Although cute, squirrels can be really irritating sometime, especially if they have found a way to get to your bird habitat. Squirrels generally like to feed on seeds and fruits and everyone knows how tough it can be to deter squirrels from gorging up a tasty stock of seeds from your bird feeder.
While calling animal control services is a great way to get ride from them permanently, however, you can adopt various non-lethal ways to avoid them at the first place. Some of these measures are:
- Choose The Right Bird Feeder – When it comes to bird feeders, the market is stuffed with various products that are designed for thwarting-off these furry bandits. Squirrel proof bird feeders can be weight-activated, can have spin or flip features while some might have a metal grid around the seed source to make squirrels run away in frustration.
- Pick a Good Location – Squirrels have always been quite acrobatic. Their jumping skills allow them to jump at distances which could be up to 10-feet or more. Hence, try to place your bird feeder away from trees, porches, low branches and fences. The best solution to this problem is to mount your bird feeder on top of a birdhouse or six feet off from the ground.
- Place a Squirrel Baffle – By adding a piece of plastic or metal of a smooth surface, a squirrel baffle can be created either above or below the bird feeder. This will prevent squirrels or large birds from getting access to the seeds you have stored for your birds. Squirrel baffles must always be around 15-inches in width so that squirrels can’t feed on those seeds.
- Add a Wire Cage – While some bird feeders already come with a metal cage, some don’t. So in order to protect the seed source that you have stacked for your dear birds, you might have to add a wire cage to your bird feeder. Wire cage or a mesh can be easily placed on the entry point of the bird feeder. The opening in this cage should be small enough for squirrels.
- Try Different Seeds – Choice of seeds also play a big role. Squirrels can generally feed on any type of seed; however, they rarely snack on Nyjer or safflower seeds. Also, like us humans, squirrels too, are sensitive to spice. So, to discourage them from your stock of bird seeds, sprinkle cayenne pepper or red pepper to your birdseed mixture to make them run away.
By following these useful tips you can definitely succeed to shoo away squirrels that always keep lurking around your bird feeder. However, if you still spot one or two in your lawn that are eying your stock of birdseeds, don’t get frustrated. Try giving them their own food supply like fruits, nuts or even corn away from your bird feeders. This way both species can co-exist without competing for a stock of seeds.
In case you are suffering from a humongous problem of squirrel infestation, it’s better to call for animal control services. We, at Hamilton Wildlife, have been ranked amongst the leading animal and pest control service provider. Call us today to get humane solutions to your problem.
