This one works very well. I hung a saucer underneath to catch the seed that the little birds drop and the squirrels eat from that and leave the feeder alone.
I attached a seed tray to the underneath of the feeder to save on waste, but the wood pigeons and squirrels found they could sit on it and empty the feeder, scattering food onto the ground.
I tried using cages over my feeders but found the wood pigeons would cling to the cage and empty the feeder, scattering everything onto the ground, the squirrels couldn't get at the feeder but ate the food on the ground. A no win situation.
Nowadays Ive replace the seed tray and cages with an air rifle. Problem solved.
Steve - I'll gladly send you some starlings. How would you like them - boiled or roasted....
I actually hang a big homemade suet block for them in part of the garden which is on their 'route'. It gives them food but keeps them off the other seed feeders so that the little birds get a look in. The magpies get a handful of stuff thrown on the ground too which keeps them happy, otherwise they attack the feeders too, and they get the scraps that the starlings drop everywhere
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I had the same problem with tree rats raiding the feeders, so I got two "squirrel proof" feeders. It took app 4 weeks to get the Bullfinches, Blue tits & all & sundry to pluck up courage to go through the bars to get at the seed. Now they queue up & I'm filling the feeders every other day. I've suspended the normal feeders that we have hanging from the trees etc on a very thin wire app 14" long & an inverted plastic plant pot sprayed green about halfway down the wire. To watch the young squirrels trying to get at these feeders is very amusing, leaping from the branches only to slide off the wire onto the very unstable plant pot & plummet to the ground. I've tried trapping & despatching the blighter's with limited success, baiting the trap with peanut butter & having the trip set very finely, but each morning, the bait has gone without the trap being sprung. I've got the best fed field mice around.
PS The "quote" button isn't working, hence the @ ??
I've got a couple of cage type feeders - and the smaller birds were very wary for a couple of weeks, but now there's usually a queue waiting for the sunflower hearts.
It's also quite entertaining watching the squirrels trying to get at the seeds. They are very persistent and will try from all sides, and then move to the other one and try all the same moves again - always without success...
I don't really have a problem with the squirrels getting food, although I'd rather not encourage them to move in as they can be destructive, and I live not far from red habitat so would prefer there weren't greys in the area at all, but the biggest issue I have with the squirrels, is that they chew through the sides of the feeders ruining them and spilling the seed onto the ground to attract rats.
I guess I could just buy more expensive metal feeders?
i use a caged feeder and i have birds in it everyday, even robins use it, the odd baby starling will crane in and use it (they were the reason i bought it) but i have a peanut feeder for the starlings and they eat those now instead
don't forget to roast peanuts in the oven to remove the toxins for birds, i roast a couple of big trays at a time and then when cold i store them in an old 1/4s sweet jar
Posts
The cage sort I stopped using when I found a baby squirrel inside one.
The ones to hang off a wall, I use a squirrel buster. The feeding perches are on a spring, so anything heavy shuts the ports.
For the bird table, I have a conical squirrel baffle that they bang their heads on while shinning up the pole.
This one works very well. I hung a saucer underneath to catch the seed that the little birds drop and the squirrels eat from that and leave the feeder alone.
I attached a seed tray to the underneath of the feeder to save on waste, but the wood pigeons and squirrels found they could sit on it and empty the feeder, scattering food onto the ground.
I tried using cages over my feeders but found the wood pigeons would cling to the cage and empty the feeder, scattering everything onto the ground, the squirrels couldn't get at the feeder but ate the food on the ground. A no win situation.
Nowadays Ive replace the seed tray and cages with an air rifle. Problem solved.
LF - that definitely stops them!
Steve - I'll gladly send you some starlings. How would you like them - boiled or roasted....
I actually hang a big homemade suet block for them in part of the garden which is on their 'route'. It gives them food but keeps them off the other seed feeders so that the little birds get a look in. The magpies get a handful of stuff thrown on the ground too which keeps them happy, otherwise they attack the feeders too, and they get the scraps that the starlings drop everywhere
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@ Steve.
I had the same problem with tree rats raiding the feeders, so I got two "squirrel proof" feeders. It took app 4 weeks to get the Bullfinches, Blue tits & all & sundry to pluck up courage to go through the bars to get at the seed. Now they queue up & I'm filling the feeders every other day. I've suspended the normal feeders that we have hanging from the trees etc on a very thin wire app 14" long & an inverted plastic plant pot sprayed green about halfway down the wire. To watch the young squirrels trying to get at these feeders is very amusing, leaping from the branches only to slide off the wire onto the very unstable plant pot & plummet to the ground. I've tried trapping & despatching the blighter's with limited success, baiting the trap with peanut butter & having the trip set very finely, but each morning, the bait has gone without the trap being sprung. I've got the best fed field mice around.
PS The "quote" button isn't working, hence the @ ??
I'll echo gsdfandf...
I've got a couple of cage type feeders - and the smaller birds were very wary for a couple of weeks, but now there's usually a queue waiting for the sunflower hearts.
It's also quite entertaining watching the squirrels trying to get at the seeds. They are very persistent and will try from all sides, and then move to the other one and try all the same moves again - always without success...
Col.
I don't really have a problem with the squirrels getting food, although I'd rather not encourage them to move in as they can be destructive, and I live not far from red habitat so would prefer there weren't greys in the area at all, but the biggest issue I have with the squirrels, is that they chew through the sides of the feeders ruining them and spilling the seed onto the ground to attract rats.
I guess I could just buy more expensive metal feeders?
I do find that our jacobi jayne ones have withstood our squirrels attempts to do any damage apart from strip the paint round the holes.
i use a caged feeder and i have birds in it everyday, even robins use it, the odd baby starling will crane in and use it (they were the reason i bought it) but i have a peanut feeder for the starlings and they eat those now instead
don't forget to roast peanuts in the oven to remove the toxins for birds, i roast a couple of big trays at a time and then when cold i store them in an old 1/4s sweet jar