My personal contest with the squirrels in my yard
By Marg12
@Marg12 (329)
United States
April 22, 2008 10:03am CST
I just wanted to see if anyone else is having a contest with their squirrels in their yard. I have two bird feeders in my yard up on poles so that the cats cannot catch the birds and that works very nicely. BUT, the squirrels just go running up the pole and get on top of the feeder and eat all the seed. So I rigged up a pot around the pole so they couldn't scamper up the pole. Now they jump from the fence over to the middle part of the pole and just have a blast eating all the seed. So today, I put another pot on the top so maybe that will foil them for a day.
So does anyone else have squirrels on their bird feeders??? I think there might be bird feeders made to keep the squirrels out.
6 people like this
14 responses
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
23 Apr 08
I have this one squirrel that likes to get to the bird food. Darn thing even chewed up and broke one of my feeders. I was able to salvage it, plus we fixed it that the squirrel has to deal with a wire cord to get to the feeder. It's funny to watch it trying to get to it, without the wire hurting his feet.
2 people like this
@murtagh92 (182)
• United States
23 Apr 08
lol, blasted squirrels...hahaha, thats crazy though
no, i don't hav squirrels infesting my bird feeders, so i'm not exactly sure wat the best case for this would be...lol, ur luckier than my friend though, there are apparently squirrels infesting his house and when came up through the vent the other day...hehehe
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
23 Apr 08
Oh gosh yes I have that problem too. It was much worse when I lived in Arkansas but now I'm in North Carolina and it isn't nearly as bad but still have the problem. I've been asking hubby to put something up to keep them out but he hasn't done so just yet. There are bird feeders that keep the squirrels out but they're most costly than the regular ones but so is the bird seed when having to refill the feeder so often. Check at walmart or lowes for one. One will will them.
1 person likes this
@babykeka80 (2084)
• United States
22 Apr 08
I have heard of feeders that are made to keep the birds out. I bet that they would have them at Lowes or Home Depot. Maybe even walmart. I don't have my own yard anymore I have an apartment. Our squirrels always wanted to battle with our dogs. They would get in the trees and throw stuff down on them it was hilarious.
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
23 Apr 08
I am sure that there are bird feeders made just for that but you seem to be doing a pretty good job of it yourself.. "Necessity is the mother of invention", I have always heard this, so maybe if you get desperate enough, you will invent just the right solution for this problem.. I don't have this problem so far, but I have watched my neighbors bird feeders and the squirrels having a field day with the bird seed.. I have always felt sorry for the squirrels and thought maybe they were hungry also.. Oh well, if they stay out of my fridge, I can get along with the squirrels just fine.. Good luck to you and invent something really great and get rich, lol..
1 person likes this
@DonnaLawson (4032)
• United States
23 Apr 08
I am pretty sure the squirrels are hungry, I know for sure they are.. I just watched Alvin and the chipmunks, It was so funny, chipmunks are close to squirrels, aren't they, and bless their hearts, they were always hungry in the movie.. They loved waffles.. Maybe you could serve waffles in your "Squirrels" Feeder.. Makes for a fun day watching tham anyway.. They do find inventive ways to get to the bird feeders so I am not sure if they can really be stopped.. Have a great day and enjoy all of God's little creatures.. I have rabbits in my back yard and when we come home after dark, they are running all over the back yard.. I do so enjoy seeing them and knowing that as far as I am concerned they do have a safe place to run in my yard.
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
22 Apr 08
One of my friends has a squirrel proof feeder, and one that has a cone-shaped thingy that hangs over it. They both seem to work pretty well. I don't have a squirrel proofed feeder, so I do the next best thing that works well. When I refill the seed, I mix in some cayenne pepper. Other animals hate it, but it doesn't hurt the birds (they still eat it...their digestive system is different.) I used to have all kinds of wildlife besides squirrels get into the birdfeeder, but this way works good for me.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
30 Apr 08
Yes, I have a contest going with the squirrels and I think the squirrels are winning. My bird feeders hang from the overhang on the roof and the squirrels just jump over from the porch rail. I tried cayenne pepper but it didn't seem to bother them. I also got an electronic device that was supposed to keep them away and they ignore it. I wouldn't mind them coming now and then, but they're gluttons and carry away what they don't eat. I can't afford to fill the feeder every morning but don't know what to do about it.
@tammyr (5946)
• Etowah, Tennessee
27 Apr 08
LOL Those squirrels can be so crafty!!
I took down my feeders at the place I was living due to squirrels emptying it after a couple hours each morning.
I have but them up here and they are on my porch so the squirrels should stay away for a bit longer.
@p3halliwel2005 (3156)
• Philippines
23 Apr 08
That sounds cute although they shouldn't be eating the food for the birds.. I haven't seen a live squirrel yet they don't come in this part of the planet..lol..but I would love to see one upfront. I wouldn't mind them getting the seed for the birds I would just put something for the birds again.
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
23 Apr 08
I gave up trying to stop the squirrels getting to my bird feeders, they were far too entertaining watching them figure out how to get to the bird nuts and seed. I even tried hanging bird feeders on the washing line but the squirrels performed acrobatics and got to those as well. The only other thing that has sort of worked, was to rig up a pole in the garden with a feeder at the top and a large disc like a collar around the pole under the feeder.
@nova1945 (1612)
• United States
23 Apr 08
W used to do battle with the squirrels all the time. One neighbor told me to grease the pole and the squirrels will just slide down. Tried that...it didn't work. They still managed to get up the pole,
Then we bought one of those squirrel baffles and put it below the feeder.
Now they don't even try anymore. It's great. So good in fact that I can even put corn out for them and they don't bother the feeders at all.
I think it helps that the bird-feeder poles are out in the open and not any where close to a fence or one of the trees so the only way to the feeder is to climb the pole, which they can't do anymore.
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
1 May 08
We haven't had too much of a problem with the squirrels getting into the bird feeder, but maybe it's because we always saw that there was plenty of food for the squirrels too.
We have one of those little wooden posts that holds an ear of corn and always kept that filled, as well as spreading corn/sunflower seed mixture on the ground around that same tree. Oh, and peanuts - can't forget the peanuts.
My husband would hide them in various places in little nooks and crannies in the tree and it was a treat to watch the little buggers find them.
They're digging them up all over the yard still ...
@tessah (6617)
• United States
23 Apr 08
i dont fight with the squirrels.. ive got a few bird feeders in my yard, and they feed on them sometimes.. but usualy only a nibble or two. i feed them stuff on the ground just for them.. and they in turn, provide prey for the falcons that nest nearby.
