How to Squirrel-Proof Any Hanging Bird Feeder

If youre like many backyard birding enthusiasts, you often fill your bird feeders in the morning before leaving for work, only to return at the end of the day to find your bird feeders empty, seed spilled, or worse: your bird feeder destroyed by chewing. The culprit? The Sciurus carolinensis, or common gray squirrel.

The gray squirrel is natural acrobat. He can jump 10 - 12 feet sideways and leap 4 -5 feet straight up. He can shimmy up poles and walk along wires. This is why so many birders are in a constant battle against him.

Many people purchase expensive squirrel-proof bird feeders in an attempt to thwart the seed thief. But there is an easier way. Fortunately, keeping the squirrel out of your bird feeders can be achieved inexpensively with some items you may have laying around the house.

Squirrel proof bird feeder tips:

1. Start with a hanging bird feeder.

2. Find an appropriate spot in your yard for the bird feeder where you can stretch a line between two trees or other structures. Since the gray squirrel is such a good jumper, both vertically and horizontally, pick a spot that is at least 12 feet away from the nearest tree trunk, deck railing, and hammock stand.

3. Purchase some fishing line at a local sporting goods store. You can also use wire, but be sure to get galvanized wire that wont rust when it gets wet.

4. Find four empty 2-liter soda bottles. You might want to rinse them out first so that you wont end up attracting ants.

5. Cut a small hole in the bottom of each bottle, big enough for your line or wire to fit through. Discard the caps of the bottles.

6. Cut the length of wire or fishing line so that it will reach between the two trees.

7. Before you attach the wire to the trees, thread it through two bottles, your feeder, and the other two bottles. Then stretch and attach the wire so that the lowest part of the bird feeder is at least five feet off the ground.

So develop a broader sense of birding. Bring birds around more often and dance to the tune of their music while you get and keep them in your area longer with bird feeders.

Learn a lot more: The “Everything You Want to Know About Birdfeeders” Guide

Susie Duff loves to feed birds, but lives in a heavily squirrel-populated area. Her squirrel-proof bird feeders website is full of tips for keeping squirrels out of bird feeders.