How to keep Squirrels off your bird food

[Dave Brown]

Amazing, but True

Snapped this pic at Kew as they had a Chilli exhibition in the Water Lily House (around the edge)

[Adam D]

They'll certainly feel it if they get it in their eyes though and could potentially damage their eyes when they try and scratch them to relieve the pain.

I had not realised this until I spent some time researching squirrel proof feeders recently.

I have put my bird feeder back up this year and thankfully the grey rats have not returned, but the damn wood pigeons have and they poop everywhere!

[Kristen]

Dunno how they get up my bird feeder's skinny pole ... but when they cantilever themselves across to the feeder they are concentrating on balance and feed so much that they don't realise what a target they present ...

[kata]

Anything at Kew for cats Dave,

Woke to soil from every border kicked all over the paths yesterday morning.

[GaryW]

Anything at Kew for cats Dave,

Woke to soil from every border kicked all over the paths yesterday morning.

I doubt that's cats. Blackbirds make a mess like that in my garden, even rooting out potted plants and the compost !!

[Mr List]

some people don't know how lucky they are.

any kind of wild life would be great , I get nothing, and you guys are trying to get rid of some of yours.

squirrels are cute, put some extra stuff out for them as well.

[kata]

Thanks Gary,

Put pieces of wood down in the borders last night till I put down my weed fabric over this week. I never saw anything like it.

I already had put fatballs at the bottom away from any soil for them to eat.

ML, I think the grey Squirrels are bad for our red ones. Its that bad they are now considered vermin. We don't get Squirrels here.

[Kristen]

squirrels are cute

They disrupt the breeding of the birds ... so if you have squirrels you are likely to have fewer variety of birds. No nuts either ...

Mind you ... I get several Conker seedlings coming up each year. No idea where the nearest Horse Chestnut is to us, but we definitely don't have one that near by as I would have seen it!

[Adam D]

Thanks Gary,

Put pieces of wood down in the borders last night till I put down my weed fabric over this week. I never saw anything like it.

I already had put fatballs at the bottom away from any soil for them to eat.

ML, I think the grey Squirrels are bad for our red ones. Its that bad they are now considered vermin. We don't get Squirrels here.

Red squirrels are cool, but the only good grey squirrel, is a dead grey squirrel IMO!

[kata]

Adam...I totally agree.

Red Squirrels are a beauty to behold.

I moaned earlier in the year about no birds but this week there have been plenty of the small ones I missed so much since moving here.

[Dim]

I work in a garden in Cambridge that has a black squirrel .... I have never seen a black one anywhere else

[Mr List]

Thanks Gary,

Put pieces of wood down in the borders last night till I put down my weed fabric over this week. I never saw anything like it.

I already had put fatballs at the bottom away from any soil for them to eat.

ML, I think the grey Squirrels are bad for our red ones. Its that bad they are now considered vermin. We don't get Squirrels here.

Red squirrels are cool, but the only good grey squirrel, is a dead grey squirrel IMO!

[flounder]

Luckily I don't get bothered by squirrels.....but I'd prefer a bushy tailed rat on the feeders rather than the brown butters I occasionally get!

[kite567]

I get up to 3 grey squirrels here at a time. I usually wait for one to get up to the feeder and then as quietly as possible I let the dog out.

Like a rocket he speeds across the garden before I'm shouting at him to stop cos he'd definitely catch one otherwise. I don't want him to hurt or even kill one as I don't like cruelty but they are a damn nuisance here.

Sometimes they're back in less than 5 minutes and then the same procedure follows.

They greys carry a virus called squirrel pox which doesn't cause them any outward symptoms but is lethal to our native red squirrels. There's a red squirrel reserve near here and the rangers have to be ever vigilant to keep any greys out. Otherwise the result could be disastrous for our beautiful reds.

[kata]

I usually wait for one to get up to the feeder and then as quietly as possible I let the dog out.

I have only known Squirrels to freeze when approached in an attack.

They greys carry a virus called squirrel pox which doesn't cause them any outward symptoms but is lethal to our native red squirrels.

Yes Kite, which is why we don't want them near the red ones.