Anyone how feeds birds during the winter is probably aware of the squirrel problem. Squirrels find your feeder and seem to have unlimited appetites They monopolize access and the poor birds don’t get much of a chance. In my situation, the feeders are quickly emptied and I am often not available to refill.
There are various countermeasures you can deploy, but you quickly find that squirrels are pretty smart and very persistent. They can climb around barriers, jump much further than one would think, and they chew through plastic or wood to get at food. Inexpensive feeders simply do not stand up to the abuse.
I have found something that works, but it needs to be located in just the right location. The feeder below is what I use. There is an inner plastic container with openings for the birds and an outer cage made of wire. The wire cage moves so that too much weight on the cage causes it to slide down and if you examine the following picture closely you will see solid metal squares that then cover the openings to the food.
I found that this feeder works, but it must be located in a way that a squirrel cannot reach it while still able to have some of its weight supported by another object. In the picture that follows you can see a pole we originally intended to hold our feeders. However, a squirrel could partially support its weight using its back feet on the pole to keep the wire cage from sliding down. The present location does not allow any access to the feeder without hanging on the feeder and engaging the wire cage.
Following moving the feeder from the pole to the new location, one of the squirrels stood on the ledge of the window and stared at us for a long period of time. The evil eye. Guilt does not work with me. There is plenty of food on the ground for you.
