Those squirrels! - Keeping squirrels out of your birdfeeders

I don't know if you all have trouble like I do keeping the squirrels out of your birdfeeders? Well I think I finally found a cure...oh yes, me and the squirrels have been fighting for months now!! Don't get me wrong, I like them and I feed them corn but for some reason they insist on getting into my bird feeders....Grrrr! Anyways after many experiences, here is what works: my feeders are both on sheppard hooks and the squirrels would climb right up them and empty them out now what I do is every other day when I go out to fill the feeders I put a good coat of vaseline on both poles and the rascals can't climb up them! Actually it is pretty entertaining also watching them climb a hundered miles an hour and getting nowhere! lol I love to watch the squirrels, we currently have about 9 of them and I feed them all the things they like but they need to let the birds eat too!

 

Ground Cayenne pepper. Dump it right in with the seed. Birds can't taste it (or don't mind it), but squirrels don't like it at all. They even make suet cakes now with cayenne right in the suet. Squirrel takes one bite and goes running for the birdbath. This is how they look after some pepper:

 

Well I actually tried several methods to keep them out of my birdfeeders...they used to climb up a cement block close by and jump over the hummingbird feeder then to the bird feeders...moved the sheppards hook over, they still jumped over! Bought a different hummingbird feeder (one they couldn't land on) then the critters started climbing up my rose of sharon bush and dropping down into my hanging basket and proceeded to clean the feeders out! I'm telling ya, this has been a 2 month battle!
Hank>> Your picture is hilarious!! I love it! I tried the pepper trick also but I used crushed Red Pepper instead of Cayenne Pepper, you suppose that is the reason why it never phased these critters?

 

Other Uses for Peppers
Other than culinary and medicinal, chile peppers have some uses that are quite interesting. For example, capsaicin is being added to paint for the bottoms of ships to keep them clear of barnacles. Some home uses for chile powder include putting some cayenne in with the bird seed to keep out the squirrels. Birds have an incredible tolerance for pepper heat and the vitamin A improves their plumage. Cayenne powder is a handy remedy for pests such as ants. Just line the door jam to keep them out. A good, strong extract brushed on cables and wires will keep rodents from chewing on them. The uses go on and on.

Source: http://www.tearsofjoysauces.com/store/catalog/pepper_facts.html

 

We had a parrot that loved hot peppers. We called him Taco. Birds have very little sense of taste, so that the parrot loved the peppers because he could taste them a little bit. Most parrot seed mixes contain hot peppers. Hot peppers were the only thing he would take directly from our hands. Dooley

 

We recently put a bird feeder out to attract small birds. But we get Grackles that will fly in and grab the shepards pole, then jump and hang just long enuf to get some seed and/or knock it out onto the ground. Think the Valseline trick will work this little problem?

 

I bet it would! They wouldn't be able to shake it because they would slip all over. Try it out, it's a really cheap fix if it works. Let me know how it goes!