'Rascawy squiwwel!'

Call me Elmer Fudd. You may recall the Warner Brothers cartoon character who relentlessly - and futility - tried to outwit Bugs Bunny. That's me with squirrels. I have tried a number of things to keep them from my bird feeders. Some things work for me for a period of time; nothing forever.

        Don't get me wrong; I really don't hate squirrels. I feed them regularly. I have three stands for squirrels. But when I get up one morning and go to the window to see six or seven squirrels around my station, three hanging from the feeders, and the birds waiting patiently in the brush, I know I have a problem. And not just a population problem; squirrels can go through 20 pounds of sunflower seed in no time. It can become downright expensive.
         
           What to do?
         
            I suggest patience.
             
            Here is a key figure to keep in mind: 6 feet. That's about the distance I've found that a squirrel can jump sideways or down. From the ground, I've seen about 4 feet. However, my neighborhood squirrels aren't of the Olympic caliber of some, since I read they can go 10 feet horizontally or down. So if you hang a feeder in a tree, it should be at least 4-6 feet from the ground and 6-10 from the trunk or the nearest limb. You can buy a tilting dome to go over the feeder to keep the squirrel from climbing down whatever the feeder is hanging from. I've heard of people using old record albums, pizza pans, big soda bottles or big salad bowls for this purpose.
            If you hang your feeder from one of those shepherd-hook posts in the ground, try a cone-shaped baffle about halfway up the post.
               If you are lucky enough to have a couple of trees in your yard - with no close-hanging limbs - you might stretch a wire between the trees and hang the feeders on the wire. Thread the wire through lose plastic tubing or put some sort of baffle on the wire.
               There are hopper-type feeders and caged tube feeders that are specifically designed to deter squirrels. I have used neither.
               I've tried offering cracked corn. But, like birds, squirrels prefer the sunflower seed and will simply ignore the corn after a while.
              What do I do?
               Well, these days, I wait until the population becomes intolerable, and I trap and move. That's right; I have these Have-A-Heart traps. They don't hurt the squirrels - other than their feelings - and you can easily and safely transport them. There are about five squirrels from my neighborhood that now have a home in a beautiful oak grove - about five miles from my house. Another five or six live in a stand of hardwoods about four miles away.
             Other squirrels will eventually replace these in my yard, so this trap-and-move strategy repeats itself about twice a year - just to keep the population down.           
               These days I have a group of five squirrels that are gathering around my feeders. The slick metal I tacked to my wooden post worked with them for a while, but at least one of them is acrobatic enough to quickly shimmy up and perch at my lantern feeder. I expect I'll be using my traps soon.

     

       Other pests

            Squirrels are the most likely pests you'll have if you have bird feeders in a neighborhood with trees. If you live in a suburb or rural area, you may have any number of other mammals that will be attracted by your food. Rats, mice, racoons or rabbits may show interest. And if you live around their territory, deer and bears may show up. Whoa! Then you're talking about some serious fencing!
              Last year, I noticed a Wood Rat eating under my feeder. He was cute and seemed harmless. About a week later, there were two. Then three. Trap time! The whole family now lives in a nice little meadow near the woods - about five miles from my house.
               I have a couple of rabbits in my yard, but they seem more interested in grass than bird food. But you can trap them, too.
               Cats show up from time to time. But I have never found them to be a persistent problem. I just run them off.

Birds as pests

            Some people consider certain species of birds as pests around their feeders. I don't, mainly because I have just never had a big flock of starlings or grackles come to my station day after day. Sure, I get an occasional group of Brown-headed Cowbirds. I don't like them. They don't even build their own nests - just drop their eggs in other species' nests and go their merry way. Not good.
           But there is not a lot I can do about them, except maybe run them off.
           If you have huge flocks of starlings or grackles coming back to your feeding area persistently, you might try a few days of moving them out with loud noises. Some people try firecrackers or even loud hand claps. Bang on a pot or pan, if you feel good about it.
          Sometimes I'll be sitting next to my window and hear this sudden rush of birds exiting the yard. I look out and the station is empty. This tells me a hawk or falcon is in the vicinity.
           I like them, so I don't mind a visit every now and then. Big hawks - like Red-tailed Hawks - help keep the squirrels in line.

Insects

             If you have a hummingbird feeder, you may have ants, wasps and/or bees. Most of the pan or saucer-type hummingbird feeders have ant moats which you can fill with regular water. You can buy these ant guards, too. They attach to the wire you hang your feeder from. Or you can make your own moat out of something like a spray-can top.
            The flat feeders don't drip much, either, which helps keep ants from finding them.
            For the bees and wasps, there are feeders that come with bee guards, which are little mesh things that somehow keep the insects out.
              Also, you might try moving the feeder to see if the insects find it again.
               Whatever you do, DON'T SPRAY INSECTICIDE.   

Just stop feeding

               My last resort is to simply cut off the food. Last summer, after about five trapping trips, I still had squirrels on my feeders. The squirrels were getting fat. The birds weren't. So I just let them exhaust the food, and I took the feeders down for about a month. Squirrels came back about a week after I returned to feeding. But it was apparently a different crowd; it took them weeks to figure out how to get to my feeders again.

That’s the best way to deal with persistent hawks, too.

          Next time, I’ll write about keeping your feeders and baths clean.
          Meanwhile, here are the species I saw around my place today:

AM, sunny 75 degrees, 30 minutes

            House Finch

 Brown Thrasher

 Chipping Sparrow

 White-throated Sparrow

            Carolina Wren

            Blue Jay

 Carolina Chickadee

            Tufted Titmouse