Suet and Squirrels

I have used suet in the past but the squirrels usually get the bulk of the block. I would love to put it out again but I hate when the squirrels find it because they usually stay with it until it is ALL gone! Does anyone have tips to keep those little buggers off? Thanks.

Also, we recently subscribed to Dave’s Garden and I was so happy when I stumbled on this board. I love all of your pictures and reading the posts. I’m not quick enough with the camera yet. I would love to get a picture of the Orioles that have been making our yard their home too.

Hi Loachie, Welcome to the forum!

I use a Hot Pepper suet (no melt) that the squirrels can't stand. You can find it at a bird store or online.

Have a good day! Pelle

Loachie...
I have what's called a Mandarin Squirrel Baffler over my suet cake feeder... until I installed that, the sqirrels ate about 90 percent of all my suet cakes.
Here's a link to it... I have it over a woodpecker tail prop suet cake feeder.
http://www.cooperseeds.com/froogle.php3?prod=3010
I have these bafflers over every feeder (except hummingbird feeders) that aren't otherwise "squirrel proof" and they work great.

This message was edited Jun 2, 2008 12:46 PM

Is anything coon proof? I'm in real trouble here. They seem to tear everything up that I've tried so far.

Nan.. do you have your feeders on a shephard's hook? They make these bafflers:
http://www.rachelsrobin.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-8071
that go on the pole so they aren't supposed to be able to crawl up the pole. Perhaps someone has tried them and can come along and let you know if they work or not.
I (knock on wood) haven't had a raccoon problem. I have flashing on my shephard's hook so the squirrels can't crawl up, but then they learned to jump WAY down and across a bit at the same time to get to the feeders from above. I finally went all squirrel proof feeders and have had good luck with the Squirrel Buster.

Thanks Judy,

I've seen that made from PVC pipe and cap too. I think I could buy this large enough to keep the racoons out. They seem to have about a 2 foot reach and are very strong.

Thanks again! I have Hope now.

Hope it works! My boyfriend's mom said all her seed feeders were carried off this weekend. She never found one, found one in pieces in the nearby woods. She's in Michigan.. she thinks raccoons to blame there, too. Makes me feel bad for hating on my sugar-water guzzling squirrels so much!

Thank You for the ideas. I am going to buy the hot suet from Home Depot b/c I did see it there. I noticed as soon as I start feeding suet then I start seeing the woodpeckers, which we love.

heyitsmejudy - I NEVER thought of putting a baffle on top of a suet cage. I am thinking of giving that baffle a try. I'll have to be careful were I hang the cage b/c I know the squirrels will still be making a jump for it!

I thought about hanging a suet block on the window next to my window feeder but I thought it would be banging into the glass all the time. The squirrels do try to get into the window feeder by jumping from the roof of my house but I have never seen that trick landed.