I have a large suet feeder for the birds. I used to have it hanging from a bracket on a tree. I had to take it in at night to keep the coons from destroying it. Then the tree rats found it. And then came the chipmonks. Well it turned out that there was a large enough gap at the top, that the chipmoncks were climbing inside the cage with the seed block. So I put out an 8 ft high shepherds crook. That stopped the chipmonks, they couldn't climb up the smooth surface. But the damn squirrels were shinnying right up it and digging the seeds and nuts out of it. Well today I took care of the squirrels. I put a small hose clamp on the post, It's shaft is only about 1/4 in diameter. Then I took an old 5 gal bucket lid and drilled a 3/8th hole in it. I sawed a kerf from the outside edge to the hole so I could put it on the post. It just sets up there and is really tippy. The damn squirrel worked for 2 hours trying to figure out how to get past it. The post is so small he has to use all 4 feet to hug it to climb. He gets up to the lid reaches out to grab it and slides back down the pole. He tried that about 20 times. Then he backs off about 2 ft and tries jumping. But it is so tippy, it tips down and throws him on the ground. So then he runs over to the tree and climbs out on the limb above the feeder. His weight causes the limb to move down and puts him further away from the feeder. The limbs out at the end are so small, he can't get a foothold to jump. He finally gave up and I haven't seen him for the past hour. The birds are having a ball eating all the seeds that they want! I won the squirrel wars!!!!!
You're always a step ahead of them, CK, but I dunno... I think the racoons, chipmunks and squirrels are probably having a Summit as we speak, to come up with their next move!
When we had problems at our other home with the squirrels, I just sprayed the pole with Pam cooking oil. Of course it has to be a metal pole you do it to. It was so funny watching them keep trying to get up there, it had us laughing for quite a while. I am happy you found a way to stop them from reaching it..
I really don't mind them eating the seeds and nuts and fruit, but they keep the birds away and that's who the seed block is out there for! The squirrils just try to hog it all.
I find that most of the larger birds and squirrels go to the tray feeder and I have the bird feeders in the pergola...usually they don't even go into the pergola unless I get a new one that is checking things out. I do have squirrel proof feeders so that has helped me. . I miss all the squirrels I had at the last place...they were so well behaved for 12 of them...I just enjoy watching them and how they can climb. I was surprised when one fell from a very tall tree but it did get up and move on...it only happened once when I was looking in 9 years.
Well the counter attacked this morning! I caught one squirrel up on the plastic lid like he was riding a frisbee. I hollered at him and he fell off. He was funny with his legs all stretched out hanging on for dear life. Then I looked out about 30 minutes later and he was up on the feeder. No idea how he got up there. So now I have to think up a counter attack. More war updates later!
The war continues! I spryed the lower part of the crook and the baffle with canola oil! He has been up to the base, but hasn't tried to climb it yet. I think he can smell the oil!
He finally tried to climb the pole. He is now busy playing fireman and has forgotten about the seeds! Hehehehe.
More head games with the goofy squirrel. I went out this morning early and removed the baffle. But I spryed the whole pole with cooking oil. So he comes up and is looking at it, thinking, something has changed. So he gets some of the seeds off of the ground and then gives a massive leap up the pole. He must have reached close to 5 feet. But what he didn't know was that I spryed it up to 7 feet. He comes sliding down and whacks his butt on the ground! He must have heard me laughing, because he turned around and looked at me in the window. He sat on the ground and stared at the feeder, before taking off with a disgruntled look on his face. It's been an hour now since he left and he hasn't come back. I think he is off sulking and trying to figure out how to get the oil off of the front of him?
