How to build bird feeders | Squirrel-proof Bird Feeders

Had Enough Of Those Pesky Squirrels? Try Squirrel-proof Bird Feeders

There are several species of ground squirrels and tree squirrels in North America that can create problems for bird enthusiasts. If you have squirrel problems, a squirrel-proof bird feeder may be your best solution. The Fox Squirrel and the Eastern and Western Gray Squirrels are species of tree squirrels that are most commonly involved with causing problems for home owners and bird watchers.

Squirrel-proof bird feeders come in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles. They range from the weight activated hopper feeders like the Homestead Super Stop-A-Squirrel to the simple baffle-topped feeders. For the serious backyard birder there is the Droll Yankees' Yankee Flipper that uses a battery operated device, activated by the squirrel's weight, to (harmlessly) propel the squirrel off of the feeder.

One of the major problems bird watchers have with squirrels is that the squirrels take over the feeders and scare the birds away. But that's not the only problem. The squirrel's diet is made up mostly of nuts, fruits, plant buds, seeds and flowers, depending on the season and what's available locally. However, squirrels are not vegetarian. They also eat bird eggs and nestlings that they will snatch right out of a birdhouse. They may pounce on unsuspecting birds at feeders also.

There are two clear strategies for solving the problem of keeping squirrels away from your feeders and birdhouses. You can prevent the (cute) pesky rodents from gaining access to your treasures, or you can give them a better, alternate place to dine.

Let's tackle the preventative strategy first. There are some very simple ways to keep your birdhouses and feeders safe from squirrel damage. And let me add here that it is imperative to keep your birdhouses safe from possible predation. You can build your own predator guard from my plans or you can purchase squirrel baffles, which come in a variety of styles, sizes, shapes and colors.

What you want to do is to keep

squirrels away from your feeders and birdhouses right from the start. Squirrels are very persistent and once they find an easy source of food, they will try to overcome any obstacle you may put in their way.

Squirrels are extremely agile and can leap eight feet or more and climb almost anything. For this reason alone, if you have squirrel problems in your yard, keep your bird feeders and birdhouses at least eight feet away from any tree limbs or man-made structures and install baffles on the supporting posts.

If you must hang your bird feeders in trees, you will want to keep them away from the main trunk and equip them with a dome baffle or simply use a squirrel-proof bird feeder that is designed with a dome-type top.

Another popular style of squirrel-proof bird feeders is the caged feeder. The caged feeders consist of an inner feeder that contains the seed, surrounded by a wire cage that prevents squirrels from getting to that seed. They simply put the food out of reach for the hungry squirrel.

Even the most persistent squirrels should be thwarted by any of these squirrel-proof bird feeders or baffle feeder combinations. So let's consider the second strategy of giving the squirrels a better alternative than your bird feeders or birdhouses for their banquets.

This strategy involves setting up a squirrel feeding station somewhere away from your bird feeders with the food stuffs that squirrels really like. There are several different squirrel feeders that not only let the squirrels enjoy the nuts, sunflower seeds and fruit they like the most, there are some that let you watch their antics as they feed on one of their favorite foods, corn on the cob.

So whether you love squirrels or hate 'em, these are some solutions to the "squirrel dilemma" that many birders face. You may even have some new thoughts on how you can live with squirrels and keep your bird feeders and birdhouses off limits to these cute, furry critters.
- Unique And Useful Birdfeeder And Bird Care Products
By Martin B
Nature offers some wonderful things that are relaxing and joyful. Feeding, watching and spending time with the birds is one of them. It is a treat to watch the amazing variety of British birds, their interactions with each other and their methods of feeding. To watch birds you may go to woods or country parks or alternatively set up feeders in your garden to attract a variety of bird species. If you are wondering where to find the right type of birdfeeders, wild bird food then simply go to Birdfoodbypost online to buy bird food and all accessories like nest boxes and bird baths that are required to attract wild bird to your garden.

Birdfoodbypost online aims to offer complete solution and easy purchase of bird care products from bird foods for all seasons to bird books and from bird feeders of different designs to bird tables. You can even type the name of a bird to find related products and information. Online purchase process is simple and hassle free. It also gives you an overview of the entire range of products and you may be surprised and pleased to find an item that you have never heard of or planned to buy for your favorite bird. After browsing through the items and selecting the products click the Add To Cart button to order. There is fixed delivery charge for all orders. The products are delivered mostly within next day, only in U.K. and the payment is accepted by debit or credit card and PayPal.

The website offers amazing collection of hanging feeders to feed the birds with niger seeds, peanuts, fat balls and mixed seeds. If you do not have trees or garden space then there is window mounted feeders for you. Different types of window feeders, for feeding peanuts, niger seeds and mixed seed are available. When you have problem with squirrels that eat up bird foods then you can choose a Squirrel Proof Feeder. Feeding trays that can be moved from one place to other is ideal for ground foraging birds like thrushes and Blackbirds. The website offers combo packs of feeder and bird food that may interest you if you are on a budget. If you want to be stylish then select from the range of cute bird tables like simple Flat Pack, Chislet, or York to sophisticated nest boxes with a colour camera system.

Birdfoodbypost online offers bird food all year around as well as special packs for different seasons. The top selling bird food includes Sunflower Hearts from Vine House and Harrisons, bird seed and Energy Mix with mealworms from Vine House and dried mealworms from Harrisons. Once you have bird feeders you need something to clean and refill them. The website has impressive collection of rain guard and feeder guardians to protect the bird food from getting wet and limiting which birds feeder from the feeders. There are various types of scoops and brushes to fill and clean the birdfeeders.
Martin B always tells your more about Birdfoodbypost online which aims to offer complete solution and easy purchase of bird care products from bird foods for all seasons to bird books and from bird feeders of different designs to bird tables.

