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Wildlife Garden

squirrel proofing suet feeders

18 years ago

Anyone know a home remedy for keeping squirrels from hanging off my suet feeders?

Too often I look out and a squirrel is wrapped around the suet holder, much to the dismay of the woodpeckers who, with a bewildered look on their face (if that's possible) just scurry on up the tree. I like the squirrels and actually feed them peanuts off a platform (which gets raided by the blue jays...great to watch). However, as soon as the last peanut is gone they are all over the suet again.

Has anyone ever tried buying one of the bigger suet cages and placing the smaller cage, complete with suet, inside it?

And please don't tell me to use baffles (I hate them) or suspend the suet in midair somewhere. I put it out mainly for the woodpeckers and so I hang it from the trunks of my maple trees.

Please help, I'm going squirrelly ;) (hi-ooo)

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Comments (6)

njtea
18 years ago
Is it correct to assume that you buy suet cakes with nuts/seeds/fruit?

If so, you might buy the plain rendered suet cakes or even better buy "real" suet from a butcher or grocery store. The squirrels aren't interested in there are no "goodies" embeded in the suet.
cuat420
Original Author
18 years ago
I refuse to let the squirrels win...yet.
If I were a woodpecker I think I would like my suet to have nuts and berries in it, so that's what I have out there.
If the squirrels prove to be smarter than I am (actually smarter than all of you, since they've already beat me), then I will go with the plain old boring suet.
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We have been using baffles with excellent luck. We only see squirrels on the ground, never on the feeders. We use the tubular baffles on a shepard's hook. There are four feeders hung from one hook and multiple other shepard's hooks placed around the yard with the same baffles, and no squirrels draining the feed. Much less expensive than a single feeder. Martha
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feed the birds, not squirrels
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Comments (16)
Well, with the help of the snow, my pricey suet holder has been accepted by the birds. I just took the plunge and ordered a second one - of, course without consulting my wife. Next purchase may be to purchase a second seed feeder for the front of the house. I am looking forward to hopefully the return of my Barred Owl family... they've raised young for most of the last five years. I still have not found/seen their nest in the woods behind my home. There is a creek and a park to provide some ambiance for them. lol Last year my wife and I were out of town (INDY or CT visiting granddaughters) when a young barred owl was found in the road on my street. With the help of a rehabilitator and other neighbors they located the nest and got a tree climber to successfully return the young guy to its nest. I read about it in the paper and really don't know who the neighbors were nor where the nest is/was. I'm just a beginner in the birdwatching arena, but have developed a dislike for three crows/ravens named CURLY, LARRY, and MOE and also two (fat) squirrels named BAD and UGLY. I would not cause them any harm, but I don't want to feed them. ;-) Here is a link that might be useful: Again
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Comments (3)
Well I never had a platform feeder-but I have a mesh seed catcher under my safflower feeder that the doves sit in and eat what has fallen. I have a grackle and squirrel proof suet feeder as they can't fit between the metal squares. Just an FYI-I have to chase the grackles and starlings from Safflower seed feeders as well as squirrels-so the seed is a good choice but will not deter all the pests. I keep them away by throwing mixed seed on the ground, it keeps them away from the feeders and the doves love it. That Fly thru is very nice and being on a pole will keep the squirrels away, can't guarantee the starlings & grackles will stay away.
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I ended up removing the suet feeder today as the sparrows figured out how to get enough of a foothold to eat from it. I guess upside down feeders just don't work here either. Its rather frustrating to look out into your yard to see all your nice feeders completely covered in house sparrows. So much so that I've almost quit feeding birds altogether a few times. I really do wish the neighbors would just quit feeding and putting out nestboxes for them. Woodpecker-feeders.com has one that they swear is starling resistant. Ive emailed the site owner and inquired if it is sparrow resistant as well, and I'm curious to hear what he says.
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cuat420
Original Author
18 years ago
I just read some information on cayenne pepper and how it can be used to ward of squirrels by mixing it with bird seed.
Has anyone ever tried and had success with this?
I'm thinking of sprinkling it on the suet to see what happens.
Stay tuned...
keilamarie
18 years ago
Hello,

My hubby and I built this one out of scrap materials and for whatever the reason, squirrels can't feed off of it. I have seen them try but I think it's hard for them to hold on and eat. It has no place for them to hold on with feet and use hands.

I had an old crab cage and fixed it to the front, the feeder holds 4 cakes. The woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatchers love it but I have had it up for two months now and have only seen two squirrels on it for a total of one min. I like to feed the squirrels too so I have plenty in my yard. We attached it to a broken tree because they were pecking there anyway!

Hope this helps,

Keilamarie
{{gwi:1344671}}
{{gwi:1344672}}
cuat420
Original Author
18 years ago
Keilamarie,

Now that's a suet feeder!!
Short of building one myself (it's not patent pending is it? :), you did give me a good idea.
I think you're right about the back feet. I was watching one of the little bastards on the suet this morning (I forgot to put out peanuts) and he was clinging on with his back feet and holding the suet basket with both front paws while he chewed away at the corners of the suet. Seeing your contraption made me realize that if I cover the sides of the suet basket with something (strips of wood perhaps), they won't be able to get a mouthful since it appears that they actually chew around the corner bars.
I actually have a suet basket hanging from the trunk of my maple in the front yard just outside one of the upper windows. After scaring the squirrel away, I went and threw some cayenne pepper on the suet cake. My neighbours can't see the basket since it's on the house side of the tree, so I'm sure if anyone saw me it will be dinner table discussion tonight.

"Honey, the new neighbour was sprinkling red powder on the tree again!!?? And he was talking to himself...he looked mad."
keilamarie
18 years ago
Ha ha ha....that would be a site to see, make sure you stand down wind! I tried that but got tired of running out there to sprinkle it on. The squirrels here are depressed because except for the vine table (you can see it behind the wide shot in the background on previous post) where I put food out for them, everthing else we've made is squirrel proof. I've posted this before somewhere on another thread but here is the feeder we made, not a squirrel on it ever! :) All we bought was the plexiglass!
{{gwi:1344675}}
I love making things for my feathered friends...made a shelter for them too....I'm such a nut for them can't stand to see them crowd the feeder in the rain for shelter, ran downstairs and built this. I even has two rows of perches for a flock to roost together. What a softy I am! :)
{{gwi:1344679}}

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