I have to admit that I'm not exactly a squirrel fan. Having grown up in one of the greener London suburbs, I'm quite used to the 'joys' of co-existing with the toothy critters that I don't find them remotely cute - particularly after having once fought one off that had come in for another 'go' at nibbling our wires in my attic bedroom. Also, we'd be far less indulgent towards them if they didn't have the fluffy tails.
So imagine my joy (TM) when I glanced out at my carefully positioned bird feeder this morning and saw that it had been torn from its awnings, with its contents spilled all over the patio.
It didn't take me long to discover that the culprit was one of our fat, grey friends, which was quite unashamedly stuffing its jowls. Time to create a squirrel-proof bird feeder, methinks.
There are a few solutions to this problem, and you can find them after the jump.
One obvious way to prevent squirrels from scavenging is to build a bird feeder with an opening that's too small for them to squeeze their podgy bodies through. Most birds can get through the tiniest gaps, so you'll be doing them a favour. The traditional wooden birdhouse, with a cirtular 'door' is a popular choice, and you'll even get birds nesting if you're lucky. Wayne of the Woods has some good instructions here on what you'll need to do.
Another option is to construct a 'flexi perch' feeder that ingeniously uses cable ties as flexible perches for birds. Heavier bodies will simply lose purchase on the springy surfaces, so you should soon be playing host to plenty of birds. Full instructions on making a flexi perch feeder can be found here.
Feeders with a 'Victorian birdcage' appearance are also a good way to keep out the toothy terrors, as the food holder is housed behind bars with dimensions which let the birds pass through to feed while keeping squirrels out. However, we gather that some models have been sold with design flaws...
It's definitely better to make your own!
