Squirrels. Love ‘em or hate ‘em?

[Geoff_S]

We thought we would put up a peanut feeder for the birds.

We thought it would be squirrel proof.

It seems the squirrels had different ideas!

 

[Lazurus]

Clever little things....

 

[deema]

Rather nice roasted.

 

[Lons]

Grey squirrels presumably. Just rats with furry tails, the native reds are much nicer than their big brash American cousins.

 

[MARK.B.]

Grey squirrels = Shoot on sight , very tasty to eat but remember to remove the the scent glands or they taste like

 

[dickm]

We are staying lucky so far up here in Aberdeenshire, as the greys that some misguided pillock introduced in 1972 didn't carry the squirrel pox virus that kills reds, so we still have a decent population of reds. Aided, admittedly, by the Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels project, which undertakes control of the greys. And we now have a new ally, as pine martens have increased in numbers and the greys don't realise to keep out of their way, so they are doing an excellent control job as well as being very cute creatures. We have one regular marten visitor who timeshares the peanuts with "our" reds, and is occasionally joined by another one.

 

[Inspector]

No trees on my place so no squirrel problems. Got lots of gophers to mess up the yard instead. Can't shoot them because I'm too close to the highway. Different pests for different folks.

Pete

 

[clogs]

No squirells or goffer's but loads of chicken killing Pine Martins and sheep ankle breaking moles...
Inspector....
Do u have those critters in Canada....if so prob French speaking....hahaha....

 

[Inspector]

West Coast and a different variety in Eastern Canada. With Google Translate on the phone it wouldn't matter what they speak.

Pete

 

[gwaithcoed]

As you can see many have tried, non have succeeded, and some have died from lead poisoning while trying.

Alan.

 

[murphy]

Get some Irish spring soap and rub some around the feeder, or put the grated soap in netting (old tights) and hang it under the feeder to keep it dry
that will keep the squirrels away
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0014CTST2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[ian33a]

We had the odd squirrel at our old house.

In our new place, in the middle of the country, three of them, fighting for themselves, can devour the contents of the bird feeder in no time. Great fun to watch but expensive in the long run. I have some mini slinky coils arriving today. Perhaps they will work. If they don't, it will be entertaining while we watch them figure out how to defeat them.... about three minutes of entertainment most probably.

 

[MikeJhn]

I lined the outside of our Bird box to prevent the Woodpecker taking the baby chicks, think it would work for a feeder and prevent Squirrels getting to the food, easiest source of suitable metal is metal soakers for roof tile to wall abutments.

 

[sawdust1]

Hate with a vengeance, all day long they are after the birds peanuts, have 2 feeders, just brought a new
20kg sack of nuts, £40 ! Don't mind feeding the birds but not some rat with a furry tail.
Also the damage they do to my trees, i plant around 30 trees every year in my woodland and to watch
a nice Beech or Oak reach 6ft only to be killed by some pesky bark stripping rodent really pee's me off !
Lets not get onto Rabbits, Deer and plagues of slugs ! Out in the sticks its a battle zone if you are trying
to grow anything.

 

[clogs]

sawdust
aren't there Red Squrills down ur way.....?
If so, there's a group that freely come n kills the greys....

rabbit's n deer make good eating....even eaten those have gone under my wheels...
my daughter won't eat rabbit anymore....she just mutters road kill.....hahaha...

 

[RobinBHM]

No trees on my place so no squirrel problems. Got lots of gophers to mess up the yard instead. Can't shoot them because I'm too close to the highway. Different pests for different folks.

Pete

Never heard of a gopher, just had a Google….they look like a cross between a rat, a squirrel and a meerkat.

 

[RobinBHM]

Hate with a vengeance, all day long they are after the birds peanuts, have 2 feeders, just brought a new
20kg sack of nuts, £40 ! Don't mind feeding the birds but not some rat with a furry tail.
Also the damage they do to my trees, i plant around 30 trees every year in my woodland and to watch
a nice Beech or Oak reach 6ft only to be killed by some pesky bark stripping rodent really pee's me off !
Lets not get onto Rabbits, Deer and plagues of slugs ! Out in the sticks its a battle zone if you are trying
to grow anything.

In recent years we are overrun by slugs, in the night time our patio is covered in them

 

[johnny]

here is a cheap 100% effective squirrel feeder I made in January .None of our local squirrels have cracked it and the Woodpeckers and other birds can eat in peace . The video of the MK1 'failed' squirrel-proof feeder should play a mission impossible theme tune but may not if ebay do not allow it in which case you'll have to imagine it playing
The trick is to fit the clear plastic bowl to the wire hanger loosely so that it swivels in all directions and keep a ggod distance to surrounding twigs and branches

 

[Stevekane]

Just last week I was told by a conservation chap that there are definite sightings of Pine Martins in the New Forest, their not sure if its a deliberate reintroduction/rewilding or how they got there, but he also said about the grey squirels not being genetically tuned into how dangerous they were and that as a consequence grey squiril is their favourite meal,

 

[Craig22]

I fitted one of these to deter the tree rat Squirrel Proof | Bird Table Squirrel Baffle - RSPB Shop . 100% effective. It is loose and rocks, so there is nothing for the squirrel to get their claws into.

The RSPB also do a version for a steel pole.

Now I only need a foolproof deterrent for jackdaws!