|
 Watching
squirrels gracefully prance around your
lawn and garden can be a true
delight. But squirrels
can wreak havoc with your birdfeeders. They scare
the birds away and waste the birdfeed in the process.
There
are two methods of keeping squirrels away
from your birdfeeders:
- Deter them from entering the birdfeeders
- Divert them away from the feeders
Squirrels have a
well-deserved reputation for pilfering
lots of seeds from feeders. It
can be quite expensive
keeping them stocked with birdseed with bandit
squirrels in the vicinity.
There are several ways to deter squirrels from using your
feeders:
-
Locate your birdfeeder (and birdhouse)
away from tree trunks and limbs. Squirrels are able to leap quite high so
be sure to place your feeders at least 12 feet away from any object that a
squirrel can leap from.
-
Install a baffle
above your feeder. A baffle can be homemade (such as a pie pan) or a
store-bought squirrel dome (see photo above).
-
Suspend your
birdfeeders between two posts or trees with heavy duty nylon string or
fishing line. Attach plastic PVC pipe on either end of the nylon string to
make it more difficult for a squirrel to get to the feeder.
-
A pole mounted
birdfeeder should be at least 6 feet above the ground so that a squirrel
can't leap up onto the feeder. Locate the top of your squirrel baffle at
least 5 feet above the ground when attaching it to the mounting pole.
Alternatively, you can divert the squirrels away from your birdfeeders by
creating an area that is designated just for the squirrels. It is quite
inexpensive (and entertaining) to feed your squirrels.
-
There are numerous
squirrel toys available today including squirrel spinning wheels and
picnic table style squirrel feeders. Inexpensive dried corn cobs work very
well with these types of squirrel feeders. Be sure to place these
"diversion" type feeders at least 18 feet away from your
birdfeeders and birdhouses.
-
Offer the squirrels
old bread or grain cereals that you have left over.
-
Place some fruit in
an area where the squirrels will find it instead of your birdfeeder.
-
Squirrels love
peanuts and peanut butter.
-
Install a platform
style squirrel feeder stocked with sunflower seeds, cracked corn, acorns,
or nuts.
Squirrels can indeed make a mess of
your birdfeeders as well as waste the birdseed. But you don't have to miss out
on the enjoyment of watching squirrels play in your lawn or garden. Simply use
these techniques and you can enjoy watching the squirrels play side-by-side in
harmony with the birds.
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