You’ve probably seen squirrels running around your neighborhood. They seem to be hanging around everywhere, and you may be wondering why. The answer is simple: squirrels love food. As a result, they’ll be hanging around your yard trying to track down as much food as they can get their paws on.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep the pesky rodents away from your birdfeeder. Here are a few tips to help keep them at bay.
Tired of Squirrels Stealing Your Bird Seed?
While we love observing squirrel behavior, we don’t always love them emptying our bird feeders in five minutes. If you are struggling to keep them away from your bird seed, we highly recommend a weight-activated feeder.
The Squirrel Buster is the industry standard for a reason. It uses the squirrel’s own weight to close the feeding ports, allowing birds to eat freely while harmlessly blocking the squirrels. It is a humane, effective way to coexist with your backyard wildlife without going bankrupt on seeds.
Install Squirrel-proof Feeders
If you don’t want to install a squirrel-proof feeder, but you do want to keep the squirrels away from your birdfeeder, then you can try installing a squirrel-proof feeder baffle. The baffle will be a curved metal pole, which you will place around your birdfeeder.
The pole should be high enough that squirrels can’t reach it, and it also needs to be close enough to the feeder so that the squirrels have to climb on top of the pole to access the seed.
The pole can be an elegant solution to the squirrel problem, but it’s important to note that it won’t keep the squirrels away; it will only ensure that they don’t climb the pole to access your feeder. However, if the feeder is hanging high up in a tree, then a squirrel may not be able to reach it.
Use A Motion Sensor
If you don’t want to install a baffle, but you do want to keep the squirrels away from your birdfeeder, then you can try using a motion sensor to scare away the squirrels.
The sensor will be connected to your feeder so that when the squirrels approach the feeder, it will send an alarm to your phone and/or a recording device. You can use an app like MotionFinder to set up the sensor.
The sensor should be placed slightly away from the feeder and angled slightly downward. This way, the squirrels will have to see the feeder from a distance and then climb on top of the sensor to see what’s on the feeder.
Hang Birdfeeders High
If you don’t want to install a squirrel-proof feeder, but you do want to keep the squirrels away from your birdfeeder, then you can try hanging your feeder from a high enough place so that the squirrels can’t reach it.
If your birdfeeder is hanging out in a tree, then you can try hanging it 15 feet or more off the ground. If your feeder is hanging on a pole, then you can try hanging it as high as you can. This will ensure that the squirrels will have to climb a lot to access your feeder.
Use A Baffle Feeder
If you don’t want to install a squirrel-proof feeder, but you do want to keep the squirrels away from your birdfeeder, then you can try setting up a baffle feeder. A baffle feeder is a feeder that is designed to confuse squirrels and make them think that there is a lot of food in multiple places. To set up a baffle feeder, you should go to your local hardware store and buy a few metal poles that are about a foot shorter than your birdfeeder. Then, you should place the poles around your feeder so that the squirrels will have to walk between the poles to access the seed.
Cover Your Birdfeeder
If you don’t want to install a squirrel-proof feeder, but you do want to keep the squirrels away from your birdfeeder, then you can try covering your birdfeeder. Covering the feeder will keep the squirrels away by making it difficult for them to see what’s inside.
There are many types of coverings you can use, including metal, plastic, and netting. You should make sure that the covering is durable so that it can withstand the weather and it can keep squirrels out.
One option is to choose a feeder that comes with a cover. You can also use a feeder with a bowl that is too small to hold seed, which will make it difficult for squirrels to access the feeder.
Keep Your Yard Clean And Well-Groomed
If you don’t want to install a squirrel-proof feeder, but you do want to keep the squirrels away from your birdfeeder, then you can try keeping your yard clean and well-groomed.
Clean your feeder frequently, making sure that the inside of the feeder is free of birdseed and dirt. Also, make sure your yard is well-groomed. This means mowing the grass, raking the leaves, and trimming the shrubs and trees. This will make it difficult for squirrels to access your yard and your feeder.
Dont Let Squirrels Have Free Access To Your Yard
If you don’t want to install a squirrel-proof feeder, but you do want to keep the squirrels away from your birdfeeder, then you can try making sure that the squirrels have no access to your yard. This can be done in two ways.
One option is to make sure that the fence around your yard is securely mended and that there are no holes in the fence. Another option is to buy an owl scarecrow to scare off the squirrels.