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bird baths and feeders | Squirrel-proof Bird Feeders

Image by tigerweet via Flickr

Squirrel-proof Bird Feeders - Do They Exist?

Bird enthusiasts have long dreamt of a squirrel-proof birdfeeder, and for the most part, have come up empty-handed. Winter or summer, the squirrel proves to be the cleverest of adversaries when it comes to raiding the birdfeeder. Unlike other rodents, the squirrel doesn't hibernate, so it has plenty of time to scope out even the most challenging birdfeeder. It's also extremely dexterous, can handle just about any surface - slippery or not - and happens to like many of the same foods that birds do.

For the enthusiast who is determined to keep squirrels out of the feeder, there are a few options, none of which are 100-percent effective against an equally determined squirrel. (Keep in mind, for the squirrel, the consequences of failure are just a little higher!)

There are certain types of seeds that the squirrel just doesn't like. Small, fine seeds like thistle and safflower generate virtually no interest from a squirrel. Unless a squirrel is completely desperate, suet isn't very appetizing to them, either. Stocking feeders with seeds they don't like, or represent more trouble than they're worth is one strategy for "squirrel-proofing" a feeder.

Another approach to discouraging squirrel incursions is to place the feeder in a location where a squirrel can't get at it. This approach

may be more successful at repelling the rodents, but is technically much more difficult! Squirrels are highly agile, can jump long distances, are not easily discouraged when a free meal is at stake, and can negotiate most surfaces. They are also smart enough to figure out how to hit a feeder precisely enough to deliver maximum spillage.

Smaller feeders with large baffles can sometimes prevent a squirrel from mooching a freebie, and some bird watchers have found that a mechanical baffle that is actuated by the squirrel's weight is helpful in protecting meals meant exclusively for birds. Hanging a feeder on a horizontal line that includes baffles on either side of the feeder may be successful in preventing the squirrel from approaching the feeder. Baffles may include 2-liter plastic soda bottles or other similar containers that spin freely around the horizontal line. When a squirrel tries to negotiate the lines, the free-spinning containers should deposit the squirrel on the ground sans dinner.

Another tried-and-true approach is to provide a squirrel feeder, filled with treats fit for a rodent. If placed in the right location, the squirrel feeder will draw the squirrels away from bird feeders, and will be no match for other rodents who may be out looking for an easy dinner.

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wood bird feeders - Squirrel-proof Bird Feeders

Image by rustytanton via Flickr

Win The Squirrel War With Squirrel-proof Bird Feeders
By Larry Jordan
If you have squirrel problems, a squirrel-proof bird feeder may be your best solution. There are several species of ground squirrels and tree squirrels in North America that can create problems for bird enthusiasts. The Fox Squirrel and the Eastern and Western Gray Squirrels are species of tree squirrels that are most commonly involved with causing problems for home owners and bird watchers.

Squirrel-proof bird feeders come in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles. They range from the simple baffle-topped feeders, to the weight activated hopper feeders like the Homestead Super Stop-A-Squirrel. For the serious backyard birder there is the Droll Yankees' Yankee Flipper that uses a battery operated device, activated by the squirrel's weight, to (harmlessly) propel the squirrel off of the feeder.

One of the major problems bird watchers have with squirrels is that the squirrels take over the feeders and scare the birds away. But that's not the only problem. Depending on the season and what's available locally, the squirrel's diet is made up mostly of nuts, fruits, plant buds, seeds and flowers. However, squirrels are not vegetarian. They also eat bird eggs and nestlings that they will snatch right out of birdhouses. They may pounce on unsuspecting birds at feeders also.

There are two clear strategies for solving the problem of keeping squirrels away from your feeders and birdhouses. You can prevent the (cute) pesky rodents from gaining access to your treasures, or you can give them a better, alternate place to dine.

Let's tackle the preventative strategy first. There are some very simple ways to keep your birdhouses and feeders safe from squirrel damage. And let me add here that it is imperative to keep your birdhouses safe from possible predation. You can build your own predator guard from my plans or you can purchase squirrel baffles, which come in a variety of styles, sizes, shapes and colors.

What you want to do is to keep squirrels

away from your feeders and birdhouses right from the start. Squirrels are very persistent and once they find an easy source of food, they will try to overcome any obstacle you may put in their way.

Squirrels are extremely agile and can leap eight feet or more and climb almost anything. For this reason alone, if you have squirrel problems in your yard, keep your bird feeders and birdhouses at least eight feet away from any tree limbs or man-made structures and install baffles on the supporting posts.

If you must hang your bird feeders in trees, you will want to keep them away from the main trunk and equip them with a dome baffle or simply use a squirrel-proof bird feeder that is designed with a dome-type top.

Another popular style of squirrel-proof bird feeders is the caged feeder. The caged feeders consist of an inner feeder that contains the seed, surrounded by a wire cage that prevents squirrels from getting to that seed. They simply put the food out of reach for the hungry squirrel.

Even the most persistent squirrels should be thwarted by any of these squirrel-proof bird feeders or baffle feeder combinations. So let's consider the second strategy of giving the squirrels a better alternative than your bird feeders or birdhouses for their banquets.

This strategy involves setting up a squirrel feeding station somewhere away from your bird feeders with the food stuffs that squirrels really like. There are several different squirrel feeders that not only let the squirrels enjoy the nuts, sunflower seeds and fruit they like the most, there are some that let you watch their antics as they feed on one of their favorite foods, corn on the cob.

So whether you love squirrels or hate 'em, these are some solutions to the "squirrel dilemma" that many birders face. You may even have some new thoughts on how you can live with squirrels and keep your bird feeders and birdhouses off limits to these cute, furry critters.

Read More