Debbie's Tips For Choosing the Right Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder

With so many designs, styles and options, choosing a squirrel proof bird feeder which will work best for you can be confusing. In addition to stopping squirrels, some are designed to stop undesirable birds, such as grackles, crows and blue jays. Although, personally, we like watching blue jays.

Electronic/Motorized (click for feeders) (click for more info)

Weight Activated (click for feeders) (click for more info)

Caged Design (click for feeders) (click for more info)

Baffle Design (click for feeders) (click for more info)

Electronic/Motorized

When a squirrel lands on an electronic squirrel proof feeder, he receives a harmless static sting. This surprises the squirrel and he jumps off. When a squirrel gets on a spinning squirrel proof feeder, he spins until he can no longer stay on. When he lands he has trouble standing. Squirrels are smart they quickly learn to leave these feeders alone.
(click for feeders)

back to top

Weight Activated

These feeders work by the weight of your squirrels. Some have adjustments for lighter weight squirrels, and others do not. Some work best on only gray and fox squirrels, and don't work for the little red squirrels, chipmunks, and black squirrels. Some have enough of an adjustment that they work for all squirrels. Just like the word-weight-activated-the squirrel gets on the perch, or the tray and it closes off the seed supply, or the perch collapses and the squirrel falls off.
(click for feeders)

back to top

Caged Design

These feeders work by keeping the larger squirrels out because they cannot fit through the openings to get to the seeds, or there is a grid covering the seeds that they cannot get the seeds out of.

The feeders with a cage around the tubes works by keeping out the larger fox, and gray squirrels, but does not keep out chipmunks, red squirrels, or black squirrels. These feeders also keep out larger birds, such as, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, and other same-sized birds.

The feeders with a grid covering the seeds will accommodate all-sized birds.
(click for feeders)

back to top

Baffle Design

These feeders keep the squirrels out of the feeder by baffling from the top, so when the squirrels come from above the feeder, they slide off and fall to the ground, or they are baffled from below the seed ports to keep them from getting onto the feeder itself.

The feeders that have a baffle on the top always work best hung from a tree! That is the way they were designed to be placed in yards.

The feeders that have a baffle from below work best when placed in a open area of your yard that the squirrels can't leap from a fence, deck or other structure that is within 10 feet from the feeder. You need to be able to place the feeder so your squirrels cannot leap from the tree trunk or a low-lying branch.
(click for feeders)

back to top