• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Squirrels & Bird feeders

Bruce W

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
373
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Whiting, NJ
Have put up a bird feeder on a pole with a Squirrel guard, however, there is one that make a flying leap from a fence and manages to catch on sometimes. I have put some slippery stuff on the roof of the feeder, but, that did not work either.

He is emptying out the feeder in a day.

Any other ( humane) ideas. Someone said cayenne pepper in the bird seed.


Thanks
 

falmouth3

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,417
Reaction score
22
Points
38
Location
Burlington, MA
I have read about the pepper in the food. DO NOT use something liquid, like tabasco. Someone I knew did that and he felt absolutely awful when he watched the squirrel rubbing it into his eyes.

I have used Vaseline on the poles in the past. It worked well one place where I lived but it doesn't work at all where I am now. You may want to try a liberal amount on the part of the feeder where the squirrel is landing.
 

Kozman

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
1,509
Reaction score
189
Points
424
Location
Farmington Hills, Michigan
It's Me or the Squirrel

The only humane idea I can think of is to move the pole farther from the fence and trim any overhanging tree limbs. These rascals are absolutely clever when it comes to defeating you. New TV Show!!! It's me or the squirrel! I have a lot of inhumane ideas that will not mention!

Actually, I have a pair of hawks living in my back woods so they are welcome!
 

Passepartout

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2007
Messages
28,462
Reaction score
17,213
Points
1,299
Location
Twin Falls, Eye-Duh-Hoe
There is darn near nothing that can be done to defeat squirrels. In enough time the furry little devils will get in. However, there are a couple of feeders that have spring loaded doors covering the food- well, the food is actually open and available to the birds, but when the weight of Mr. or MS. Squirrel gets on the perch the doors close. So far we have had these for 4-5 years and to my knowledge, the squirrels have been 100% defeated. I can't say that for any that employ baffles, guards, Vaseline, plastic covers, hanging do-hickies, foil strands, big dogs, cages around the birdseed, or any of the other people-attracting gadgets at the wildlife feed-store.

There was a movie about this. The producers put up any number of imaginative squirrel defeating feeders on poles, suspended from long wires, you name it, then filmed the little buggers trying and trying and finally getting the goodies. It was called something like Bushy-Tailed Thieves or some such. Funny film.

Jim Ricks
 

Kozman

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
1,509
Reaction score
189
Points
424
Location
Farmington Hills, Michigan
It's Me or the Squirrel Cont.

However, there are a couple of feeders that have spring loaded doors covering the food- well, the food is actually open and available to the birds, but when the weight of Mr. or MS. Squirrel gets on the perch the doors close. So far we have had these for 4-5 years and to my knowledge, the squirrels have been 100% defeated.

I bought one of these bird feeders. I filled it with good seed and I never saw one bird land on it. And, even more strange I didn't see one squirrel on it either. The seed got wet from the rain, rotted and started to sprout! LOL!

I resorted to putting suet cages up and tied them shut with garbage wraps. The squirrel figured out how to untie the wrap, open the cage and steal the entire brick of suet! Finally, I used metal clip to secure them and so far, so good! It's me or the squirrel!!!!
 

falmouth3

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,417
Reaction score
22
Points
38
Location
Burlington, MA
Yes, I've used binder clips on the suet cage and that seems to slow them down. They never got the clip off so they had to scrape the suet out.

Sue
 

JimJ

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
425
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Northern Louisiana
.... However, there are a couple of feeders that have spring loaded doors covering the food- well, the food is actually open and available to the birds, but when the weight of Mr. or MS. Squirrel gets on the perch the doors close. So far we have had these for 4-5 years and to my knowledge, the squirrels have been 100% defeated. Jim Ricks

We've had one of these for over 25 years. We put sunflower seed in it and cardinals and other birds eat well. The squirrels are still trying to beat it but haven't won yet.
 
