Squirrels in my bird feeders

[olderthandirt]

I've got a mini backyard sanctuary with about a bazillion birds, chirping as they come to my bird feeders-- love it, enjoying my coffee on the back porch each morning and watching them. Lately there have been a pair of squirrels out there that keep stealing their food and scaring them off. Besides using a pellet gun (and believe me, I'm seriously tempted but can't since I live inside the city limits), does anybody have any safe suggestions on how I can move the squirrels OUT so the birds can stay IN? I've heard of using red pepper flakes mixed in with the seed, but I don't want to harm the birds.

[sojourner truth]

Nope...Buy the pellet gun. This is a thousand year old problem that has no solution short of slaying the evil squirrels. I personally use a 22 caliber semi automatic rifle. Used to have a sling shot that worked, but my eyesight isn't what it used to be.

[CenTexDave]

Set a separate feeder close to where the squirrels are coming from and fill it up frequently. Hopefully they'll leave the bird feeders alone.

[beaver]

The birds LIKE the red pepper flakes.
Capsaicin (the chemical that gives hot capsicum peppers their 'heat') does not affect birds at all; they have a different kind of body chemistry to mammals and so it simply does nothing at all to them.

It's quite likely that this is the reason why the plants actually produce the stuff; birds have a relatively short digestive tract and a relatively fast digestive transit, compare to many mammals; when chillies are eaten by birds, the outer capsule is digested, but the hard seeds pass through mostly intact; when mammals eat them, the whole lot may be digested. It is therefore in the interest of the plant (from the point of view of perpetuation of the species through seed distribution) to encourage consumption by birds and discourage consumption by mammals; capsaicin does this rather effectively.

[Night Owl]

I like the direct (Pellet gun) method myself. Oh wait, we ain't talking about cats. Nevermind!!!!:))

[sojourner truth]

Cats, squirels, whatever. I used to love watching the little critters jumping from branch to branch until one got into the attic by chewing through the breather wires under the eaves. The stench from the nest was overpowering in the summer heat, and I had to go up and root them out and clean up the mess. Plus, I had to buy a heavier gague wire mesh for the vents. They are rats with a cute tail, and just about as pesky. There are a number of bird feeders that are supposedly squirrel proof...Don't believe it. Them rascals are very clever, and will find a way. I took all my feeders down because of the fights and the mess the birds caused. They seem to be surviving without them.

[CenTexDave]

Also pretty tasty to eat though. :)

[IronErnin]

Mother insists on feeding the birds year round. The squirrel that lives at our home loves raiding the feeders even though he also gathers pecans from the 3 trees in the yard. Mother thought to accomodate him by hanging feeder low enough for him to reach without any special effort on his part. He won't touch it. But the birds empty the others, then go for that one.

[Grammar Rules]

Also pretty tasty to eat though. :)

Birds, cats, squirrels, or all of the above?

[CenTexDave]

Squirrel is good.

[Night Owl]

My ex step-mother said cat was excellent. She thought she was eating rabbit.

[CenTexDave]

I've heard tell that cat is excellent, but think I'll pass. :))

[Night Owl]

She passed it, eventually!!!!:))

[sojourner truth]

Squirrel is very tasty when done right. Especially with some beans and cornbread.

[olderthandirt]

The red pepper flakes seem to be working so far -- thanks for the help!

[Grammar Rules]

I haven't put the peppers into my feeder. It amuses me too much to watch the squirrel's frustration now that she can't actually land ON the feeder. Rather, she can bump it on the fly or wait for the messy birds to dispense seeds to the ground. Today I see that the cottontail intimidates her, so now it is munching on the spilled seeds and the squirrel is biding her time. Fun!

[Grammar Rules]

Squirrels are capable of learning. Now there are three, two females and a male, who have figured out that the birds spill more than enough seed for them to glean from the ground beneath the feeder.

Does anyone else see Painted Buntings in the area? I think they're a kind of finch; they are so cute with their bright blue and orange plumage. One turns up around 9:00 am every day to take turns with the more common Chickadees, Titmice, and Cardinals.

[mac]

we have a painted bunting too who likes to visit......but i don't see him every day..........seems like i got a lot more wrens this year than normal. had a meadow lark early yesterday.....and i live in the MIDDLE of the neighborhood.....ain't got a clue as to how he got in the yard......mac


Squirrels are capable of learning. Now there are three, two females and a male, who have figured out that the birds spill more than enough seed for them to glean from the ground beneath the feeder.

Does anyone else see Painted Buntings in the area? I think they're a kind of finch; they are so cute with their bright blue and orange plumage. One turns up around 9:00 am every day to take turns with the more common Chickadees, Titmice, and Cardinals.

[MissElmo]

Red pepper flakes mixed with the bird seed, that's very interesting. I wonder if it would also help keep the deer out of my bird feeder. I'm going to try it and report back in a few days.

[Ludwig]

By law you can shoot dem dam deer. Good eats.

[CenTexDave]

By law, you can't discharge a weapon within the city limits of Copperas Cove. I assume Killeen is the same.
Wish I could - I have a herd of about 25-30 deer who love my backyard. :)

[Ludwig]

So, if a boogey man comes to your place in the dark of night while the law says your property is your castle and you have a right to defend it, it also says that if you shoot the perp in the city limits you're in violation? I don't think so. I'm saying that deer have the same status as a boogey man. B'sides, if you can't shoot 'em, you may not be able to hit them anyway, ther's more than one way to skin a cat. Bow & arrow worked pretty good for the Natives.

[Grammar Rules]

They also enslaved or scalped their enemies. We take a dim view of that now. The little lakeside berg of Morgan's Point is overrun with deer, but anyone who traps, pens, or shoots 'em with a bullet or an arrow will be prosecuted if caught.

[CenTexDave]

Yep, bow and arrow and a crossbow and bolt would do the trick.

[Ludwig]

They also enslaved or scalped their enemies.

The British taught them the fine art of scalping during the "French and Indian War" as well as the concept of slavery.

[Grammar Rules]

Did the British teach the Amazon natives how to shrink heads? Did they teach the Egyptians how to enslave the conquered? :rolleyes I still say you can't bowhunt deer in the city.

[CenTexDave]

I agree with you. No hunting in the city - period.

[MissElmo]

Where have all the deer gone? I bought 3 jars of red pepper flakes to mix in with the bird seeds to see it it keeps the deer out of it, but the deer have disappeared from my neighborhood. I used to find about a dozen deer hanging out in our yard every morning and evening, but I hardly see any now and I haven't even got to try out the pepper flakes.

[Grammar Rules]

Dependson where you live. With the current drought, it's not just about water. They need the moist clover and water-loving grasses as well, so they have to follow the streams and lakesides now.

[liessemsed]

I'm intrigued by the red pepper flakes... my parents live in a woods and have had squirrels in the bird feeders since we moved in in 1985. My parents bought all sorts of squirrel-proofing stuff, and finally my dad invented a slide of sheet metal and nailed it to the top of a feeder, since the squirrels were jumping onto the roof. It was really fun to watch the squirrels jump and fly right off.

[Grammar Rules]

Flying squirrels! They are fun to watch, flying or not.