6 tips to keep squirrels away from bird feeders

Allow me to offer you six quick fire tips for keeping squirrels out of bird feeders, whilst avoiding tried and tested methods, with only those that work.

Practical tips to keep squirrels away from bird feeders is to supply their own squirrel feeder, filled up with nuts. In addition to this, install a squirrel baffle to stop them climbing, or add one on top of hanging bird feeders to prevent them descending. To use a squirrel proof feeder can see remarkable success.

I'll say it now, the single best way to keep squirrels off bird feeders is by actually feeding squirrels themselves, as it acts has a quick, no-fuss distraction.

Squirrels must eat to, and if you are like me who really does enjoy watching playful squirrels while out and about, you wouldn't mind if they weren't being such a nuisance in your yard.

Understandably, for many of you squirrels can be a pain as they raid your bird feeders, intended to feed wild birds who can become dependant on this daily food source.

I therefore offer you my practical tips for keeping squirrels out of bird feeders, whilst avoiding anti-squirrel deterrents that have a history of failing - with only these top five methods that can work without a hitch

Distraction is the name of the game, by allowing squirrels to feed side-by-side with birds, everyone is happy - with no more headache by figuring out how to keep squirrels away.

Squirrels can continue to try to use a bird feeder, thus wild birds can use a squirrel feeder.

As it won't always go to plan, you can begin to install a squirrel baffle on a pole or on top of a feeder, to prevent squirrels climbing or descending down on any type of hanging bird feeder - including what would be a more accessible suet feeder.

Create more length on hanging bird feeders with the use of metal wire, while doubling up your effort with a squirrel proof, or similarly a Squirrel Buster bird feeder.

1. Distraction

What many people often overlook with the need to keep squirrels off their bird feeders, is to feed hungry squirrels themselves.

While remaining mindful of squirrels needs, rest assured it is not cruel to not feed them if it meant wild birds will go without.

Common ground must be found, and that is preventing squirrels accessing the feeders, to allow birds to feed in peace and quiet. Existence of squirrels on feeders will keep most, if not all birds away, until there is an opening.

What you can do is keep squirrels at a distance, so rather than coming to the feeders themselves - would be to feed squirrels several feet away.

To keep squirrels distracted with their own food supply near bird feeders, you can be sure bird feeders are left alone, as they become available again for birds.

How you'd feed squirrels is with a specialty squirrel feeder, tied up around a tree trunk or mount the squirrel feeder in a hedgerow.

Birds can't help but feed on the peanuts exposed on the outside, as its within their nature to feed where they can. Squirrels will be sure to only feed at this location, as long has their feed remains accessible, with a continuous food supply.

2. Squirrel baffles

I am sure you have heard of a squirrel baffle before, but if you haven't it really can be a life safer, especially when you hang bird feeders off a pole.

How squirrel baffles work is by simply creating a cut off point between the bird feeders higher up on the pole - and the squirrel at the bottom of the pole attempting to climb up to access the bird feeders.

Squirrels will normally climb about 3-4 feet before coming to a stop on the underside of what would appear to be an upside down floppy disk - similar to what dogs have to wear around their necks after a visit to the vets.

To keep squirrels off several bird feeders hanging off a bird feeding station, or a similar shepherd's hook - would be to install a squirrel baffle half way up the pole - and that would be how you squirrel proof a bird feeder pole.

Result of that is the squirrel cannot climb up fully on the pole to then descend down on the hanging bird feeders.

How to stop squirrels successfully climbing the pole, despite the baffle being in-place; is to locate the squirrel baffle as high as 4-5 feet up. Squirrels are great climbers, so a little trial and error may be needed.

With all that, you can secure a single bird feeder hanging in a tree or on a bracket, by installing what would be a squirrel baffle mounted on top of hanging feeder, to prevent them descending down on to it.

3. Long metal wire to hang

With a squirrel baffle remaining in place can be made incredibly hard for squirrels to access the bird food within feeders, but what they can't climb is an uncomfortable, thin metal wire.

