"Squirrel proof" birdfeeder my ass.

[flvegan]

Obviously, the furry rodents are smarter than the guy that designed the one I have. It's not like it's just one giant-brained Einstein squirrel, oh no. They've ALL figured it out. Plus, there's one or two that climb onto it, and shovel the birdseed out of it and onto the ground so the others can all eat at once. Bloody teamwork!

I guess I'm kind of glad they figured it out. They're cute. And merry.

[LeftyMom]

1. Hide your car keys.

One minute they're getting into the squirrel-proof (ha!) feeder. Next thing you know, the fuzzy little bastards will steal your car, your woman* and god knows what else.

*No offense hon, but squirrels are way cuter than you, even.

[flvegan]

4. They touch my car and there will be problems.

[LeftyMom]

6. Good to know you've got your priorities straight.

:eyes:

[LostinVA]

2. Oddly enough -- our feeders don't get bothered by squirrels

One is a $3 plastic feeder only about 3' off the ground, and the other is a suet feeder hanging off our back porch.

[Deep13]

3. They figured out how to unscrew mind from its support.

They slide down the wire to the feeder. Then they rotate the feeder until the lid unscrews and it falls.

[Dangerously Amused]

5. Try greasing the pole. Or is it hanging?

[flvegan]

7. I can't do that.

I've noticed that they seem to now have a number of squirrel-ets to feed.

Plus, I love that these silly little critters are openly mocking some person's design of something they shouldn't be able to trump.

Birdseed for everybody!

[Dangerously Amused]

12. I just put "feeders" up.

Sometimes we get birdies, sometimes we get squirrelies. The kittes an' me are happy either way. :)






This corn thing I got is kind of fun, too. This is when I first got it, it is hanging lower to the ground to let the squirrels know it is there. Now it's hanging up higher; there's a spring at the top and now when they jump up and hang on, they bounce around while they nibble on the corn. :7

[Inchworm]

14. darn

I thought the hanging corn was original.

I did something similar with corn hanging from 2 ends of a bar. There is a video of one using it in this thread. It is so funny to watch when there are 2-3 squirrels that I cant get video for laughing :D

:hi:

[Dangerously Amused]

20. Oh, that vid is cute!

I bet it is funny to watch two or three of them trying to get the different ears of corn at the same time. Maybe you can set the camera up on a tripod to catch a vid of it, that would be great!

I WAS going to try to make the hanging corn spring thing myself, but when I went to the store to get the parts I needed I found the one I got on sale for what I would have paid in parts anyway. Plus the one I bought has a cover over the spring, so it doesn't pinch or injure little squirrel toes if they try to attack it from above. I hadn't even considered that and thought it was a nice touch. Anyway, the only thing I did was to add a big jungle bell to the spring part, so that it makes noise when the squirrels arrive to let the kitties know to come and watch.

:hi:

[flvegan]

17. Where'd you get that corn spring thing?

Course, if I hung it too high, I'd wind up with a pitbull hanging from it.

[Dangerously Amused]

23. I think I got it at Steins Gardens & Gifts.

But you can order it online:

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTProduct.asp?SKU=BEL-SQUN-2&src=froogle&kw=BEL-SQUN-2

[Blue Diadem]

13. ohh squirrel-ets are so cute!

It's amazing how agile and hilarious squirrels are..and smart.

One had a family in a neighbor's tree a few years ago and we spent that summer watching them grow-up and play.

[LynneSin]

16. Well there's a solution to that - because Greasing RAWKS!

Put up a corn feeder just for the squirrels so they get their own food. But they'll still try to get into the bird feeder and that greased pole will entertain you for hours

[Gormy Cuss]

27. Yep. Addresses both issues.

The bird store near me even sells special logs of ground corn/nuts/other stuff the squirrels like and each one last for weeks --it's the size of an ear of corn but solid and they gnaw on it.

http://www.petsolutions.com/Squirrel+Log+Feeder+w+Hanger-I-71813525-I-C-40001668-C-.aspx

The logs cut down on the volunteer corn plants in my yard too -- blue jays are adept at removing kernels from cobs and burying them for later consumption.

Squirrels are fun to watch.

[blockhead]

51. wrong place

[Inchworm]

8. The squirrel war is a constant

Adapt and overcome.

Constant change keeps them guessing.

This is a video of a squirrel keeping busy on his corn.
http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x238/Inch_worm/?action=view¤t=squirrel-1.flv

I finally gave up the battle and got a few squirrel feeders and they sort of stopped.

Good luck.

:hi:

[mainegreen]

9. :snicker:

The subject line is funny if you read it the wrong way.

[Shine]

10. Those fuckers are smart!

Have you seen this little gem yet? Check it out, you'll be amused. :D :hi:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWU0bfo-bSY

[I Have A Dream]

11. That rocks!

Love the candy bar! :rofl:

[Shine]

19. Pretty funny, huh?

yeah, the candy bar scene was hilarious! :rofl:

[Dangerously Amused]

25. Aw, that vid is very fun!

The candy bar theft reminds me of that seagull who kept stealing bags of Doritos from the display. :7

[Shine]

26. I've seen that video, too.

that squirrel and seagull are probably long-distant cousins. :D

[Dangerously Amused]

31. Yup, and no doubt related to the money thievin' starlings:

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/carwash.asp

[Shine]

46. Wow, that's amazing!

$4000 bucks in quarters?!?! :wow:

[LynneSin]

15. Grease the pole

and then sit back and enjoy hours of entertainment watching squirrels slide back down the pole

[fudge stripe cookays]

18. Didja get a Yankee Flipper?

Those are AWESOME! Watch the full length video with sound effects if you can find it; we spent an afternoon at a gardening/outdoor store in Mineola, Texas one afternoon laughing our asses off at it.

http://www.yankeeflipper.com/droll/index.cfm#

[BreweryYardRat]

21. Be grateful you're feeding them.

Otherwise...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4489792.stm

[underpants]

22. There is no such thing as "squirrel proof" so you might as well enjoy them

my stepfather rigged up a acorn with some tess line and a rod-and-reel, he used to squirrel fish from the living room. Fuckers would plant their feet on the backdeck and snap the line.

