How to prevent Squirrels eating from bird feeder

I have a bird feeder hanging from a branch in my apple tree. Its on a pulley system so I can winch it up and down and refill with seeds and there are 2 suet feeders on the ends. I spotted a squirrel hanging from the feeder and eating so I winched it down about 3 feet from the branch. But the crafty little sucker is using the clothesline like a tightrope and can still reach the feeder. Although I do sympathize that the poor little squirrels may be hungry our neighbor across the street last summer dealt with a huge squirrel infestation in her attic and exterminators and they're now rid of them. I don't want to have the same problem especially since it stands to reason the neighborhood squirrels need a new home to live in! Anybody have any suggestions how to squirrel proof the existing bird feeder or perhaps a shopping tip to purchase a new one that squirrels can't access. Here's a photo of the feeder, just a standard one, but its not this close to the branch anymore.



Finches on apple tree feeder ( photo / image / picture from whistler's Garden )

 

Unfortunately there is no such thing as a "squirrel proof" feeder, but a metal cone that is placed on the hanging wire above the feeder will make robbing the feeder much more difficult.

 

After years of fighting the tree rats, I finally outsmarted them this year. I took Cloths line wire and stretched it between 2 trees about six ft. off the ground. I then hung the feeder in the middle. The line has just enout slack in it that the weight of the feeder forms a V in the line. The line is only about 1/8th of an inch thick and the plastic coating on it won't let them get a grip on it. They have fallen on there head enough times they don't even try to go out on it anymore. Now they set on the ground and get the stray sunfloer seeds that the birds drop. These Fox Squirrels do eat from a suet block as I have seen them trying to get to it. So far the squirrels here have been cut off from the feeder for about 5 months.

 

All good suggestions. However the squirrel was eating the suet. He ate it down enough that he was able to pull it out of the holder and leave. I also have a suet cage that hangs from the tree but it broke and was lying on the ground so we think the squirrel jumped on it and broke it and had a quick 10 foot drop to the lawn. I'm thinking of cutting a plastic milk jug in half and attaching it above the feeder but I like the one of stringing clothesline between the two trees. I can string some pop bottles along there too so the squirrel will go for a spin if he tries the tightrope walk.

 

That sounds good to me toni.

 

You might try to replace the line closest to the tree with 20 or 30 lb. fishing line. The monofilament kind not the woven type. Its so small I don`t think they could climb down it.

 

There are many intellligent people here, some with college degrees, all with life experience, trying to outsmart a rodent with a brain the size of a walnut!

 

LOL, I have decided it can`t be done.

 

My husband has wire he's going to string between the branches and then attach the bird feeder to that. We're pretty sure the squirrel can't do a tightwire act! Ha ha, I agree its pretty funny we're all trying to figure out how to outwit a squirrel and I tend to agree that sometimes it just can't be done! Here's an FYI for people who have plumbing vents coming out of their roofs. The squirrels like to fill them with nuts and you don't know that until your drains stop up and you can't figure out why. You can't cap it but you can put mesh over it. My husband has been to a couple of houses with that problem. After trouble shooting everything in the house the vent is checked and that's where the nut supply is blocking the vent.

 

I heard a tip from a person once that said that if you mix an VERY generous amount of fine hot chili powder in with your seeds that you put in the feeder (or in suet) that the squirrels will not eat them.

Apparantly it has to do with the papules in the tongue of squirrels. It burns the daylights out of them, but the birds do not have the same, and they can happily eat without any trouble at all.

If you try this, I would like to know if this method helped at all. I suppose that your seed presentation must be a dry one so that the seeds cannot be washed-clean of the powder by rain.

 

Well....I am a squirrel lover and I actually buy the striped seeds that are a favorite for them and put it on the tray feeder. I am happy I have them visit because the grackles and starlings stay away when they are here. I have had no problems with them...in fact I even have a squirrel jar for them to eat from too. You can buy feeders that have wire or a cage type thing around them and the squirrels try to get at the food but they can't. Good Luck...I would rather get rid of some of the junk birds than the squirrels but I know unless you just feed certain things, it can't be done.

 

I know someone mentioned earlier that as squirrel-proof feeder doesn't exist. However I have to disagree. I bought one of these a few years back, and I'm yet to meet the squirrel that can get at the food inside.

Failing that, maybe we should just start electrifying the bird feeders! :-D