What you would do is tie a knot to the hoop on top of any bird feeder, or anywhere a knot can be tied - while on the other end you can tie a knot on the object the bird feeder is meant to hang off.

You'll then end up with a bird feeder hanging off a metal wire on a bracket in case of Hummingbird feeders only - or more likely a tree branch with regular bird feeders - in which squirrels can't descend down on.

How long this length of wire to hang bird feeders must be, is very long, whilst not giving squirrels any chance to reach or jump down.

Where you have hung the bird feeder, be it off a bracket or branch, do use metal wire up to 2 feet long - or far longer if the feeder is secured high up a tree.

Squirrels can climb anything imaginable, unless that is a thin metal wire that can cause them discomfort if they attempt to climb down it by holding on.

To prevent the bird feeder from spinning due to this long wire to hang, tie an additional wire to an available hoop or opening on the feeder, over to an adjoining object nearby.

4. Squirrel proof bird feeders

When all else fails you can begin the process of swapping out your most successful regular bird feeders, with their squirrel proof counterpart.

With any bird feeder in use today, you can guarantee the squirrel proof version is available, at little cost or hassle to use.

What advice I have provided thus far to keep squirrels away from bird feeders are sound, only a squirrel proof suet, peanut, seed mix or the mealworm feeder kind - can act as a last resort - or indeed to further fortify your squirrel deterrent.

Squirrels love seed mixes, especially nuts and will feed on suet, only all this can be exposed to squirrels one way or another.

Squirrels can be clever, so if they do get through any anti-squirrel bird feeder setup, so this method can finally stop them in their tracks.

What you will do is replace all regular bird feeder with these bird feeders surrounded in a metal cage.

Cage being metal to prevent it bending as squirrels attempt to reach in, with the gaps between this cage shroud being as small as can be - while allowing only small common backyard birds to enter.

Bonus of this is cheap squirrel proof feeder such as these can indeed keep larger, more nuisance birds away.

5. Squirrel Buster feeder

If squirrel proof feeders fails, and I am talking about the type of squirrel proof bird feeders only, as outlined above, then welcome to the Squirrel Buster series.

What it involves is a normal feeder to hold nuts, seeds or suet, to which shuts up tight if the Squirrel Buster feeder detects a squirrel is on it.

Best Squirrel Buster feeder being for seeds I might add, as its caters to far more birds all year round.

Now its not mechanical or computerized, so nothing can really go wrong. What happens is the Squirrel Buster will close off its bird feeder port hole naturally as it counters the squirrels additional weight.

Squirrels are far heavier than most common birds, thus a Squirrel Buster is designed to slip down in its outer shroud whilst the internal feeder remains in place.

Squirrel Busters really do work unless your personal setup allows squirrels to reach over the feed, rather than being directed to descend on the feeder only.

Not cheap I might add but a Squirrel Buster could be all you need, with no other investment - and therefore your time to keep birds well off bird food secured in feeders.

6. Feed hated bird food

I must admit I did list this final tip involving types of bird food squirrels hate the most, as it can be a hit or miss - but mostly a miss if squirrels are hungry.

Best way to stop squirrels accessing bird feeders, and therefore eating bird seed mixes, or peanuts and suet - is to only feed wild birds what squirrels are not keen on.

Firstly, squirrels love sunflower seeds, so any seed mixes using a sunflower blend will continue to be raided by them.

What squirrels don't normally like are safflower or nyjer seeds. What this means is you can put away the widely available bird seed mixes, whilst replacing them with these more specialty seed options.

Fill separate seed feeders with them both, or mix them together to make it easy on feeding birds, but less so on squirrels.

And don't worry, safflower seeds are enjoyed by Northern Cardinals, whilst being a real favorite of Chickadees, Doves, Grosbeaks, and Titmice.

Similarly, birds that like nyjer seeds are many Finches, with Junco's really enjoying nyjer seeds.

Remember, while squirrels don't really like these common bird foods, that is not to say they will eat them if it meant they have to go hungry.

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