There is no such thing as "squirrel proof"

[electron_blue]

24. Yeah, I have a picture of a squirrel-proof feeder that has a squirrel sitting inside of it.

Granted, it's one of the smaller red squirrels, but crap!

[leftofthedial]

28. the only way to squirrel proof anything in your yard

is with a shotgun

[Orsino]

29. They shouldn't market squirrel feeders as bird feeders. n/t

[sazemisery]

30. I swear the squirrel gang at my house wears black leather jackets

I finally gave up and just put out more sunflower seeds. It does help to mix safflower seeds with your bird feed. Squirrels hate it and tend to try every feeder to see if there is none in them.

[GCP]

32. Youtube proves there is no squirrel-proof anything

Including a candy machine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWU0bfo-bSY

[TZ]

33. ah tree rats

Cute but exceeding smart and destructive..CHEWED their way into my mothers house and her effing Sheltie RAN AWAY from a baby squirrel that was inside a room...:eyes:

[hermetic]

34. Ah, yes

Destructive little buggers. Perhaps we should all go over to the Cooking Forum, and discuss recipes for squirrel stew. Series. Could come in handy and they seem to be abundant. OK, who wants to go first?

[TZ]

37. Totatlly series for a minute

I used to have a freeper/fundie friend who insisted squirrel pot pie was da bomb...:crazy:

[blindpig]

35. shoot 'em & eat 'em

They make great toys for dogs too.

However, if that's not your cup of tea get on down to Walmart, they got a feeder that actually works, all metal with a weight sensitive sill, 'bout $40 bucks. Beats the hell out of various more expensive types, including the electroshock model, which those furry bastards scoffed at. After losing near $200 worth of feeders, they don't just rob 'em they destroy 'em, Walmart is my hero.

[Deep13]

38. The red squirrels balance on the pivots for the weight-sensitive sill.

The fox squirrels are too heavy for that. Next step is to see if they can raid my feeders in a hail of .22 bullets.

[Dangerously Amused]

42. Yeah flvegan. Just shoot 'em and eat 'em! Du-uuh!

Or else go to Walmart.

:rofl:

[tigereye]

36. I'm guessing you wouldn't want the one that sends em spinning away...

it looks effective, but might hurt em, I think.

[MrCoffee]

39. Nice post, Richard Gere.

[Crazy4sea]

40. "Squirrel proof" solution

After numerous attempts in having squirrel free bird feeders and lots of $$ spent on products geared to stop them from getting into the feeders, which of course only delayed in the inevitable, I solved my problem. All my feeders are on poles around the poles I have stove pipe (6 x 48in). Cost is ~$8 from Hardware store. The diameter of the pipe prevents the squirrels from being able to climb it. And the height stops them from being able to jump to the pole the feeder is attached to. The only way they can get to the top where the feeder is would be to launch off trees or fences so I positioned the feeders at a distance where they can't make the jump. I've been using this system for 4yrs and no longer have squirrels in my feeders. :applause:

I still put corn out for them and they get the feed from under the feeders as well. After all I do need to entertain the animals from time to time.

Hope this helps.

[Ahpook]

41. Just don't put out a neighborhood watch on their heads.....

like a redneck (not saying you are) neighbor of mine did. He sits on his deck shooting all of them he can see. It's insane!

One chewed a AC wire in his yard or something and the fool has been playing John Wayne with his Red Ryder ever since. I have been bitching, especially since i heard a pellet fly by me from a ricochet. Now he hides just inside his sliding door and sticks the barrel out from there.

I heard his son saying " Haell, daddy... i'll geat my gol damn ryyfle and do dis sheite ryte"

/rant off :)

[DarkTirade]

43. I never really got what the big deal was about feeding birds and not squirrels.

They're both just as likely to try and make a nest somewhere in your attic, and the squirrels aren't as noisy and annoying. :P And once they learn to trust you, they can be pretty nice. I befriended one on my old college campus a few years back. She'd come right up to me and eat from my hand. The one time I was eating and I didn't have fries or anything squirrel-edible to give away, she came up to me and started tugging on my pants leg. Just looking up at me and tugging on my pants, giving me this, "Hey, aren't you gonna feed me?" look.

[Fire Walk With Me]

44. I'm fairly certain that nothing is squirrel-proof.

:)

[Redstone]

45. Yeah, we don't sweat the squirrels getting to the birdseed anymore. It would be a

losing battle if we chose to fight it anyway.

Redstone

[Drum]

49. And they get all like this, too:

:)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

47. I have a thing that was designed as a bird feeder but it's become a squirrel feeder.

That's OK. It's Kitty TV.

[ashling]

48. Did you fall fro that old "squirell proof bird feeder" scam

That's somewhere up there with perpetual motion. There is no such item.
:rofl:

[EstimatedProphet]

50. There is no such thing

There's only squirrel-resistant