Squirrels at Your Bird Feeder
by SCOTT EDWARDS
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Illustration by Shawneen Finnegan |
The scenario is all too familiar to those of us who feed
birds. We come home one day with the latest and greatest in bird
feeders and hang it in our yards filled with excitement and
anticipation at the avian visitors that might be stopping by for
a quick bite. The feeder is dutifully filled and placed just so.
Comes the dawn, a rush to the window where the feeder is yields
no striking Evening Grosbeak or even a ubiquitous House Finch.
There's this furry-tailed "tree rat" hanging by its toenails,
devouring every kernel of seed you put in your new feeder and
already working on the feeder itself.
The truth? Can you handle the truth?
As frustrating as the above oft-repeated scene is, the bottom
line is that our backyard feeder birds and the gray squirrel
that share the same environs also have the same basic habitat
requirements - trees and seeds. If you are unable to attract
squirrels, you probably won't get very much in the way of birds
either. They get along quite well together, and have for a very
long time. Squirrels are wonderfully adapted to ferret out and
consume mass quantities of seed no matter where it is found.
Their acrobatics are remarkable, as is their leaping capability,
both vertically and horizontally. All this to procure food, no
matter where in their world it occurs. Birds and squirrels
really aren't all that different-well, except that squirrels
also tend to chew up bird feeders.
Outwitting squirrels
Take heart, dear readers. The backyard seed bandits can be
thwarted. What is important to remember is that, as athletic as
squirrels are, there are limits to their capabilities, and it is
up to the dedicated backyard bird afficionado to bear these in
mind when placing feeders. The average gray squirrel has a
vertical leap of about four feet and a horizontal one of between
eight and ten feet. So any feeder you wish to keep the squirrels
out of must be more than four feet off the ground and eight to
ten feet away from anything they can use for a launching pad.
This is especially important when you wish to use a squirrel
baffle, a physical barrier, preferably metal or high-quality
polycarbonate, which removes the last means of access to your
bird feeder. You have to remove all other means of access via
placement. In other words, if you haven't situated your feeder
beyond the above distances, no baffle, no matter how good, is
going to stop the squirrels.
If the spot you wish to place your feeder does not meet the
criteria listed above, there are many "squirrel-proof" feeders
available. They come in two basic types, those that attempt to
exclude the squirrels by enclosing the feeder in a cage and
those that shut the food supply off when the squirrel attempts
to eat from the feeder.
The feeders with cages around them vary widely in their
ability to deter squirrels, based largely on how close the
feeder is to the cage itself. The closer the cage is to the
feeder, the easier it is for the squirrel to reach through and
get seed. Some feeders have the cage right on the feeder itself
and I consider these feeders squirrel-resistant, not
squirrel-proof. When purchasing caged feeders, metal or lexan
tops and bottoms are vital. Stay away from those with a thin
plastic body-they will wind up being chewed within hours.
The other design basically uses the squirrels' weight against
them. There is a trap door assembly that closes off the seed
ports when the much heavier squirrel attempts to feed from the
feeder. These feeders are made of metal and are usually quite
effective. Look for ones that are spring-loaded as opposed to
counterweighted. There are reports of ingenious squirrels "tag
teaming" such feeders by having one stand on the counterweight
while his partner eats his fill, and then they swap positions.
Other alternatives
There are a couple of other tactics that you can employ to
discourage squirrels. You can dispense safflower seed, a seed
that squirrels are not nearly as attracted to as sunflower.
Cardinals, chickadees, and titmice, as well as other feeder
birds, learn to consume safflower very quickly. Another benefit
of safflower is that it is also unattractive to grackles and
European Starlings. Nyjer seed, or thistle, used to attract
American Goldfinches, is also not on the squirrels' all-time
favorite list. For those of you tired of squirrels stealing all
of the suet that you put out for your woodpeckers, try 100
percent pure suet. It doesn't sound as attractive as "Party Mix"
or "Peanut Yum Yum" suet but, it is effective.
On the topic of discouraging squirrels by manipulating what
you feed, one thing that has no place in bird feeding is the use
of any of the hot pepper products currently available. These use
capsaicin, the concentrated substance that makes peppers hot, to
inflict pain on the squirrels, thereby discouraging them from
using your feeders. That in itself is reason enough not to use
them. However, while it is true that birds' tongues lack the
taste receptors to feel the heat, it does not mean that it would
not be incredibly painful if they got it in their eyes. Also,
the possibility of capsaicin having serious effects on their
gastro-intestinal system exists as well. These products can also
be hazardous to human beings. Those with any kind of upper
respiratory ailment could suffer from inhaling of these
products. Also children, who as we all know stick their hands in
their mouths or eyes readily, could be seriously hurt. Stay away
from these products, they have no place in bird feeding.
Learning to live with squirrels
Squirrels and birds live together in nature, and in our
backyards. When we invite nature into our yards, we invite all
of it. Squirrels can be an entertaining part of the backyard
experience. Using a good squirrel baffle or squirrel-proof
feeder can leave the seed you put out for your birds. Then try
putting out a squirrel feeder and enjoy their antics as they
figure out how to get the food you have put out for them. It is
always best to feed squirrels on your terms, not theirs, and
enjoy all the wildlife in your backyard.
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