Squirrel-Be-Gone

Here’s another variation on a squirrel-proof bird feeder that closes off access to the seed because of a squirrel’s weight.

This bird feeder has a plastic inner tube with seed and feeding ports, and a metal outer cage, decorated with rustic leaves. The leaves are strategically placed so that when a squirrel puts his weight on the outer cage, it drops down and the leaves block the feeding ports.

It has six feeder ports and holds 3.4 pounds of seed.

While the Squirrel Be Gone may be more aesthetically pleasing than the other bird feeders, it doesn’t seem to be as sturdy.

The springs aren’t rugged enough to stand the test of time, and the squirrels are able to chew through the plastic.

This isn’t the squirrel-proof bird feeder to give you the most bang for your buck. If you want a feeder you can hang and the squirrel’s weight closes off access to the seed, I recommend the Absolute Bird Feeder. Its all-metal construction means it will work for years to come.

But, nevertheless, here’s where you can find the Squirrel Be Gone online:

The Bird Shed

Note: if you want to check it outin person, Ace Hardware carries it.

Preserve Feeder

Here’s another variation on the cage around a tube feeder, the Preserve squirrel-proof bird feeder.

It is very similar to some of the other bird feeders, a tube feeder surrounded by a cage.

What sets this one apart? Well, for one, the cage has a diamond-shaped pattern and a gentle curve of the rows. Visually it is quite attractive.

The feeding ports, perches, top, and bottom are all metal, making it chew-proof.

Here are some things to think about.

Pro It is very attractive to look at.

There are no batteries to replace or charge.

It has no moving parts, so it won’t fail to keep squirrels off during a freezing rain or other harsh weather.

The size of the cage keeps large birds out, such as crows and pigeons.

Con

As with all tube bird feeders, the bird seed near the bottom tends to get soggy in inclement weather.

The size of the cage also keeps out medium-size birds. All but the smallest can fit, such as chickadees and finches.

The feeder has a dish at the bottom to catch seeds. It doesn’t take squirrels long to figure out they can hang upside down and eat the seeds that have collected.

Here’s where you can get it online: Yardiac

Create-A-Haven

I was just thinking the other day that someone should create one of these, and now they have.

With all the variations of tube bird feeders within squirrel-proof cages, it makes sense for someone to invent a cage that can be used with ANY tube bird feeder. And now they have. It’s called the Create-A-Haven

It’s basically a cage that will fix over any tube bird feeder up to 18″ long. This obviously gives you much more freedom and flexibility than buying a tube feeder/cage combination.

One thing to keep in mind is that the tube feeder shouldn’t have a seed-catching tray at the bottom. Although these trays are useful for preventing seed waste, they also encourage the squirrels to hang upsidedown and eat the seeds from the tray, preventing birds for using the feeder at the same time.

Here’s where you can get it online: Duncraft

Tips on Hanging Your Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder

Many squirrel-proof bird feeders are hanging feeders. People don’t often realize that even the best squirrel-proof bird feeder must be hung properly to be effective.

The average gray squirrel is a very clever fellow. Not only can he jump 10-12 feet horizontally and 4-5 feet straight up, he can shimmy along almost anything. I had to chuckle when a read a squirrel-proof bird feeder review in which the reviewer complained that a squirrel chewed the feeder’s plastic baffle (it was the Opus Copper Triple Tube Feeder). The funny thing is, he blamed himself for hanging it with a rope that wasn’t thick enough.

Even if he used the thinnest of fishing lines, he would have had the same result. The squirrel is a natural tight-rope walker, and the thickness of the rope doesn’t make a hill of beans of difference.

In addition to being extremely agile, the squirrel is also very clever. If he is dumped, flipped, or otherwise denied access to bird seed, he’ll try his best to figure out why and get around it.

With that said, here are a couple of basic points to keep in mind.

1. If your feeder is the kind that has a built-in dome baffle on top, make sure you hang it at least 10-12 feet away from anything the squirrel can launch himself from horizontally. This means the trunk of a tree, a deck railing, a hammock stand, etc. Also make sure that you hang it at least 4-5 feet off the ground, or else he’ll just jump up to it.

2. If your feeder is the kind that uses the squirrel’s weight to deny access, such as the Droll Yankee Flipper or Bouncer and you are hanging it from a pole, keep in mind that the squirrel might be smart enough to climb part way up the pole and reach the feeder with his paws. That way he never actually puts his weight on it. To get around this, find a pole that has long arms which hold the feeders out of the squirrel’s reach. You can also get a squirrel pole baffle, but if you do this, you really don’t need a squirrel-proof bird feeder at all; any hanging feeder will do.

Ultimate Bird Palace

Here’s one more variation of the caged tube feeder, the Ultimate Bird Palace squirrel-proof bird feeder.

The first thing you’ll notice is the detail work. It has many ornamental features like decorative bandings, artistic port/perches, sculptured caps, and crowning finials. In fact, it is designed to replicate a victorian bird cage. It even has antique brass feeding ports.

It’s made of heavy-weight steel that is powder-coated; making it resistant to the elements.

Pros

It holds five pounds of seed

The bottom removes for easy cleaning

It is very attractive to look at

The cage will also keep larger birds out such as grackles and starlings.

It comes with a lifetime guarantee

Cons

As with all tube feeders, the seeds at the bottom tend to get damp and begin to clump (which makes the removeable bottom such a key feature).

