don't even bother trying any more.
posted by wsg at 10:54 AM on January 5, 2007

Don't get the Yankee Flipper if you're worried about the squirrel's welfare...they have been known to cause broken squirrel backs. It's not very pleasant to have to kill a squirrel because it's just been paralyzed by your bird feeder...

I recommend mounting the feeder on a pole with a baffle like this (which works perfectly on our 3 feeder poles) or this. It will only work if the feeder is more than 10 feet or so away from trees, houses, and other places from which the squirrels can jump.
posted by flyingcowofdoom at 11:05 AM on January 5, 2007

Also, don't know what kind of squirrels you got down there in Texas, but compared to the East Coast brown ones, the Canadian black ones are unstoppable.
posted by StickyCarpet at 11:12 AM on January 5, 2007

My grandpa always had good luck with suspending the feeder midair from a wire or string and higher up on the wire/string he'd put an old record. I suppose anything flat and circular would do. The squirrels could not jump high enough toi reach the bottom, and if they tried to jump down to it they would land on the disk, which would tilt, and off they'd go. It wasn't 100% effective, but it was cheap and very functional...also entertaining.
posted by sarahkeebs at 11:15 AM on January 5, 2007

I saw something on tv similar to what SCDB describes, with the exception of one successful squirrel hurdle. They mounted the feeder on a horizontal pole which was fitted with a series of plastic rings (imagine the donuts on Garfield's tongue). The birds could light on the feeder, but the squirrels trying to walk out on the pole slipped as the rings spun around the pole. Seems like an easy build that won't cost $125.

And what's with all the squirrel hate? Their ingenuity is what makes these little beasts so damn adorable.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 11:33 AM on January 5, 2007

In Texas, I've never had a problem with squirrels in the feeder. But then my feeder has been empty for years. Hmmm.

My folks in GA use the cayenne trick quite effectively.
You only have to use it for a short while until the squirrels learn the painful lesson, and then whenever they need a refresher course.

I guess you might have a problem keeping cayenne and seeds evenly distributed.
posted by Seamus at 11:37 AM on January 5, 2007

You could do what my grandfather does, which is shoot them with a pellet gun.

Or not.

Seriously people, I'm a squirrel aficionado so I must encourage everyone to be kind to the little critters. Don't be breaking squirrel backs or electrocuting them just for the sake of some seed!
posted by loiseau at 11:37 AM on January 5, 2007

Like KAS, my wife and I gave up the battle. But this thread is reviving my interest in trying to keep the little bastards out. Great question!
posted by languagehat at 11:39 AM on January 5, 2007

Regarding the crisco - it didn't seem to get dirty (it wasn't a huge amount of crisco). It just made the pole look a little wet - I'm sure that other kinds of grease would work as well. For this particular squirrel it only took a week or so before he started giving up and we didn't have to use the grease anymore.
posted by true at 11:49 AM on January 5, 2007

I own the Yankee Flipper, Yankee Tipper and Yankee Dipper -- all by Droll Yankees. Yes, they really work as long as the greedy varmint can't dangle from something nearby to get at the seed ports without touching the perches. This is the only way they can thwart the technology.

You can find these Yankee feeders for $70-80 on Froogle or Ebay, and they are well worth the money.

For more info and specific advice, please see my unbiased, tried-and-tested recommendations on this Buyer's Guide to Bird Feeders.
posted by nancoix at 11:55 AM on January 5, 2007

I have a dome shield hanging over a globe bird feeder that hangs on a pole, for squirrel deterrence. It works very well!

I especially enjoy the squngee, which feeds the squirrels on corn, if they will work for it (for sale here and elsewhere). They actually prefer corn to most bird food!
posted by anitar at 11:58 AM on January 5, 2007

We get red pepper in 1-pound bags at the Indian grocery, and mix it in liberally every time we fill the feeder. Be careful with the stuff, though--you can feel the burn hours later if you get it on your hands.
posted by MrMoonPie at 12:11 PM on January 5, 2007

At one point they found a little sappling that was pointed at the bird feeder about 8 feet away. They would use it to run up and shoot off onto the feeder. I bent the sappling about 15 degrees to the side and we enjoyed a whole morning of them shooting just to the side of the feeder, missing, landing, looking perplexed, and trying again.
posted by StickyCarpet at 12:52 PM on January 5, 2007

A friend designed and makes this feeder^{1 (self link)}. Mine is hung from the edge of my roof and despite the presence of a squirrel highway on my roof both the grey and the black squirrels who frequent my yard have so far been thwarted by it's design. They just slide right off the metal roof unless they hang onto the cable and if they hang onto the cable they can't reach the seed. The glossy side is Plexiglas same as the side opposite so you can easily see seed levels. I believe he was selling them for C$65, drop an email to the address in my profile if your interested.

[1] sorry for the marginal picture I didn't anticipate product placement.
posted by Mitheral at 1:46 PM on January 5, 2007

Use heavy duty grease on the pole (heh), the kind used for truck engines. You will only need to apply once every 2 weeks or so. Also provides entertainment as you watch the squirrels take a running jump at the pole only to slide down.
posted by maxpower at 1:53 PM on January 5, 2007

We have the one that wsg recommended, along wiith a pail lid hanging a foot above it.

Oh. And a BB gun.
posted by clh at 2:37 PM on January 5, 2007

Squirrels are very smart and determined little buggers, and they will even work cooperatively to solve problems no single squirrel can deal with.

Very good point, SCDB. Don't be too crestfallen if the squirrels win a few, DMan-- they may have been perfecting their technique for a long time. According to an interesting recent study involving rodent lifespans:

Lifespans ranged from three years for the mice, to 23 or more for common backyard squirrels.

They might have been in those trees a lot longer than you've had the house.
posted by jamjam at 3:11 PM on January 5, 2007

The best method for feeders on poles is to run the pole through a small slinky and attach the slinky to the top of the pole so that the free end dangles down. Squirrels climb the pole and grab onto the slinky which just expands under their weight and they just slide right down to the ground. This method works, requires no messy reapplications of grease, and is much less unsightly than other methods. I'm not sure where my Moms learned it, but it has worked for her for years.
posted by roboto at 6:19 PM on January 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

Here's some quick ideas. These work under the same idea as the Yankee Flipper, but are a little cheaper.

Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder: a complete feeder that spins.. $83

Bird Feeder Spinning Squirrel Deterrent: even cheaper at $56, but you have to provide your own feeder.

And here is a funny video of the second one in action
posted by smellme123 at 10:14 PM on January 5, 2007

My grandmother hung her birdfeeder from a washing line away from the trees, and on either side of the line, she strung it through pop bottles.

I wish I could find a picture (it did look funny), but it works. I found these intructions.

Me, I'm looking for a way to keep the birds out of my squirrel feeder.
posted by jb at 1:09 AM on January 6, 2007