squirrels

Hi. I've been feeding birds in my yard for years. I love watching them. This year, the squirrels are eating all the bird seed, in spite of the squirrel proof feeders that have worked for years. Don't know where the new crop have come from but they're persistent and smart! I usually don't use pepper in the feed in the summer, but I just got desperate and mixed it with the seed and it's not bothering them. Any ideas?

Hi Candy, Are you able to purchase a pole system with a baffle? The only feeder I've ever had that was truly squirrel proof is a Squirrel Buster.
http://www.squirrelbuster.biz/squirrelbusterplus.htm

Another vote for the Squirrel Buster... I have the one with the cardinal ring and it gives the perching birds plenty of room (the roller feeders don't have enough room for that sized bird to feed comfortably in my opinion.
The feeder pays for itself when you stop feeding the squirrels. I've had it for about a year and I've yet to see a squirrel beat it.
Candy, you don't say whether your feeders are on hooks from trees or on poles... all my feeders are hanging from tree branches. And I put something called a Mandarin Squirrel Baffler over each of my suet cake feeders and seed feeders other than the Squirrel Buster. They work like a charm.
Here's a link to my favorite seed/feeder store... go to the Mandarin Squirrel Baffler to see what I'm talking about.
They hang from a metal hook, not the plastic cheaper bafflers hang from until a squirrel chews his way through the plastic hook....
http://www.cooperseeds.com/birds.php3?cat=baffles
The Squirrel Buster and Squirrel Buster Plus (the one I have) are also on this site if you look under their feeder section.
Good luck!

Judy, Have you seen the new mini Squirrel Buster?

I have the perching ring too.

I hadn't seen that but I like it! I'll see if my place will get it for me... they are always A LOT cheaper than anywhere else. Their Hummzingers, for instance, are cheaper than if you order direct from the Hummzinger people.
I'd bet wrens and nuthatches would LOVE that thing... I have a wire mesh type feeder that I THOUGHT woodpeckers would like, but my red bellieds still come to the Squirrel Buster... and it just looks so uncomforable... (I know, sad, I'm into ergonomic birding~!!!) the way they have to wrap their tails under the feeder and hang on for dear life. That's why I got a woodpecker tail prop suet cake feeder, because I felt sorry for them having to lay down to eat! Maybe they're used to the squirrel buster and they'd check that mini out and be able to cling to the wire mesh.
I'll check it out! Thanks Pelle.

Hey guys thanks for responding to my question. That feeder looks like a good one.

Judy, I had seen the rotating baffle before but had never heard of anyone with it. How does it hold up to weather. The squirrels really spin off?

My suet feeder is in a cage that the birds can get inside of but the squirrels can't reach the food. I also have a pole and a baffle (doesn't spin) but I guess it's not tall enough because they get up there any way. Also, the feeder in the tree is in a cage. This summer a squirrel learned how to lift the lid so I wired it down between fillings. Then, he learned that if he tilts the feeder the seed pours out the ports and he can feed his friends. I've stopped filling that feeder.

I sure hope Coopers gets the mini. I got my squirrel buster plus there and it works great. Price was great, too. I'd like the mini for outside my office window.

Candy... the Mandarin baffler doesn't spin... it just hangs over the feeder and blocks the squirrels from getting to the food... they slide off it

Oh, I need to spend more time on this. When I went to the Cooper site, there was a baffle that has a motor in it.

They sell some that have motors but they're more expensive than the Mandarin one and the mandarin works like a champ!
J

I have little piles of corn for them. I put any cooking grease leftovers on it. Between the hickory nuts falling and that, they are not even anywhere near the feeders anymore.

Wow. They have more acorns that they know what to do with at my house, but the bird seed is still their choice.

I think the mandarin one might work if the feeder were higher. They just jump up under the baffle, or jump from the tree sideways to the feeder. No matter what, they always have found a way to get at the feeder so it needs to be the feeder that keeps them away I think. I'm still shopping and checking reviews and some people think that squirrels are just too smart and I need to get used to feeding them. I guess I'll keep trying. I sort of like the feeder that spins. I can't imagine how they'd work their way around that one.