Archive for November 16th, 2009

One of the most popular sections of our secure online store is the squirrel resistant bird feeders.  There are many approaches to deterring squirrels from your bird feeders.

Feelin’ Kinda Cagey

Caged feeders are the most effective because they prevent squirrels from
Caged Bird Feeder

Caged Bird Feeder

getting their mitts on the feed.  The metal cages prevent them from chewing through to the feeder.  A big advantage to caged feeders is that they can be hung almost anywhere and still be effective.  The grid size allows small birds to hop through the cage to access the seed.  The down-side to caged feeders are that they exclude larger birds and are not the most attractive looking option;  however, some of the cages have more of a decorative look.  The farther the cage is from the seed ports, the more effective it will be at excluding squirrels and undesirable larger birds like Grackles or European Starlings.

 

 

Weighted Perches-Let Gravity Help You

Weighted perches are an excellent way to deter squirrels and most options

allow you to adjust the tension of the springs to deter larger birds too.  The

Green Absolute II
Green Absolute II

popular Squirrel Busters are long tubes that force the squirrel to climb on the feeder and put its weight on the perch, thus closing the feeding ports.

Squirrel Buster Plus

Squirrel Buster Plus

  The Super option allows you to adjust the perch lengths to deter larger birds, or add a ring to the perches to accommodate larger birds like cardinals.  The metal Absolute feeders are very durable and come in varying sizes.  The feeders can be hung and some can be pole mounted.

Baffle ‘Em

Baffles create an obstacle above or below the feeder that prevents the fuzzy rodents from reaching the seed. The Songbird Essentials dome and disc shaped baffles that

20" Hanging Baffle

20" Hanging Baffle

hang above the feeder force the squirrel to slide off when trying to climb down to the feeder.  Make sure that the feeder hangs at least four feet above the ground and eight feet from solid launching pads like tree trunks, a trellis and deck rails.  Also, make sure the baffle is at least one third larger in circumference than the feeder.  The SESQ84 is a large baffle that allows you to hang even large hoppers under it.  Baffles below the feeder are mounted on metal poles or wooden posts and their upside down funnel or cylindrical shape prevents the squirrel from climbing up to the feeder.  Likewise, these baffles must be mounted at least four feet high and require an eight foot open radius around the pole so squirrels can’t jump to the feeder.  To prevent raccoons and possums, use the wider and longer baffle options.  An advantage of a successful baffle is that you can use a variety of feeders.  With our metal pole baffles, squirrels can’t eat’em – other cheap models sold in big box stores end up as “squirrel dental floss!”

Let’s Go for a Spin

Squirrels are mammals, so they are warm-blooded, have skin and hair, and  like us … they get dizzy.  The Twirl-A-Squirrel device is a creative  invention that converts many types of feeders into squirrel proof feeders. Hang the Twirl-A-Squirrel then hang a feeder under it.

Twirl-A-Squirrel

Twirl-A-Squirrel

  When a heavy squirrel jumps on, it triggers a motor that spins the feeder.  The squirrel eventually gets dizzy and jumps safely to the ground.  Droll Yankee makes a spinning feeder with a rechargeable battery called the Yankee Flipper.  Effective and fund to watch, you should really check out the videos of these feeders in action.

Squirrel Resistant Trays

Squirrels are tough to keep away from flat tray feeders, so Duncraft has developed the Champion Seed Tray.  A plastic grid arrangement on the base of the tray presses down on

Champion Squirrel-Proof Platform Feeder

Champion Squirrel-Proof Platform Feeder

the seeds.  Squirrels can’t grab the seed but the beaks of birds reach through the grids, clamp on a seed and pull it out.

Now that you have the information you need to deciede what type of bird feeder is the best for your backyard it is time to go to our secure website and order your bird feeder.

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