Squirrel Feeders

When you can't stand them stealing birdseed anymore

We've all seen it - furry little squirrels performing amazing acrobatics to get at the tasty birdseed in your feeder. Often, they succeed in getting what they want, but end up damaging or dumping your feeder and scaring away the birds. If you're getting tired of these constant antics, there's a way to stop it - get the squirrels their own feeder. Squirrels are extremely territorial animals, and it's been shown that when they have a feeder of their own, they will guard it against other animals and not bother with any other food sources in the vicinity.

Squirrel feeders look very much like hopper bird feeders, but instead of a chalet-like seed silo on a platform, the squirrel feeder is mounted on a tree and has a small platform leading up to the square feeder. The box has a Plexiglas front so that the squirrels can see where the food is. Often, these feeders have a hinged top that squirrels learn to open to get at the delicious nuts and corn that you've provided for them. It can be a fun family activity to watch the squirrels trying to open the feeder by trial and error.

Squirrel Food

What should you feed squirrels? Like many rodents, squirrels have teeth that never stop growing, so they are constantly trying to grind them down to a comfortable level. This means that they will eat a lot of hard-shelled nuts and seeds like peanuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts and black striped sunflower seeds. They also enjoy eating dried field corn. Don't shell any nuts or seeds for the squirrels; part of the fun is watching them trying to get the tasty treat out of the shell.

Squirrels sometimes suffer from calcium deficiencies, especially when they are being fed solely with peanuts. Providing a bone for them, such as a steak bone or bit of antler, will keep their calcium levels up.

Squirrel Feeder Risks

Although squirrels are often considered a risk to bird feeders, sometimes the situation can be reversed. Bigger birds like jays and grackles will try to get at the squirrels' food and this can cause a lot of strife in your yard. Luckily, squirrels will do a good job of defending their feeders themselves. More rarely, you might see some of their natural predators, like hawks, swooping down for a quick snack. There's not really a lot you can do about this, but you can try tacking some mesh over the feeder, leaving it open on the bottom, so that the squirrels can get to it, but the hawks can't get to them.

Other squirrel-feeding risks include overpopulation in one area, road deaths and damage to your home and garden. When you feed squirrels, make sure you post their feeder a good distance away from your home and any sheds, and if you find that squirrels are damaging your property, arrange to have them live-trapped and taken to a new area.