SQUIRRELS AND BIRD FEEDERS… A CHALLENGING COMBINATION!

SQUIRRELS AND BIRD FEEDERS…      A CHALLENGING COMBINATION!

By Kathy Torres

Squirrels are cute little creatures, but they can really be a nuisance!  Known for feasting on bird seed, squirrels can take away all the joy of bird watching by snatching the seed away from the birds and totally disrupting the peace.  Besides the fact that good bird seed isn’t cheap, the other problem is the intended recipients are missing out. Squirrels can knock down the level of seed in a feeder very quickly, spilling about as much as they are stealing.  Because of their ability to reach high places and jump daring distances, it often seems that no bird feeder is off limits.  There are, however, a few things you can do to solve this problem…it is not a hopeless situation.

First of all, an important fact… squirrels can jump anywhere from 5 to 7 feet!  If possible, keep your feeder(s) 7 ft. from trees and 5 ft. off the ground, and you may not have any issues. To prevent access to your feeder, if you can’t quite adhere to these spacing requirements, try a

baffle. This piece of metal or plastic can go above or below a hanging feeder, and it creates an unsteady, smooth surface making it difficult for a squirrel to hang on.  Alternatives you may want to consider are squirrel-proof feeders or seed that the squirrels don’t like. 

The Backyard Nature Center at Wingard’s Market has a year-round inventory of birding products including a line of squirrel proof bird feeders.  The Squirrel Buster Sister Collection by Brome is a series of 3 sizes of feeders configured to eliminate access by squirrels.  Openings in the shroud (wire net covering of the seed tube) align with the feeding ports, providing birds access to the food. When a squirrel climbs onto the feeder, its weight automatically forces the shroud down, closing access to the ports. Squirrels and some large birds are shut out but not harmed in any way. 

The seed ports have perches for perching birds and the wire shroud provides a surface area for clinging birds. This increases your bird traffic.

Transparent seed tubes trap solar energy. Conventional seed tube designs block the escape of the heated air. Brome’s patented Seed Tube Ventilation™ permits humidity and hot air to escape through vents at the top of the feeder and replaces it with fresh air. Bird food remains fresher, attracting more wild birds.

 

All feeder parts exposed to squirrels are made with chew proof materials. All components are UV resistant. Feeders are designed to be dismantled by hand into individual components without the use of tools. This allows for easy cleaning and maintenance.

A patented weight adjustable spring mechanism controls how much weight the shroud will support allowing the birds to feed. Any additional weight will activate the closing mechanism.

Another effective way to deter squirrels is to fill the feeder with something they don’t like…chili pepper.  Cole’s Blazing Hot Blend was created solely for this purpose.   A little science from Cole’s Wild Bird Products Company:  the chili pepper plant evolved over time to be attractive to birds and distasteful to other animals that might look to make it a meal. When a bird eats a chili, the seeds remain intact and pass through the bird’s droppings where they are spread over a

wide area to grow and multiply, but the digestive tracts of mammals destroy the chili seeds when ingested. So, as a defense mechanism chili plants taste hot to mammals like people, dogs, squirrels, rabbits, etc., while birds cannot taste the heat at all.  Cole’s also stands behind this science… there is no actual or permanent physical damage to the eye, nose, or throat tissues of any bird or animal that eats it.   Saffron seed is also unpopular with squirrels, so this is another choice to use to discourage them. 

In conclusion, by using a squirrel buster or a seed that is not pleasing, those pesky squirrels will go elsewhere for their food and the problem can be eliminated.  You can then place a feeder just about anywhere (disregarding the distance from a tree or the ground).  These product will allow you to truly enjoy watching the birds without interference from squirrels.

Spring is on the way, however our feathered friends are still relying on a little help throughout the remaining cold weather.  A backyard bird feeder is a wonderful way to accomplish this, and the perk is enjoying these wildlife creatures all year long.  You’re invited to come out and visit Wingard’s Backyard Nature Center to take a look at the many products available for birding.  Talk to the Department Manager, Zach Steinhauser, about upcoming bird watching excursions.  Here is a sneak peak of what is waiting for you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING BLOOMING AT WINGARD’S!