Squirrels are highly motivated to access and eat the seeds intended for birds, a common conflict for anyone who maintains a backyard feeder. These resourceful mammals view a full feeder as a concentrated, easily accessible source of calories. Managing this situation requires a two-pronged strategy: manipulating the food source and employing physical barriers to prevent access.
The Truth About Squirrels and Seed
Squirrels are classified as opportunistic omnivores, readily consuming a wide variety of plant and animal matter. Bird seed fits perfectly into their high-energy diet. The most attractive components of standard bird mixes are sunflower seeds (especially black oil sunflower), corn, and peanuts, which provide high concentrations of fats and carbohydrates necessary for their rapid metabolism.
A single adult squirrel can consume approximately one and a half pounds of nuts and seeds each week. This voracious appetite means a single squirrel can quickly empty a standard feeder, leading to significant expense. Beyond consumption, squirrels cause physical damage by gnawing on feeder parts to access the contents. They may also scare away timid bird species, monopolizing the feeding station and reducing the variety of avian visitors.
Seed Preferences and Natural Deterrents
One effective strategy is to manipulate the food source by offering seeds that birds enjoy but squirrels find unappealing. Safflower seeds are a prime example; they possess a slightly bitter taste that squirrels dislike, but birds like cardinals and chickadees readily consume them. Nyjer seed, a favorite of finches, is also rarely eaten by squirrels, possibly due to its tiny size and strong flavor.
A more direct deterrent involves coating the feed with capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their heat. Birds lack the specific receptor found in mammals, meaning they do not register the burning sensation of capsaicin and can safely eat the spicy seeds. When squirrels or other mammals attempt to eat the treated seed, the uncomfortable heat sensation discourages them from returning to the feeder.
Physical Exclusion and Feeder Placement
Solving the access problem centers on placing the feeder outside of the squirrel’s jumping range and utilizing physical obstacles. Squirrels are capable of a horizontal leap of up to ten feet and a vertical jump of about five feet. To prevent access from the ground or nearby structures, a pole-mounted feeder should be situated at least five feet off the ground and eight to ten feet away from any potential launching point, such as a tree trunk, fence, or overhang.
Physical barriers like baffles are dome- or cone-shaped devices installed on the pole below the feeder to prevent squirrels from climbing up. The baffle should be mounted at least four to four and a half feet from the ground to prevent a vertical jump from below. For feeders hanging from a branch, a dome baffle placed above the feeder prevents squirrels from climbing down the line to reach the seed ports. Specialized squirrel-proof feeders offer another solution, employing a weight-activated mechanism that senses the weight of a squirrel and automatically closes the feeding ports.