Photos of Bear Raiding Bird Feeder

We do our best to make our Squirrel Proof Vista Feeder, Absolutely Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder and Squirrel Buster Feeder let birds in and keep everything else out, but there are limits. I admit it: We don’t sell bear-proof wild bird feeders (though they do exist). Then again, if you’re still more worried about squirrels stealing your wild bird seed you can do a couple of things to make it harder for them to break in to your feeder.

Squirrels are very agile animals. They can jump 7 to 10 feet horizontally or 5 feet vertically, and are comfortable dropping up to 10 feet, too. Keep your feeder away from tree branches, rooftops and other surfaces where a squirrel can get secure footing and "launch." If you have a choice, the best option is to force them to drop horizontally if they want to try to get into a feeder. Many bird feeders are hard for a squirrel to safely land on because they have sloped roofs or in the case of tube feeders, have a small horizontal landing area. A hanging feeder also sways under heavier animals, making it more of a challenge. Squirrels that slip and fall won’t get your wild bird seed and it doesn’t really hurt them either. Keeping your feeder 7 feet or more away from squirrel launch points to make them drop down will help quite a bit.

Squirrels have stronger jaws than you think. If you hang a feeder with regular cord, there’s a good chance squirrels will chew right through it. This gives them an opportunity to knock the feeder to the ground, where they can pry it open at their leisure. Try metal cable, a wire handle, or a metal post. If you must use weaker material, consider slick synthetic fibers that are harder for a squirrel to climb. They can’t use their full strength unless they’ve got sure footing.

Using these steps along with a feeder that has squirrel proofing features can really help save your seed for the wild birds you want to see. They can’t do much about bears, though . . .

Tags: squirrel-proof bird feeders, wild bird feed, wild bird feeder, wild bird food, wild bird seed, wild bird supplies

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 5:03 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.