Tips on Pole-Mounted Bird Feeders

Some squirrel-proof bird feeders are pole-mounted feeders, such as the Absolute feeder. I’m referring to bird feeders that sit at the top of pole, not ones that hang from them. (If you have a hanging feeder on a pole, see Tips on Hanging Your Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder.)

Pole-mounted bird feeders tend to be more effective (and easier to install) than hanging bird feeders, such you still have to keep a couple of things in mind to make them effective at keeping squirrels out.

1. Many squirrel-proof bird feeders rely on a mechanism activated by the squirrel’s weight to shut off access to the bird seed. A squirrel may be smart enough to figure out that if he hangs from the top of the feeder and never actually puts his weight on the tripping mechamism, he may be well-rewarded. Therefore, make sure the shape and design of the feeder prevents this. Keep in mind that only a small percentage of squirrels will figure this out, but you may have the Einstein in your backyard.

2. Any feeder (not necessarily a squirrel-proof one) can become squirrel-proof by means of a pole baffle. We’ve had great success with an ordinary platform feeder and a cylindrical baffle. You can purchase them pretty inexpensively, but you can also make your own out of a stove pipe or flower pot.

Squirrel-Proof your Bird Feeder Using a Flower Pot

A cylinder squirrel baffle is perfect to protect bird feeders that are on poles. When the squirrel climbs up the pole, he encounters the baffle and can’t get around it.
These baffles are sold commercially and are pretty inexpensive. We have one and it works great! But it is also easy to make your own. A previous post talked about how to make one out of a stove pipe.

You can also make a similar squirrel baffle out of a plastic flower pot.

Here’s how:

1. Cut the lip off the flower pot so that it is smooth.

2. Make a hole in the bottom of the pot that is 1/4″ bigger than your pole.

3. If you have a wooden post or pole, hammer two or three nails into it on opposite side of the pole, leaving half of the nail exposed. If you have a metal pole, get three metal corner brackets at any hardware or home improvement store. Secure them to the pole with a hose clamp so that they form a little shelf. For either method, make sure you put these at least five feet from the bottom of your pole since squirrels can jump five feet straight up.

4. Invert the flower pot, thread the pole through it, and let it rest on the nails or the shelf made from corner brackets.

Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, check out this website. The author has photographs of each step.

Mandarin Bird Feeder

Mandarin Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder Another squirrel-proof bird feeder that has a built-in baffle is called the Mandarin Bird Feeder because of its eastern look.

It has a lot of great features. The baffle, which resembles a little pagoda, is identical to that of the Sky Cafe. The pitch of the baffle is very steep, making it impossible for squirrels to get a grip.

The Mandarin Feeder has a couple of nice features that the Sky Cafe doesn’t.

1. The seed ports are designed to work on a “peck and pull” action. This means the birds must pull the seed out instead of rummaging through a pile, which results in a lot less wasted seed.

2. The feeder is available with a four-way divider, which means you can put four different types of seeds in it. (You pay extra for the divider).


3. There is no seed-catching tray at the bottom, which means seeds are less likely to get wet in a rainstorm.


One disadvantage it has over the Sky Cafe is that the size of the perches discourages larger birds. (The Sky Cafe’s seed tray has enough room for any size bird.)

And although the dome baffle is plastic, don’t fear the squirrels will chew through it because the Mandarin feeder comes with a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage!

Here’s where you can get it online: Yardiac

House of Munch Squirrel Feeder

House of Munch Squirrel Feeder Here’s a version of a squirrel feeder calls the House of Munch (I know there’s a pun there somewhere.)

A squirrel feeder is also known as a diversion feeder. The idea behind it is that in addition to (NOT instead of) squirrel-proofing your existing bird feeders, you also give the squirrels their own food source. Instead of filling it with expensive bird seed, you use less expensive feed, such as corn or peanuts.

This particular feeder is a pretty simple design. It’s a wooden house which serves as a foyer for a bottle. Put food in the bottom and you can watch the squirrel as he feasts.

A big advantage to this feeder is that the seed will always stay dry. (Even in the munch box squirrel feeders, the seeds get a little damp when it rains).





Here’s where you can get it online: Yardiac