Immature brown squirrel does acrobatics to eat my birdfeed. Get fat already.
I feel I get along well with nature, but I draw the line at my birdfeeder. You see, it’s a ‘birdfeeder’, not a squirrel or wildlife feeder. When I see that squirrels are getting my feed, I think of a way to outsmart them. This worked for a month until yesterday, when we found an immature brown squirrel doing amazing acrobatics to get at my feed. I’ll have to think of something new.
The mature squirrels are heavier and longer, so when they were able to shimmy down my 6′ metal hanger, who’s end is attached to my bird feeder, I added a thin metal chain. They could not grab onto this as it was too thin. This immature squirrel can not only shimmy down the chain, but hang on to the round plastic bird feeder by its hind legs, and hang upside down to leisurely eat my feed in relative peace. He kind of has to do crunches to get more feed, but this does not stop him. For all his acrobatics I guess he earns his keep.
Maybe I’ll try oiling up the roof and sides of the bird feeder. This will not affect the birds but will provide a slick surface for the pesky vermin.
After further internet research, the best idea I have read is to suspend the bird feeder from 1/16″ galvanized wire rope, and some crimped ends. Domes do not seem to be effective. Adding pepper into the bird seed is possible but is more trouble than the wire.
I am always amused that mice are considered to be vermin, but squirrels are considered to be wildlife.