Last edited:

Chrisky

TUG Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
880
Reaction score
359
Points
424
Location
Canada
The absolute best bird feeder we've had is the 'squirrel buster plus'.
http://www.bromebirdcare.com/ . The squirrels cannot get any seeds from this feeder. It has an internal adjuster that can be set for the weight of the birds that visit the feeder. In the spring we make it a touch more sensitive, because we get quite a few grackles who are just bullies. Then when they've moved on we change the setting because we get sparrows, american yellow finches, house finches and the occasional cardinal.
 

susieq

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
1,208
Reaction score
240
Points
424
Location
Massachusetts
Resorts Owned
Bay Voyage, Jamestown, RI
Have put up a bird feeder on a pole with a Squirrel guard, however, there is one that make a flying leap from a fence and manages to catch on sometimes. I have put some slippery stuff on the roof of the feeder, but, that did not work either.

He is emptying out the feeder in a day.

Any other ( humane) ideas. Someone said cayenne pepper in the bird seed.


Thanks

The pepper does work ~ just sprinkle it in ~ mix it with the seed. The Squirrels can't stand the taste and just leave it alone...eventually. And it the birds don't seem to mind at all ~ according to one of my birding books, they can't even taste it. Enjoy them birdies!! :whoopie:

Sue
 

MRSFUSSY

newbie
Joined
Jun 20, 2005
Messages
381
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Long Island
I finally gave up. I think we tried every trick. Also, one day we discovered a big rat in the feeder. That did it.
 

MattC

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
93
Reaction score
0
Points
366
Location
Catlin, IL
Feed the Squirrels

The best way to keep the squirrels form eating at the bird feeders is to put up a Squirrel Feeder.

With their own feeder they will leave the bird feeders alone.

We have 1 squirrel feeder and 4 bird feeders. The squirrels don't bother any of the bird feeders.

Feed the squirrels sunflower seeds.

MattC
 

Liz Wolf-Spada

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
3,094
Reaction score
2
Points
423
Location
Wrightwood, CA
Well, we put out peanuts for the squirrels and they eat them and then go for the bird seed too!
Liz
 

LynnW

TUG Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,029
Reaction score
3
Points
248
Location
Calgary AB Canada
It sounds like the squirrel feeder might be the solution. We have tried everything to try and keep them away from the bird feeder but nothing works. I can't believe the different ways they manage to get at the bird feeder. We trimmed a couple of branches off the tree hoping that would help but they still hung upside down to get at it. We got a couple of pictures where I can't believe there are barely hanging on to the branch but still manage to get to the seeds.

Lynn
 

mgeez

TUG Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
124
Reaction score
0
Points
226
Location
york,pa
I live out in the country. I wake up early in the morning and just shoot them!
 

Enrico

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
248
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Illinois

Don

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
1,457
Reaction score
3
Points
36
Location
Port Charlotte FL formerly Portsmouth VA
I had a tall plastic feeder that I built a hanger for out of black iron pipe. The feeder had a house-like roof on it and hung by a cord tied at two sides of it. The day after I put it up, I got home from work and it was lying empty on the ground. A squirrel had chewed the cord through next to the roof. I retied the cord, filled it, and hung it back up. Next afternoon, same thing. I got out a tomato cage and knocked off the bottom ring, hung it from the pole so that the bushy tailed rat had to touch it to get to the feeder. I hooked up a small fence charger to the ring. The next two afternoons the ring was askew, but the feeder was still there. It wasn't bothered again.
 

susieq

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
1,208
Reaction score
240
Points
424
Location
Massachusetts
Resorts Owned
Bay Voyage, Jamestown, RI
I had a tall plastic feeder that I built a hanger for out of black iron pipe. The feeder had a house-like roof on it and hung by a cord tied at two sides of it. The day after I put it up, I got home from work and it was lying empty on the ground. A squirrel had chewed the cord through next to the roof. I retied the cord, filled it, and hung it back up. Next afternoon, same thing. I got out a tomato cage and knocked off the bottom ring, hung it from the pole so that the bushy tailed rat had to touch it to get to the feeder. I hooked up a small fence charger to the ring. The next two afternoons the ring was askew, but the feeder was still there. It wasn't bothered again.


:rofl: :hysterical: :rofl: :hysterical: :rofl:
 

GregGH

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
574
Reaction score
29
Points
388
Location
Kingsville, ON

Oh -- what a sick mind ...

I saw a great British special on defeating squirrels -- in the end they made it into an Olympic event for the squirrels ( one was squirrel climbs into a basket and pulls himself along the wire to the food ) ... shows you how resourceful animals can be ( and no squirrels where hurt in the filming :)

Greg
 
Top