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squirrel proof feeders

mandy.andrewmandy.andrew Posts: 4
edited February 2021 in Wildlife gardening
I regularly feed the birds with an assortment of food  However, my garden backs on to woods so I have a constant battle with squirrels.  I do love to see them in the garden, but the birds do not get a look in.  I have just read, to spread peanut butter on tree branches to attract birds................. well it has definitely attracted the squirrels!  How can I keep the bird food safe?? 
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  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,353
    Use a squirrel proof cage. 
    You can buy them with a surround, or make your own. I did that and have several feeders which only the smaller birds can access. Squirrels can't get in.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,431
    Squirrel proof feeders with a baffle.






  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,158
    There are several so called "squirrel resistant" feeders on the market, l've just selected a site at random 
    https://www.birdfood.co.uk/bird-feeders/squirrel-resistant-feeders
    However, l don't know if there is definitive "no chance, squirrel" feeder in existence. I wouldn't mind betting that there are several members who can advise. 

    PS You might want to change the thread title from your name if you can (you have an hour from the original post to change it). This might prompt more responses  :)

  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    It is worth paying for a good quality feeder Mandy as they are only partially squirrel proof.  I have a couple of Nuttery feeders which work well and a couple of others so old I don't remember the make.

    My daughter bought me a spare (before the I got the Nuttery feeders) which was very cheap and ended up like this:

    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,353
    They try, but they can't get in mine. The mesh is about 1.5 inches.
    Just roofing battens and the mesh, with a door at the end for accessing the feeders

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TeTe Posts: 193
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz90QxS1H8A


    "There are a terrible lot of lies going about the world, and the worst of it is that half of them are true"
  • VoyagerxpVoyagerxp Posts: 650
    I have 3 of theses and the squirrels can't get to the food.


  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 931
    We have the same style feeder as @Voyagerxp and our squirrels haven’t managed to get any food from it in 4 years despite some hilarious acrobatics trying to fool the mechanism 😂
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • ErgatesErgates Posts: 2,616
    We have two feeders with the Perspex dome baffles above them. Hanging from a chain over a tree branch. Never have any issues with quarrels and there are loads around here. They cost us about £16 to £19 each, but have been well worth it. The youngsters used to try until they discovered that they would only fall off the dome and gave up.
  • SuesynSuesyn Posts: 650
    I have the Roamwild feeders, both fat ball and seed feeders  but the birds seem very reluctant to use the fat ball one. It took them a few days to get used to seed feeder but the fat balls have been almost totally ignored. I thought maybe it was the fat balls themselves so put the old containers up to see if that was the problem but it doesn't seem to have been.
    I have noticed that the lower baffle which keeps the access to the seeds dry seems to put even the acrobatic tits off but they manage the seed feeder OK. 
    On the plus side the crows can't get at them at all so at least I haven't spent the usual fortune on fat balls. 
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