Squirrels are cute, silly, and an important part of the garden ecosystem. But it’s far from cute when squirrels raid your birdseed feeders, leaving nothing but dust for the beaked beauties you were hoping to attract.
If you’ve been wondering how to keep squirrels out of your bird feeders, this article will get you started on the right wing. Learn how to prevent squirrels from eating all your seed and attract the birds you are hoping to enjoy!
How to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Bird Feeders
Keeping squirrels out of your bird feeders may feel like a Herculean feat, but with a little patience, planning, and the right equipment, you can prevent these adorable thieves from eating all your birdseed.
Where Should You Place Bird Feeders to Discourage Squirrels?
Deciding where to place your bird feeders is the first step to winning the war against hungry squirrels. As you likely know squirrels have amazing acrobatic and athletic abilities, but they can also be quite shy when it comes to straying too far from the safety of a tree.
Because of this, we recommend placing your bird feeder at least ten feet away from trees, fences, and bushes. This will prevent easy access and make them second guess if the risk is worth the birdseed reward!
You will want to keep the feeder still within a bird’s range of branches, though.
Birds often scope a feeder out from the safety of a branch or bush before committing to trying it out. Additionally, be sure your feeder is within three feet from your window or more than 10 feet away to prevent bird-window collisions.
How High Should You Hang Your Bird Feeder to Prevent Squirrels?
Squirrels are fast, intelligent, and can jump up to 5 feet vertically. This means that ideally, the bottom of your feeder should be more than 5 feet off the ground.
A shepherd’s hook or bird feeding station are great ways to keep your bird feeders out of squirrels’ reach.
When choosing one, be sure to subtract the fork that keeps it in place and stable from the total height, since this part will be underground.
Equipment That Will Keep the Squirrels At Bay
Even with perfect placement, squirrels may feel bold enough and hungry enough to raid your birdseed feeders!
You may even feel like squirrels and your bird feeders have a magnetic attraction. This is when squirrel-proofing equipment can come in handy.
Squirrel Baffles
These devices can be mounted above and below your birdseed feeder. Baffles that attach below your feeders will prevent squirrels from climbing up the pole to your feeders or jumping up and grabbing hold them.
Squirrel baffles that attach above your bird feeder prevent squirrels from leaping down onto the feeder from above.
With these, you’ll never have to worry about a squirrel threat again!
Squirrel-Resistant Bird Feeders
Squirrel-proof feeders that work can be hard to come by, but with an effective squirrel-resistant bird feeder, you will find few to no squirrels diving into your birdseed.
A high-quality squirrel-resistant feeder will lengthen the life of your birdseed feeder and leave more seed for happy birds.
The Jacobi Jayne Ring Pull Pro features metal fittings that squirrels can't chew through. It also has a lifetime warranty, which makes it an excellent value choice. Its openings are designed to make it difficult for squirrels to retrieve your feed.
You can also use a round mesh bird feeder to prevent squirrels from dining at your bird feeders. These mesh bird feeders are round and freely swing, making it difficult for squirrels to hang onto.
Squirrels also struggle to pull seed out should they hang on long enough!
TopLocⓇ bird feeders hold a lot of birdseed and make it nearly impossible for squirrels to steal any. How they work is simple!
If a squirrel reaches the perch, its weight will pull down a metal slat that covers the feeding slots.
Caged birdseed feeders also offer birds easy access to seed while making discouraging squirrels.
Squirrel Deterrents and Repellents
If you already have several bird feeders, you may want to try a repellent or deterrent--don’t worry, they’re far from unkind.
Mixing in hot pepper flakes to your birdseed mix can do the job. You can also use a birdseed mix made to spoil your birds and discourage your squirrels.
As you select the best equipment to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder, keep in mind that offering a variety of heights, birdseed types, and a water source can help attract a larger variety of birds.
Using a wild bird feeding station can help you accomplish this!
Squirrels also hate garlic, so rubbing a few cloves along your feeder pole every now and then can make your birdfeed less appetizing.
Of course, letting your dog chase your squirrels off will eventually teach them that your birdfeeder is not worth their time.
Keep Your Birds Happy & Squirrels Foraging Elsewhere
As you select the best equipment to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder, keep in mind that over time, if squirrels find your birdseed difficult to access, they will go elsewhere.
Finally, be sure you’re doing everything you can to appeal to birds for the best birdfeeder results!
Offering a variety of heights, birdseed types, and a water source can help attract a larger variety of birds. Using a wild bird feeding station can help you accomplish this.
If you want to target specific species, check out this blog or learn more about the best birdfeeders for your needs!
