how do you keep squirels from getting into my bird feeders? PLEASE HELP!?

Question

I have put up feeders for the squirels and they keep comming to my bird feeders to eat up all the food. I don't mind them eating too, but they have become little piglets! They eat untill all the bird feed is gone waisting alot of it on the ground. I have even put out the sunflower seeds that they like and they still come back for my bird feeders.

Answer 1

bird's taste buds are not made the same as a mammal's taste buds . As such, a bird cannot taste the hotness of capsiacin which gives the heat to hot pepper such as cayenne and Jalapeno. Squirrels , however are susceptible to this hotness and will learn to avoid your feeder if you spike the food with cayenne powder or dried crushed hot pepper which can be found in the spice section of most supermarkets.

If you have a "Dollar Store" in your area , these crushed peppers can usually be bought relatively cheaply. Just get several jars and mix it thoroughly into the next batch of food being put into the feeder--The hotter the better. After a few applications you should see a decided decrease in the squirrel pilferage.

Answer 2

How are your feeders? Attached to a pole off the ground or to a tree or how? I remember when I was younger my grandpa hated having squirrels eat the bird seed, so he placed the bird feeders on top of a 5ft. metal pole. He then placed a round piece of wood, about the same size as a frisbee, on top of the pole and the feeder on top of that. It was far enough from trees so squirrels couldnt jump to it and when they were able to climb the pole they werent able to get around the wood piece. It was effective if your handy. I didnt look but Im sure they sell feeders like this also. Depending on where you have your feeders this may not help much, but I thought Id suggest anyways. Good luck!

Answer 3

One thing I saw on television that works is fix a Slinky toy right under the bird feeder. The pole runs through it. They can only climb the Slinky part way before it dumps them on the ground again. Quite funny to watch.

Answer 4

Squirrels get hungry too,and that they don't understand the feed is in basic terms for the birds. I consistently depart seed and peanuts for the squirrels and that they depart the fowl feeders on my own. it particularly is a lost reason attempting to easily feed the birds.

Answer 5

Try buying pepper coated seeds or grind some hot peppers up to a juice and mix it up with the food...Rodents are known for not eating spicy food, and it has also been proven that hot and spicy chilis prevent salmonella in birds.

Answer 6

They are tricky, aren't they? I'm glad you're feedin them, too. They are only trying to provide for themselves and their families. :) They make squirrel proof feeders--here's a page of them you can order from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&search-alias=garden&field-keywords=squirrel%20proof%20bird%20feeder&page=1

Answer 7

A .22 rifle works real good.