The cage will also keep larger birds out such as grackles and starlings (I tend to enjoy feeding everything)

Here’s where you can find it online: Yardiac.

Accent Selective

Here’s a squirrel-proof bird feeder by Duncraft called the Accent Selective. (An odd name for a bird feeder, I know).

If this looks familiar, it’s because it is almost identical to the Feeding Station Selective. The main difference is that this is only the tube seed feeder, not the suet feeder as well.

You’ll notice that this is a rather short feeder. That is an intentional design. The theory is that it is just the right size for smaller birds and the larger ones will leave it alone, leaving the small birds to eat in peace.

As with all tube feeders, the seeds near the feeding ports tend to get a little soggy during inclement weather, and then they clump up.

This feeder does have one of the necessary features of a cage-around-a-tube-feeder; it has no seed tray to catch falling seeds. This means the squirrel cannot hang upsidedown and eat out of the tray.

It also has the other feature requisite; the top locks on. (I’ve made a special trip outside to pick up my bird feeder lid enough times to know this is desireable).

Here’s where you can get it online: Duncraft

Squirrel Munch Box

Squirrel feeders are also known as diversion feeders. They divert the squirrels away from your bird feeders which contain expensive seed and focus their attention on feeders that are easy to get to, and contain cheaper feed.

The munch box is a very popular type of squirrel feeder. It is simply a box with a flip-top lid. It usually has a plastic side so you can easily see when it is time to restock. Fill it with cracked corn, peanuts, and even stale crackers and cereal.

There are many different variations of the squirrel munch box, some wood, some metal. Whatever kind you get, make sure the plastic side slides out so that the box is easier to clean.

Here are a couple of tips:

When you first put it out, fill it to overflowing so that the lid is propped up a little. This makes it easier for the squirrels to find the food. Once they get used to it, they’ll remember how to get the seed.

Squirrels tend to shell their food right there and eat the insides, rather than scuttling away with their prize the way chipmunks do. Keep this in mind when buying your munch box food. We started out with peanuts, but we were left with a pile of shells. We switched to official squirrel food which you can get at any supermarket, and consists mostly of corn.

Even after our squirrels figured out how to flip the lid up, sometimes a lazy squirrel would pry up the plastic instead. We often found the plexiglass piece lying on the other side of the fence. One way around this is to buy an inexpensive hook and secure the plexiglass from the inside. Then to clean, slide the hook free of the plexiglass and slide it out. Ace Hardware has the perfect hook because it is flat on one side. It’s part #5300215 “Hook and Staple.”

Here’s where you can find the feeder (not the hook) online:
Duncraft

En-Joy-Um Squirrel Feeder

There’s a new model of squirrel diversion feeder, made by Vari-Craft. It’s called the En-Joy-Um.

Rather than just lifting the lid, like in a traditional hopper feeder or squirrel munch box, the squirrel has to work for his food. He must pull down on the bar, which dispenses his food, kind of like a squirrel gumball machine.

This squirrel diversion feeder will provide you with entertainment as it performs its function of diverting squirrels away from your bird feeders. You’ll have lots of fun watching the squirrels try to puzzle through what makes the seed come out.

Fill it with corn kernals, cracked corn, or sunflower seeds.

In my opinion, the company that makes this feeder, Vari-kraft, is the master of feeders that last. This feeder is made of PVC tube, which is durable and tough. It has an aluminum roof and seed tray, and stainless steel shields. That all adds up to a feeder that will withstand the elements without rusting or warping.

And if for some reason the squirrels can’t figure out the bar movement and instead try to chew through it, it comes with a 5-year warranty.

The En-Joy-Um squirrel feeder comes with a pole for mounting it on a deck rail or tree.

Here’s where you can find it online:
Yardiac

Using No-Waste Bird Seed

Just about every type of bird seed is something that has to be opened: sunflower seeds, peanuts, even thistle seeds (nyjer seeds) have shells. Birds typically remove the inner meat while sitting at the feeder and drop the shells right there. As you can see by this photo of our backyard, this leaves behind a big mess.

True, the shells are biodegradable and decompose fairly quickly, but they stay around long enough to kill the grass in a big circle and also to be an attraction for squirrels: Squirrel Eating Sunflower Seed Shells

To prevent this mess from occuring, it’s best to fill your feeders with something that doesn’t have shells. You can use cracked corn, for instance. You’ll still get debris below the feeder, but this will be eaten pretty quickly by the ground-feeding birds such as mourning doves and juncos.

Another suggestion is to purchase a special no-waste blend of bird seed. Duncraft makes a Super No-Waste Bird Seed. It contains sunflower hearts, cracked corn, peanut bits, and hull-free nyjer seed. It costs a little more than regular bird seed, but it’s worth it.

Superwide Squirrel Baffle

Duncraft makes a Super Wide Squirrel Baffle.

Just as the name says, this is a pole baffle that is a whopping 22 inches in diameter. I defy any squirrel to get around that! The baffle is very similar to other types of lampshade baffles, but it has more of an accordian design.

As with other lampshade baffles, it attaches to your pole in a wrap-around style, which means that you do not have to remove your bird feeder to put it up.

It fits either round or square poles with a diameter of 1/2 to 1 inch.

Here’s where you can get it online: Duncraft

Squirrel-Proofing Tips