Squireel-proof? Yeah, right!

Its just the same here Fran, little b...'s My squirrel proof bird feeder is a dodle to our squirrel, he just sits on top of it and tips it sideways and out comes the seed onto the ground, like you I have given up feeding my birds and dont know what to do next. Love your photos and it did give me a laugh! LOL.

The lid on this is just a lift-up, wth a knob. Tht's why I only half-filled it, so it couldn't be reached from the top - and i tied it down, bit of string around the hendles, would round the knob to hold the lid down.

Seems to me that I'd need a mesh so small that it'd keep a lot of birds out as well. I've thought of weaving thin wire round to make a band to narrow the gaps, maybe halve them, but it'd take some dong to cover the whole area; one tiny gap is all the squirrels need.

Also thought of getting some wire mesh, making a cage and hanging all the feeders inside, but it wouldn't look very attractive, and would take up a fair bit of space; and again, the mesh would need to be a lot smaller.

There's a locked-off green space beyond our gardens, seems to be used only as a squirrel sanctuary! no point trying to get rid of them, another lot would move in to fill the niche.

It was just one squirrel, and it sat on guard when it wasn't doing its aerobis, to keep everything else away. greedy little blighter.

great pictures fran! im sorry i have to laugh at them, they are so determined and so clever! they do exactly the same here!

He's doing a right contortionist act in his determination to get his dinner, lol, they are great photo's Fran and it must have been entertaining watching him..

I have the same problems. they even bit through the wire mesh and prised the wire up to get the nuts out whole. I still fill that one for them and they seem to leave the other feeders alone.

brill photos Fran :o)

I tried watching and snapping from my back door, but too far and nothing to support the camera on. In the end I opened the bedroom window and held the camera on the frame; lucky those windows are fairly high. I must have been watching it for some time, because my hands were frozen!

The squirrel made dozens of trips in and out of the feeder, I took nearly 100 pics, but most were blurred - not just camera shake, couldn't ask squirrel to pose nicely! It also raided the other feeders I put out, and a tray; in betwen times it kept guard on the fence to keep others away. Will post some of those later.

I havd (had) two wire feeders and a plastic one, plus a flat square wire one for fat balls or toast - they took that one of its hook and right over the fence; i had to tie some string to an S hook and fish for it. One of the wire feeders had the wire at the bottom bitten through and bent up; that's disappeared completely, so that could be over the fence as well. the platic tube for seeds is also granwed through.

Just had a thought: I've been putting sliced chilli on my troughs to stop them digging the plants up; wonder if I could mix some more chilli in with the feed? or at least attach some to the frame. Would that worry the birds?

I think it may affect the birds. That would be a shame. Check with the RSPB Fran.

thanks Seabunni, will do - and will report back! *s*

just did!

"Strong chilli powder or pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco) can be dusted onto birdfood. Birds are not bothered by the chilli, but squirrels cannot put up with the burning sensation, and will leave the food alone"

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/greysquirrels.aspx

squirrel-proof feders:
http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/bird-food-and-feeding/protect-your-birds.html?type_of_feeder=633
(they might actually BE squirrel-proof)

My hubby has tripods of all sizes Fran. he's always telling me to use one but to be honest its a hassle to get them out all the time, by the time I attach my camera the birds would have flown away, I take hundreds and use just a few, the joys of digital, I use the sport mode a lot on mine especially when the birds are at the feeders, if you have that on your camera its worth giving it a go with a moving subject......

She is LOVELY! What a fantastic photo, Fran! Do you think she could have a bite to eat from there?

You have to admire their ingenuity and tenacity!

Fantastic pictures Fran - and after all the squirrels need to eat in the snow too. (And no, I'm not pleased to see them on our feeders either...)

lol LIncs, one of the joys of digital photography is that one doesn't have to pay to get a roll of film developed, and only then find out that most of them are blurred and useless. I don't think I've got a "sport" setting, but there's no harm in double checking.

These were taken from about ten feet away (my garden is three metres "long" at his point, and i was indoors, the camera perched on the windowsill - these are severely cropped - and they still overflow my screen at 100%!

I don't mind the squirrels feeding, if only they'd leave some for others - one can buy squirrel feeders, but I bet they'd still monopolise the bird feeders as soon as they'd cleaned out their own ones.

Apprently it didn't like the fat balls any more than the birds did - they got rained on and have set into a squidgy mass, but totally untouched. I found some out-of-date Brazil nuts in my cupboard, thought that the wildlife wouldn't mind them being a bit stale, and at least this one didn't. scoffed the lot. I suppose i'll have to try to dig out the fat balls; maybe soak the whole thing and hope they dissolve. But I've got another dozen of the things - maybe they just didn't like them in *this* feeder.

They are acrobatic and athletic; but then, that'show they've survived and even outed the natives, who are shyer.

awwww, Jen! sorry to hear. I've been buying dried sliced chillis and scattering them on the trorughs - chilli powder's no use cos it gets rained off. there's a link in a previous post to the RSPB wesbite, where it gives some squirrel-proofing ideas: they're for bird feeders but might work on the gound to protect your bulbs.

Just had a thought: maybe I'll try turning this feeder into a planter! fill the tube with moss and plant ivy in it? easy to water, by lifting up the lid!

Lovely blog. I enjoyed it anyway.

thanks Dieane. I suppose they almost make up in entertainment value what they do to the feeders, and the garden in general. Almost!

Love your photos of the cheeky squirrel, Fran, I must admit I find them very entertaining. I let the squirrels use the feeders and put extra bird food on the table and on the ground for the birds :)

I found that, no matter how much I put out, the squirrels got the lot - what they didn't eat then and there they'd take away. Maybe if I had a big enough space, I could spread the feeders so that at least some birds would get a bit of a chance at one of them now and then!

Hi Fran... great blog... smashing pics :o)))

thanks TT - took about a hundred of the squirrel in this feeder, and round the others; will post them as soon as I can asemble them into a "story"

:o)))