Feeding Winter Birds, Keeping out the Squirrels

[pawngal]

I enjoyed watching the hummingbird family this summer so now I want to feed the winter birds without feeding all the neighborhood squirrels. Have a LOT of squirrels due to the amount of oak trees in the area.
Birds that I have seen here in the winter months include chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, blue jays, cardinals, woodpeckers.

There seem to be a multiple of "squirrel proof" feeders but what does really work?? Styles, brands, whatever. And prices are all over the place.

 

[tomhenry]

Yeah, I had the same problem. I tried Vaseline slathered on the pole and, although I saw a squirrel slide down, it didn't work for long.

And I bought a "squirrel proof" feeder, but it didn't work. At all.

I finally bought a "squirrel baffle" off Amazon and it works like a charm.

 

[DWalt]

I have a large bird feeder suspended on a long metal rod (about 6') from a large tree. Around that rod is a metal Slinky. The squirrels will not attempt to shinny down the Slinky to get to the feeder. The feeder has been there for years, never had a squirrel get into the bird seed.

 

[Eric300]

.177 pellets and a crock pot.

 

[quikdraw67]

My NEF Pardner .410 is a squirrel eliminator.

 

[Jeff423]

I speak from personal experience. This one works if you keep it away from trees:
[ame="https://www.amazon.com/Arundale-150-Mandarin-Wild-Feeder/dp/B0007LQ3OO"]Amazon.com : Arundale 150 Mandarin Wild Bird Feeder : Garden & Outdoor[/ame]

 

[steelslaver]

Get a hawk or an owl to move into your trees. He would think the squirrels were the feeder.

 

[RodD]

Bird seed with cayene pepper mixed in. Birds can't taste it.

 

[Catwrangler]

My neighbor has a feeder and the tree rats clean it out within 10 min of a refill. I bought two bottles of red pepper flakes and then sorted thru enough seed to give a 1/2 fill of the feeder,and remove the sunflower seeds. Add bottle of pepper flakes. Made this piquant mix for 6 days- the squirrels took this feeder off their preferred dining list.
The birds will consume the doctored seed just fine. Seems they don't have taste buds.....but you can easily tell when the squirrel hits the pepper seeds or flakes.
Cheap and easy eco friendly solution.

 

[Catwrangler]

Ron D types faster than I do.

 

[Kinman]

Bird seed with cayene pepper mixed in. Birds can't taste it.

One of the guys at the gun club has been bringing his puppy in with him over the past year, good dog, Shepard type dog. It his habit to eat a Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage/Egg Biscuit ever morning before he starts working. Yesterday we were drinking coffee and he had about a bite left of his sandwich, he said "Watch this..." He called the dog who was making the rounds, the dog came over, the guy holds out the biscuit and said "Chaser, you want a sandwich?" The dog did its best imitation of a disgusted face and shook its head, I near pee'd myself laughing. Its the red peppers, which are real faint to most people but that dog hates them, the guy said he could leave a platter of them out and the dog wouldn't touch them...good dog.

 

[pawngal]

.177 pellets and a crock pot.

It's been years since I had squirrel, hmmm.

 

[pawngal]

My NEF Pardner .410 is a squirrel eliminator.

Doubt that would be a good idea, I live in town with close neighbors!

 

[CH4]

Bird seed with cayene pepper mixed in. Birds can't taste it.

Yes, I can picture a blue jay in full after burner.

 

[jeffrefrig]

I had a 2" PVC pipe about 7ft. long in the ground. On top I put a PVC floor drain flange and screwed a wooden bird feeder on the floor drain/flange piece. The squirrels couldn't climb the PVC pipe. I used to have a picture that would better describe it. Only problem was the deer could stand on their back legs and get SOME feed, but not enough to worry about. After the second year, the rodents scratched it up enough to get up the pole, but PVC is cheap...especially if you work in the HVAC or plumbing fields! I take my bird feeders down when the weather breaks, so they eat bugs. That's what I paid them to do!

 

[pawngal]

Well, after some other reading, seems the cayenne (red) pepper is my best solution. I want to be able to hang a feeder on a shephard's hook hanger on my deck where it is easily accessible to refill in the winter and easy to see from my kitchen table.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Also, if you come across one of those oil furnace 10,000 VDC ignitor transformers, a little wire and a little bit of sheet metal, oh the fun that ensues watching the little rodents turn into flying & smoking little furballs! It's DC, low amperage, so it really doesn't KILL them, so to speak, but they learn quickly. Heck, it works on cattle, right?

 

[Rushing1]

I tried the red pepper too, but I forgot we got "Cajun Squirrels" in this Swamp, they eat it with relish.
Every once in awhile, I make some Squirrel Sauce Piquante, after I nail 3 or 4 with my Break barrel .177.
Sort of like raisin corn fed pigs, I suppose.

 

[turnerriver]

An obviously homemade squirrel baffle. It's a piece of 8" duct wired to hang from the crossbar. It works, so far. The adolescent peacock approves.
Regards,
turnerriver

 

[BAM-BAM]

We've had good luck with "Droll Yankee" feeders...... not cheap but after trying a bunch of others and "tricks" we tried one...have 3 or 4 now between home and lake........ we've had them for about 10 years now......

racoons have damaged ( dropped 14 ft onto a brick patio) a couple and DY sent us free parts to rebuild