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Wildlife Garden

Something (maybe squirrels) chewing on feeders

17 years ago

Last year, I put up a plastic bird feeder at my river cottage, which the squirrels subsequently found. I try to fill it every weekend I'm up there. To try and keep them away, I put up a cedar squirrel feeder with the flip up lid.

Last summer, I noted some chew marks on the side of the cedar feeder. Within the last two weeks, something has basically chewed or gnawed the side right off of it. In addition, I noticed some chew marks on the top and bird perch arms on the bird feeder. The arms aren't anywhere near the seed. I thought maybe porcupine, but I think it would have done more damage.

Any idea what it might be or how I might keep the chewing from stopping?

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Comments (4)

bogturtle
17 years ago
Porcupines will go after tool handles because of the salt in the sweat that is left on the wood. It is more likely that the damage to the feeder is squirrels. My, homemade, native cedar feeders were always damaged, and holes have been eaten and edges gnawed on 5 gallon plastic buckets in which I have attempted to store seed. Even the lids of the trash cans. My house, being cedar, is, occasionally attacked, and the barn, similarly covered, has been invaded. They enlarge the holes in the birdhouses I build and I have, actually, put hardware cloth around the holes and edged the houses with aluminum channel. I designed a clever feeder on a suction cup out of a clear soda bottle and attached it to the window. The birds loved it and the squirrels could not quite reach it, centered in the glass. In frustration, they gnawed, and totally defaced the wooden window frames outside. My only bird feeder is a metal one on a copper pipe that closes with the weight of a squirrel on the feeding bar. It has worked well for the past 4 years.
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chapru
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks bogturtle. I wonder if a mixture of tabasco and water painted on the cedar would keep them away from the wood. Has anybody ever tried it?
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knottyceltic
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Barb
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goldenpond
17 years ago
Rats here in Florida do that!They wait until evening and begin there work.
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