How to keep Squirrels off Hummingbird feeder
Squirrels are always there to put a dampener on proceedings ain't they, although this time we can use quite an effective ant-squirrel deterrent, to keep them off the nectar.
How to keep squirrels off hummingbird feeder is to first supply their own source of nectar in a bowl with peanuts in a squirrel feeder. With that, mount a squirrel baffle 4ft. up a pole, or hang a baffle above feeders to prevent them descending. What is most effective is a 2ft. long steel wire to hang hummingbird feeder on.
You know what squirrels have a keen sense of smell, thus can sniff out nectar that may reside on the outside of an unkempt hummingbird feeder.
Before you do anything else its worth remembering a clean hummingbird feeder can prevent any more squirrels arriving. In the meantime let's see what we can do it keep the current squirrels off your feeder.
Similarly, a hummingbird feeder that leaks will need correcting, as squirrels will keep coming back until there's no sign of accessible homemade nectar on the ground where it spilled.
Now you know why bees swarm a hummingbird feeder, its because there's nectar available to them, when this sugary water should be trapped in the feeder.
Its amazing isn't it, you can buy the top rated hummingbird feeder with all the bee guards or ant moats to be extra safe - only for squirrels to put a spanner in the works.
How you'd keep squirrels off hummingbird feeders is with use of a squirrel baffle.
Squirrel baffle do work if mounted to a pole, thus a hanging hummingbird feeder will be out of reach to squirrels if its higher up off the ground in its current location.
If you insist on hanging a hummingbird feeder in a tree or on an accessible bracket, then a squirrel baffle that hangs above the feeder can stop descending squirrels with great success - although let me tell you it can take time to find the best spot for a baffle.
Prioritize offering squirrels their own source of nectar, preferably just plain water along with peanuts in a specialty squirrel feeder mounted to a tree trunk or left on the ground.
Pro tip: stabilize your hummingbird feeder to prevent squirrels spilling nectar as they try to access it - all while secure the feeder to stop them running away with the feeder.
Give squirrels nectar with nuts
How to genuinely keep squirrels off an hummingbird feeder is to provide a source of homemade nectar, along with food set aside for squirrels.
Squirrels come to your yard for one vital thing, food. Sugary water made accessible to squirrels is simply a bonus, in which you can still offer them up this sweet treat - or if you like plain tap water to be sure squirrels are properly hydrated.
How you will go about doing this is by mounting a squirrel feeder on a tree trunk; on top of this specialty squirrel feeder you can balance a bowl of plain water or nectar.
No issue at all if you don't have a tree available in the yard as this flat bottom squirrel feeder - commonly filled up with peanuts in their shell - can be situated on top of a flat surface like a porch railing or on the ground.
If the squirrel feeder goes on the ground or on a precarious surface higher up, I'd recommend placing the bowl of nectar or plain water next to the feeder.
Give squirrels their own source of nectar or bowl of water as to deter them ever needing to visit the hummingbird feeder, wherever it happens to be hanging.
To better preserve homemade nectar which is made out of sugar water, would be to set aside the squirrels own, cheaper hummingbird feeder; to which it will be placed far away from the original feeders intended for hummingbirds.
Seclude feeder in yard
How to keep squirrels off a hummingbird must first prioritize a hanging up position, to hang a hummingbird feeder we can apply an effective squirrel deterrent.
First thing to do though is to be sure anyone of your hummingbird feeders are secluded.
By that I mean you must not position an hummingbird feeder in the yard that can allow squirrels to climb up to it or descend down on it via an unexpected route.
What can happen is squirrels can climb up a near by fence or wall and access the feeder that way - or indeed climb up a tree the hummingbird feeder is hanging up in - for a squirrel to only then climb across the branch its hanging off to descend on it from above.
Secluding your hummingbird feeder in the yard can avoid mishaps like this ever happening - although you can make mistakes at first to which you'd soon make changes.
Where you put the hummingbird feeder is on a bird feeder pole with no feeders set up too close as to provide a short distance to which squirrels can reach over.
Similarly, to hang a hummingbird feeder off a tree branch then it must be a branch that has a clear distance away from other branches in the tree - to stop squirrels reaching over or jumping about among the branches to reach the hummingbird feeder.
In the meantime the best cause of action you can take to keep squirrels off a hummingbird feeder, is to hang the feeder off a bird feeder pole - as you'd be in total control that way, while putting in place a deterrent.
Mount Squirrel Baffle to pole
What is the best way to keep squirrels off a hummingbird feeder is to hang it off a bird feeder pole; then you can install an effective squirrel baffle with what is hoped will stop squirrels climbing up the pole to reach the feeder.
It never as simple as that is it, thus you'd need to mount the squirrel baffle up to 3-4 feet up the pole - while only then you can proceed to adjust it if squirrels can continue to access the hummingbird feeder.
I can assure squirrel baffles do work as its just a matter of finding the sweet spot; in time squirrels won't be able to get on the other side of the baffle, it if is out of jumping range.
