

Visit your local hardware store to find out what type of wire is best for the climate you live in.īecause you're using wire to create a squirrel proof bird feeder, you'll get the added bonus of being able to select any bird feeder you wish. What kind of wire should you use to hang a bird feeder? You can use whatever you wish, as long as it's durable and safe. If you can suspend bird feeders at least nine or ten feet from a pole and at least five feet above ground, you should keep squirrels away. Squirrels are too big to walk on vertically-positioned wire, so they'll have to jump up and down it instead. Still trying to wrap your brain around our previous suggestion? Well, wire is your answer. Can you really identify a good place (that's high enough and distant enough) for a bird feeder that a squirrel can't access? If not, keep reading. On power lines, on roofs, jumping from tree to tree. Think about all the places you see squirrels in your neighborhood. This rule, though, is more appealing in theory than in practice. If you can find a safe space to hang a bird feeder that checks all the boxes of the 5-7-9 rule, you may have some success keeping squirrels from reaching your bird feeder. And they will not jump down more than 9 feet from above. They will not jump more than 7 feet across. So, here's the scoop: In general, a squirrel will not jump more than 5 feet up off the ground. Unless you're dealing with a flying squirrel infestation, in which case, yikes! This tip is all about keeping bird feeders high enough (and distant enough) to keep squirrels off every feeder pole and bird feeder in your yard. Out of interest, our top selling bird feeders include:īirds (including hummingbirds) have wings. We've rounded up thirteen tried-and-true methods to prevent squirrels from eating out of your bird feeders. If you've been looking for actionable, tested tips and tricks to help keep squirrels away, you're in luck. You also may be interested who to keep sparrows out of your birdhouse. Whether squirrels broke into your bird feeders the day you installed them or months down the line, you're probably looking for a safe, ethical way to keep them at bay.


How long until your bird feeder turned into a neighborhood bistro for every squirrel in town? A day? A week? A month? When you bought your first bird feeder, you probably filled it to the brim with sunflower seeds, hung it from your favorite tree and got on with your day. (But if you did, we love that! Send us pics!) Birds that go to the ground to pick up dropped seeds are much less likely to get ambushed by cats, weasels, and other ground predators if there aren’t a lot of hiding places around.Agh! Squirrels! While these cute little creatures aren't exactly evil, you probably didn't spend hundreds of dollars on bird houses, bird feeders and bird baths to create a squirrel sanctuary. Keeping your bird feeder out in the open like this also has the benefit of keeping birds safer.

Place the pole at least 7 feet from the nearest branches, fences, and other scalable structures. To keep your feeder out of their reach, your pole needs to be tall enough to hold the feeder at least 5 feet off the ground. Keep in mind that squirrels can jump impressive distances. Squirrel climbing a pole to access bird feeder If your pole doesn’t have a built-in baffle, you can slip a slinky over it and attach one end to the top of the feeder to keep squirrels from climbing all the way up. For these, the baffle is typically welded onto the vertical section of the pole to keep squirrels from climbing up it. Many poles meant to hang bird feeders come with baffles included in their design. Mount or Hang the Feeder from a Specialized Pole
