Birds and squirrels often compete for the same food sources in backyard feeders. While squirrels are more aggressive and able to scare away smaller birds, there are strategies you can use to deter squirrels and make sure birds still have access to food. The key is offering food that is less preferable to squirrels or using specialized bird feeders that squirrels can’t access.
Why Do Squirrels Invade Bird Feeders?
Squirrels are opportunistic feeders that are always on the lookout for food sources. They often invade bird feeders because these feeders provide a concentrated food source that requires minimal effort to access. Squirrels are able to jump, climb and hang upside down from feeders, allowing them to reach food that smaller birds cannot. They will eat both seeds and suet from bird feeders.
Some of the reasons squirrels are drawn to bird feeders include:
- Easy access to high calorie foods like sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet.
- Ability to quickly empty feeders due to their size and quick movements.
- Opportunity to store food by taking it from feeders to bury caches.
- Lack of natural food sources, especially in winter and urban areas.
- Feeders provide concentration of food in a small area.
Bird feeders are an easy meal for squirrels, allowing them to gorge on high fat, high protein foods to store fat reserves and provide energy. Their ability to access and empty feeders means there is often little left for birds. Deterring squirrels is necessary to protect food sources for backyard birds.
How to Keep Squirrels Away from Feeders
Here are some tips to deter squirrels and discourage them from raiding bird feeders:
Use Specialty Bird Feeders
Specialized bird feeders can allow birds access to food, while preventing entry by squirrels. Some options include:
- Feeders with weight sensitive perches that close access when a heavy squirrel steps on them.
- Feeders with cage or wire protections that allow small birds to reach food through gaps but block larger squirrels.
- Upside down feeders that squirrels cannot hang from.
- Suet feeders with small access points or wire over suet blocks.
- Feeders on poles or stands with predator guards to block access from below.
- Feeders with short distances between perches or access points so squirrels cannot fit between them.
The best specialty feeders use simple physical barriers like size, weight, and distance between perches and access points to prevent squirrel entry and access.
Use Foods Squirrels Dislike
Certain bird seed types and other foods are less appealing to squirrels. By offering these, you can provide food for birds while giving squirrels less incentive to visit. Some squirrel-discouraging foods include:
- Safflower seeds – These small white seeds have a hard shell that squirrels struggle to open.
- Nyjer seed – Tiny, oil rich seeds that squirrels ignore.
- Millet – Low fat and nutritional value make it less desirable to squirrels.
- Thistle seed – Unappealing taste and difficulty opening shells.
- Hot pepper suet – Squirrels avoid spicy capsaicin flavors.
- Fruit slices – Most squirrels avoid fruit offerings.
Focus on offering safflower, nyjer, millet, and thistle seeds. Coat other seeds like sunflower in hot pepper powder. Consider adding dried fruit slices as squirrels tend to avoid these fruits in feeders.
Use Feeder Placement to Deter Squirrels
Where and how you hang or place feeders can make it harder for squirrels to access them. Some placement tips include:
- Keep feeders at least 5-6 feet off the ground with no access points from below.
- Place feeders near trees or roof edges so squirrels have to jump farther.
- Ensure feeder poles are slick, spinning, or wobbly to prevent climbing.
- Place feeders well away from trees, fences, and other launching points.
- Space multiple feeders widely apart so squirrels cannot easily jump between them.
Making squirrels exert more effort discourages them from approaching feeders. Increased distance and unstable feeder poles force them to work much harder for a meal.
Best Bird Foods to Deter Squirrels
Here are some of the top specific bird food options that squirrels will avoid:
Nyjer Seed
Nyjer seed, also called thistle seed, is small and black. It has a thick shell that squirrels find difficult to handle and crack open. The small size also means it offers little reward of effort even if squirrels access it.
However, nyjer seed is loved by finches. It has a high oil content to provide energy and fat. The size and shell gives finches something to grip and crack open.
Offer nyjer seed in specialized tube feeders. The small openings allow finches to pull out the tiny seeds while denying squirrels access.
Safflower Seed
Safflower seed has a tough outer shell that squirrels struggle to open. The seeds are also smaller in size which means they offer relatively little reward for the squirrels’ efforts.
Chickadees, cardinals, finches, and other small birds adeptly open and eat safflower seeds. The bitter taste of the seeds and shells also discourage squirrels.
Offer safflower seed in standard tube or hopper feeders. Mixing it with sunflower or other seeds reduces waste as birds will selectively eat it.
Millet
Millet is a tiny, round seed with very little fat content or nutritional value. It has a mildly bitter taste. Squirrels will avoid eating it if other options are available.
Ground feeding birds like quail, doves, and juncos will readily eat millet. Sparrows also favor this inexpensive seed. The small shape lets birds easily hull and consume it.
Scatter millet on platform feeders or the ground to attract ground feeding birds. Suet cages can also be filled with millet instead of suet blocks.
Dried Fruits
Dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, apples, bananas, and cherries are readily eaten by robins, orioles, cardinals, woodpeckers, and other backyard birds. However, squirrels tend to ignore fruit offerings.
