The Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)  and the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), are the most common squirrels in North America. Native to the eastern half of the United States and Canada they have been introduced to parts of the Western United States and British Columbia. World wide their are 365 species of squirrels! An adult squirrel typically lives alone, but  they will huddle together in their nests during extreme cold weather to stay warm. In the winter, squirrels are most active in the morning hours and tend to stick around their nests the rest of the day. Mating season begins in late winter, so acrobatic chase scenes are more common during this time of the year. Spring through fall, listen for the screeching call of the young in the nest begging for food. In the summer, squirrels are most active in the morning, tend to rest in the afternoon, and then reemerge to forage for a couple of hours before sunset.

Typical litter size is 3-4.

Squirrels can eat their weight in seed in one week.

Squirrel’s front teeth grown 6 inches per year and are worn down by eating and gnawing.

Top speed for squirrels is 20 mph.

Squirrels exceptional  jumping ability can launch them 6 vertical feed and 8 horizontal feet.

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Click here to see video of the Sqirrel Boss in Action!

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 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

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

  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

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

  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

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.

When you first begin to feed the birds in your backyard it is hard to resist just tossing the bird food out the backdoor onto the ground. It’s healthier for the birds to get their “hand-outs” at a bird feeder, off the ground. Food that sits on the ground for even a short time is exposed to potential contamination by dampness, mold, bacteria, animal droppings, lawn fertilizers and pesticides.

When it comes to buying a bird feeder, there are hundreds to choose from, so how do you make “the right choice?”  “What is a good bird feeder?”

First, where do you want to watch your backyard friends?  Do you want to watch them from a window, a sliding glass door, a deck or patio? Pick an area with easy access and in view site of where you are planning to view your feathered friends.   When the weather is bad and the birds are the most vulnerable, you may be reluctant to fill a feeder that isn’t in a convenient spot with access. 

Also remember the mess factor. Pick a location in your backyard where discarded seed hulls and bird droppings will not be a problem to clean up.

If you have squirrels in your neighborhood, then it is a safe bet that squirrels will take over your bird feeder unless you take precautions. Squirrels love sunflower seeds and peanuts as much if not more than  acorns.  When squirrels take over a bird feeder they scare all the birds away!  Squirrels have been known to chew right through plastic and wooden bird feeders to get at the bird seed.

A squirrel-proof bird feeder in the long run is a good investment. An alternative is to mount a bird feeder on a pole with a squirrel baffle or guard. Squirrels are incredibly agile, and any bird feeder hanging from a tree, with or without a squirrel baffle or guard, is likely to become a squirrel feeder.

At our website we offer several very good, quality “Squirrel Buster” bird feeders. These feeders have a spring mechanism in them that is triggered by the weight of a squirrel. The squirrels weight on the feeder makes the tube slide down and close off all of the feeding ports. These feeders also prevent larger birds from taking over a feeder and chasing the smaller birds away, as the weight of the larger birds will also close the feeding ports.

Your bird feeder should be located at least 10 feet from any tree branch, stump, fence or any other object that a squirrel could use to jump from onto your bird feeder. If you are pole mounting the bird feeder, include a squirrel baffle or guard. If you are using a hanging feeder make sure that it also is protected by a squirrel baffle or guard.

Fall is the peak season to attract the widest variety and volume of birds.  Any time is the right time to start your new hobby, however.  Our website will give you the best feeders for all the right reasons and at the best prices.