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What is a Squirrel Feeder?
Squirrels have developed a bad reputation for stealing food from bird feeders. For the squirrels, it must be tempting to have seeds sitting in an feeder that is completely accessible to them. You can deter the squirrels away from your bird feeder by positioning a squirrel feeder in your yard. There are many different styles to choose from.
The basic squirrel feeder closely resembles a bird feeder. It is constructed from wood, with a perch for the squirrels to rest on when they eat. The front and sides of the feeder are trimmed out in copper, preventing the squirrels from eating the feeder as well. This feeder has a hinged lid, allowing you to add corn and seeds as necessary.
The squirrel diner is a tree-mounted feeder, made from powder coated steel. This material makes it chew and rust resistant, so it will last a lifetime. This squirrel feeder is compact in size and can accommodate peanuts, seeds and kernels of corn. It can also be mounted to a porch or wooden post.
Bungee squirrel feeders are exactly what the name implies. They have a bungee section that rebounds up and down as the squirrels climb on it to eat the food. This type of squirrel feeder is specifically designed to attach ears of corn, which are fastened to it with eye screws. It can attach to a hook or tree branch using a chain and tie fixture.
Recycled squirrel feeders are becoming more and more popular. They are usually made from recycled milk jugs and plastic which will never fade or crack. This type of squirrel feeder is birdproof, as the squirrels have to lift the cover to eat. It can be mounted to a tree, patio or wooden post.
A very simple squirrel feeder can be made by nailing together two pieces of wood so that it forms a "T" shape. Hammer a large nail through one side of the wood to attach an ear of corn. Nail the other side to a tree or wooden post so the corn cob stands upright. The squirrel can now perch on the wood and chew on the corn cob.
Crafty people can also build squirrel feeders with ready made kits. These can be purchased at craft and home improvement stores, as well as online. Woodworkersworkshop.com has do it yourself squirrel feeder plans and kits available for purchase. All that is required is a little wood working knowledge and a strong desire to care for the squirrels in your yard.
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![A squirrel.]()
By: Eric IsseléeA squirrel. -
![Feeders can be used to provide squirrels with corn on the cob.]()
By: atossFeeders can be used to provide squirrels with corn on the cob.
Discussion Comments
@andee-- I sympathize with the frustration your mom has when it comes to the squirrels in her yard. There are several websites online that will tell you how to squirrel proof a bird feeder, but I have never found one that really works. If anyone has a solution for this, I would love to hear about it.
I have one big tree outside my home office window and like to watch the wildlife that comes to visit that tree. I really enjoy watching the squirrel antics. I didn't spend any money on a special feeder but made my own squirrel corn feeder.
This is very similar to what the article described as far as nailing some boards to a tree and attaching an ear of corn. If you have squirrels around, this will certainly attract them. I found it best to put up more than one so they weren't fighting over it all the time.
My mom gets very frustrated with the squirrels at her place. Not only do they eat the bird seed, but they are also quite destructive. They are pretty clever though, and it is hard to find a way to feed the birds without feeding the squirrels too.
She tried a special squirrel proof bird feeder pole, but they eventually figured that out and were able to somehow get to the food. She would like to get rid of all the squirrels in her yard instead of putting up a feeder to attract more of them.
The squirrels seem to multiply no matter what she does. It might help if they cut down some of their trees, but that would be a shame to do that just to get rid of some squirrels.
I live in a place that is surrounded by trees and I enjoy watching the squirrels run and play about. I have never put up a specific feeder for them because I have some walnut trees in my yard that keep them very busy.
It is especially fun to watch them in the fall when they are busy burying nuts for winter. I know that many people enjoy feeding the squirrels, but I am glad that nature takes care of it for me and feel like I have the best of both worlds.
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