I have up to 9 squirrels visiting my feeders each day. I don't want so many of them so I am smearing crisco laced with cayenne pepper powder on the iron pole that holds 4 feeders. I am using more squirrel proof feeders, as well as suction cup window feeders that they can't reach.

I am thinking of putting up a platform feeder in the middle of the yard to put peanuts on so the hawks/crows have an easy vantage point to pluck them from.

I was told by a trapper that squirrels fight the hardest when trapped and will sometimes break their necks before they can be released. I can't use a pellet gun where I live so I might consider this if they get too numerous.

Since they wouldn't be poisoned, they will be safe to leave on a stump for the hawks.

So you are luring them in with a buffet of goodies and then want to shoot them to get rid of them because they accepted your invitation to the banquet?

Makes sense to me.

The starlings haven't even tried my squirrel buster. The grackles, on the other hand, have TRIED several times - but if they manage to hang on at all, it is with such difficulty that they can't get a beak in. They fall off when the take a stab at it. I have no compunction about chasing them off, either. Since I am within a few feet of the feeders pretty much throughout the day (they hang just outside my room), that is working for me.

I had a bunch of starlings poking around in the newly mown grass this morning, with a huge strutting grackle all puffed up trying to chase them all off. I hate grackles - even when they are threatening starlings. LOL!

I don't have any problems with squirrels, but they can't get past the plastic discs that hang above my feeders. All my feeders hang from trees and are at least 6' off the ground.

As for the Starlings and Grackles, they were having a field day at my platform feeder and big suet feeder. I replaced the platform with an upside down suet feeder they can't access like this (though at half the price):

http://www.amazon.com/Birds-Choice-Single-Upside-Feeder/dp/B0012SCNBI/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

So far, it looks like the other birds aren't too interested in dining down under either.

I put my Nyjer feeder back in place of the bigger suet feeder, and the unpleasant birds are left with no feeders they can access.

They still hang around on the ground, but not nearly as many. I see them working for their worm and grub meals on my lawn more often now.

vince

This post was edited by farmboy1 on Mon, May 5, 14 at 23:49

I hung my wife's feeder from a large siberian elm with hanging branches like an old south live oak. there's sufficient cable to let her lower it for filling. The squirrels have to shimmy down 20 feet of slick vinyl coated steel cable (a cheap dog run cable) to get to the feeder. A few tried. The speed with which they came upon the feeder at the end of that slippery slide down has discouraged further efforts.