How To Squirrel Proof Your Bird Feeder

Did you know that over 57 million households in the United States feed backyard birds? If you are one of these people but have also been dealing with theft from sneaky squirrels, we have put together this guide to help make your bird feeders squirrel proof. 

Read on to learn what precautions you can take so that you are not attracting families of squirrels.

Put Them High Up

Remember that your average squirrel doesn’t have wings, but birds do. Keep your bird feeders up high and far away from branches that would allow a squirrel to climb up to grab the bird food. Usually, a squirrel won’t jump more than 5 feet off the ground. 

Squirrel Baffle

Another option is to invest in a squirrel baffle. This is a piece of metal that you attach to the top of the bird feeder. It will literally do what its name says – “baffle” the squirrel with its slippery surface that they can’t grip on. 

It will discourage the squirrel from attempting to steal the food from the bird feeder, but will not harm them in any way. 

Spinning Hooks

You can also try using a spinning hook to hang your bird feeders. When the bird feeders are spinning, it will deter the squirrels from partaking from the bird food. The main goal of a spinning hook or a spinning bird feeder is to make it hard for the squirrel to access the food because the bird feeder won’t stay still. 

Cages

Placing a wire cage around the bird feeder or even around an owl nesting box will make it difficult because squirrels will not fit through the small wire openings. Smaller birds will still be able to fit and eat. 

Placing cages around hummingbird feeders works well because these birds are so tiny they can easily fit anywhere. One major plus of cages is that it not only helps keep squirrels away, it also helps keep larger “bully” birds from eating all the food. These bully birds are usually pigeons, starlings, and grackles. 

Spicy Seeds

You might not be aware that birds are not sensitive to the perceived heat of pepper, but squirrels are. Add some cayenne pepper or something similar to the bird food and you will notice a decline in squirrel visitors. 

You can either add the spices yourself, or you can buy seeds that are pre-treated with spice. If you do it yourself, make sure you wear gloves and avoid touching your eyes or face before washing your hands. 

Ready to Squirrel Proof Your Bird Feeders?

Now you can apply all of our tips above to squirrel proof your bird feeders and stop dealing with these furry troublemakers. We hope that your days of having the bird food stolen out of your feeders can soon become a thing of the past. 

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