What is the best squirrel baffle are universally mounted options, meaning any squirrel baffle can mount to any bird feeder pole.
With that in mind the disc shape squirrel baffle must be allowed to pivot, as to throw squirrels off if they manage to jump on top of it. To install a squirrel baffle is quite easy but in doing so it must remain lower than the hummingbird feeder as it hangs on the side.
Squirrel baffles are your first line of defense against climbing up pole squirrels, so let's take a look at what you can do to keep squirrels off hanging bird feeders,.
Feeder Baffle is a must
Providing your don't have your hummingbird feeder hanging too low, squirrels can have difficulty jumping up to it, and staying on the hummingbird feeder body without falling.
What squirrels will do if they can't climb up to a nectar-filled hummingbird feeder is indeed descend on it from above.
While many of you choose not to make use of a bird feeder pole, such as a bird feeding station or Shepherd's Hook - a tree branch or bracket mounted to a wall can give your squirrels full access, at all times.
You don't have to put up with that when a specialty squirrel baffle can be used for hanging bird feeders only.
What you do with a hanging squirrel baffle is hang the baffle on the bracket or branch; all while the bird feeder of any kind hangs off the hook made available under the upside down disc shape squirrel baffle.
Currently there are two types of squirrel baffles, one is mounted to a pole while the other substitutes as a hook to hang any bird feeder on.
How does a squirrel baffle work is to prevent squirrels getting to the other side of it, with this the squirrels are unable to drink the sugary water.
Hummingbird feeder hung with 2ft. wire
On the subject of hanging a hummingbird feeder off a bracket anywhere in your yard or on a mature tree branch made available, you can go one better than a squirrel baffle.
I will suggest you continue to use a squirrel baffle as the first line of defense; only then can we stop squirrels going any further when the hummingbird feeder is hanging off the end of a very long metal wire.
What you must know about squirrels is that they can't get their paws around the thin, cheese-wire like steel wire - as it simply hurts them to slide down on.
Its the same for people as we may have to use gloves to prevent the wire slice opening our palms - to which a squirrel will be stopped in their tracks.
How to squirrel proof any bird feeder, and one that must hang, is to hang it with a foot or two feet long ultra thin steel wire.
What you get out of the wire is a tough, never to break hanging wire, while an heavy load hummingbird feeder can be better balanced.
Locate feeder on glass window
I have only referred to protecting your hummingbird feeder from squirrels if hanging on a bird feeder pole, branch or bracket mounted anywhere in your yard.
With any of that is helps to always use steel wire to allow it to hang lower but still 5 to 6 feet off the ground - to keep it out of reach of squirrels.
What I haven't pressed on thus far is to actually refer to a specialty window hummingbird feeder, which are safe to use providing the suction cups are clean - and so too is the glass window the feeder is going to be stuck on.
Look, to hang a hummingbird feeder out in the sun is the most effective way of attracting hummingbirds to the feeder; while I'd admit it can be difficulty to attract hummingbirds to a window bird feeder - which would be set up specifically for their needs.
To use a what is a quality window hummingbird feeder it must be for fun only, while you continue to prioritize regular hanging hummingbird feeders on a pole or bracket.
Locate a hummingbird feeder on a window up to 2 feet high on the panel of glass - preferably in a center spot - to keep it out of reach of squirrels who will be sitting on the window sill below the feeder.
Glass window will act as a deterrent as squirrels have no chance of climbing glass, to which this is where they may finally give up.
Summarizing up
If you can beat them you can at least provide for them, as squirrels only want to eat or hydrate, so why not give squirrels what they came for.
Now I will say squirrels can still try to access a hummingbird feeder set up exclusively for hummers - but in turn hummingbirds may be seen to raid the squirrels nectar - with other common backyard birds stealing the squirrels nuts.
What you can do is mount a specialty peanut-filled squirrel feeder to a tree trunk, up to 6-8 feet off the ground.
On top of this squirrel feeder you can position a water bowl with a safe measurement of homemade nectar, as its this sugary treat squirrels crave for at the moment.
To be double safe I would also use a bowl of water along side it - or use plain tap water only - to be sure squirrels can properly hydrate. Remember bugs can invade a bowl full of sugary water, thus to use plain tap water will be less hassle.
In the meantime seclude the hummingbird feeder in the yard as to prevent squirrels accessing it via a different route.
Hang your hummingbird feeder off a bird feeder pole, thus only then can your mount an effective squirrel baffle up to 3-4 feet high on the pole.
To hang a hummingbird feeder on a branch or bracket elsewhere then you'd need a squirrel baffle that hangs above the feeder - to prevent squirrels descending on the hummingbird feeder from above.
In addition to all your hanging options, do it with use of an up to 2 feet long wire, as squirrels can hurt themselves on this wire, so will avoid getting their paws around it.
If all else fails, you can also keep squirrels off a hummingbird feeder by relying on a window hummingbird feeder - as squirrels have no chance of climbing up a panel of glass the hummingbird feeder so happens to be stuck to.
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