Fruit can be offered in platform or hopper feeders, scattered on the ground, skewered onto branches, or served in fruit nets.
The high sugar content provides birds fast energy while the lack of fat or protein makes it unappealing for squirrels. Dried fruits are an inexpensive squirrel deterrent.
Chili Pepper Coatings
Coating seeds and suet blocks with chili pepper powder or sauce creates a taste deterrent for squirrels. Birds lack taste receptors for capsaicin heat and are unaffected by spicy flavors.
Commercial suet and seed blends offer hot pepper versions. You can also coat existing seed and suet with dried pepper flakes or chili powder for DIY squirrel deterrent foods. Focus the spicy coating on sunflower seeds, peanuts, and corn as these are favorite squirrel foods.
Specialized Bird Feeders That Deter Squirrels
Here are some top specialty bird feeder designs that prevent access and entry by squirrels:
Weight Sensitive Feeders
Perches on these feeders are calibrated to the light weight of small birds. When squirrels step on them, their heavier weight causes the perch to close or retract. This shuts off access points and denies food to the squirrel.
Weight sensitive feeders come in hopper, tube and suet cage styles. They allow birds like chickadees, finches and woodpeckers to eat while keeping out bulky squirrels.
Caged Tube Feeders
Tube feeders surrounded by a metal cage have openings sized for small birds to reach the seed ports. Squirrels are unable to squeeze through or reach the central tube where seeds dispense.
Finches and chickadees can readily feed while red squirrels and eastern grays are deterred by the cage barrier. These tube feeders keep seeds dry and make it hard for squirrels to gnaw into the tubing.
Suet Cages
Suet cages have a grid of metal wires over the suet block space. Birds like woodpeckers can grip the wires and access the suet. Squirrels cannot cling upside down or move on the unstable wire surface.
Look for suet cages advertised as squirrel resistant. 1/2 inch wire grid patterns with thin, round wires work best. Avoid large square grid patterns as these allow squirrels to reach suet blocks.
Dome Feeders
Dome shaped feeders have an outer “skirt” that blocks access from squirrels on the ground or jumping onto the feeder. Birds land on top and can drop down inside to access seed ports.
The shape of dome feeders makes it hard for squirrels to find a grip or launching point. The slippery rounded surface causes them to slide off if they attempt to cling to it.
Dome feeders come in hopper, tube and platform styles. They are resistant to chewing or biting damage from squirrels.
Tips for Squirrel Proof Bird Feeding
Here are some key tips to remember when trying to deter squirrels and protect bird feeders:
- Mount feeders on poles at least 5 feet off the ground.
- Use feeders with weight, size or cage barriers to food access points.
- Select seeds like safflower, nyjer and millet that squirrels dislike.
- Avoid corn, peanuts, sunflower pieces, and other squirrel favorites.
- Space multiple feeders widely apart to limit squirrel jumps between them.
- Clean up fallen seeds daily to reduce squirrel foraging under feeders.
- Use feeders with domes or “skirts” to block climbing access.
- Apply hot pepper coatings to deter chewing on poles and feeders.
- Move feeder locations regularly to discourage squirrel habits.
- Be patient, it may take squirrels a while to give up on outsmarting your deterrents.
Squirrel proof bird feeding takes persistence and a variety of deterrent strategies. Focus on limiting access, using unappealing food, and preventing damage to defeat squirrels. With the right set up, you can ensure your bird feeder supplies nutrients birds rely on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about deterring squirrels from bird feeders:
What smell will keep squirrels away?
Strong scents can deter squirrels from bird feeders. Some smells that repel squirrels include peppermint oil, garlic powder, chili powder, vinegar, predator urine, and ammonia. Re-apply smelly repellents frequently, especially after rain.
What food do squirrels hate?
Squirrels strongly dislike certain bird seeds including safflower, nyjer, and millet. Some other repellent tastes include hot peppers, vinegar, citrus, and bitter apple sprayed onto food. Avoid feeding corn, sunflower, peanuts, and other nuts.
What will keep squirrels from climbing pole?
Slippery surfaces prevent squirrels climbing up poles. Coat poles with polyurethane, PVC pipes, stovepipe, or hot pepper gel. Use poles that spin or wobble. Place collars 18 inches up poles to block climbing.
What height should bird feeders be to avoid squirrels?
Bird feeders should be positioned at least 5-6 feet off the ground to make it harder for squirrels to reach them. Feeders on tall, thin poles with predator baffles are ideal for stopping climbing and access.
How do you outsmart squirrels?
Outsmart squirrels by using specialized feeders with weight or size restrictions. Offer food they dislike and mount feeders far from trees and fences. Combine multiple deterrents like slippery poles, ill-tasting food, and dome barriers. Stop giving them rewards and squirrels will eventually give up.
Conclusion
Squirrels can be a persistent challenge when trying to feed birds. But with the right strategies, you can train squirrels to avoid your feeders and ensure adequate food remains available for birds. Using multiple deterrents is key, including unappealing food, placement, and restriction feeders. Be patient and consistent – it may take time for squirrels to learn your bird buffet is closed. But the reward will be plenty of happy birds flocking to your squirrel-free feeders.