12 Easy Ways to Keep Pesky Squirrels Out of Your Bird Feeders for Good

Squirrels are notorious for sneaking into bird feeders to munch on the bird seed. With their impressive climbing and jumping skills, it can seem like no bird feeder is safe from them. Not only do they devour the food meant for your feathered friends, but they also leave a big mess by scattering seeds everywhere.

Luckily, there are several natural ways to keep squirrels away from your bird feeder so only birds get to enjoy the food. Here are 12 strategies to deter squirrels from invading your bird feeders.

Warning

Ensure your squirrel-deterrent methods are safe for birds. While Vaseline and coffee grounds can repel squirrels, they are harmful to birds.

Use a Baffle on Your Bird Feeder

A baffle is a cone-shaped piece, often made of metal, that you can install on top of your bird feeder. This smooth, unsteady surface makes it difficult for squirrels to get a grip and hang on.

Without anything to hold on to, squirrels will slide right off and hopefully learn that this feeder is off-limits.

Don't Miss

Mysterious Holes Appearing in Your Yard? 7 Causes and What to Do About Them

How to Keep Snakes Out of Your Yard Safely and Effectively Before They Ruin Your Garden

Try Safflower Seeds

While squirrels will eventually eat almost anything, there are some seeds they find less appealing. Safflower seeds, which come from a unique annual plant, are usually not a squirrel's first choice. They might leave your feeder alone if it's filled with safflower seeds, but the birds will still love them.

Make a Cinnamon Spray

Certain scents, like cinnamon, cayenne, or peppermint, are unappealing to squirrels. Make a spray using water mixed with any of these ingredients, and you’ll have a natural squirrel repellent.

Spray it around your bird feeder regularly, especially after it rains.

Pick Up After the Birds

Squirrels have a strong sense of smell, but it’s more often the sight of scattered seeds that draws them to a feeder. By regularly cleaning up the area around your bird feeder, you can make it less likely that squirrels will notice it.

Put Your Feeder Up High

Squirrels are skilled jumpers, but they’re not birds and can’t fly. If your feeder is more than five feet high and at least seven feet away from any tree, you’re less likely to have squirrels taking the leap for it.

Feed the Squirrels

While the squirrels raiding your bird feeder aren’t starving, offering them their own food stash can help. Place a feeder on the ground filled with peanuts or dried corn—two of a squirrel’s favorite foods. Hopefully, this will distract them from your bird feeder.

Get a Squirrel-Proof Feeder

Sometimes it’s as simple as getting a bird feeder specifically designed to be squirrel-proof. These feeders have mechanisms that squirrels can’t access, and some activate when a bird lands on them, making it even harder for squirrels to get in.

Create an Obstacle Course

Set up two poles at least seven feet apart and string the bird feeder on a wire between them. Add empty soda bottles on either side of the feeder. When squirrels try to tightrope walk to the feeder, they won’t be able to balance on the smooth bottles, but birds won’t have a problem.

Put a Slinky on the Pole

As funny as it may sound, installing a slinky just below your bird feeder can create an effective barrier. When a squirrel hits the slinky, it will slide back down, giving the squirrel a ride to the ground.

Hang Strong Soap Near the Feeder

Squirrels can’t stand strong scents like minty soap. Hang a bar of soap in a sock near your feeder to keep squirrels away with its fragrance.

Use the Scent of Animal Urine

The smell of predator urine, like coyote urine, can deter squirrels. You can buy it from home improvement stores or online and spray it around your bird feeder pole. Reapply weekly and after rain.

Build the Feeder Pole From Copper or PVC

Squirrels are adept at climbing metal and wood poles, but copper or PVC poles are much harder for them to climb. These materials create an unfriendly environment, helping to keep them away from your feeder.

FAQ

What is the best homemade squirrel repellent?

One of the most effective homemade squirrel repellents is a mixture of cinnamon and cayenne. The spicy smell is something squirrels can’t stand and will steer clear of your garden or home.

Will Vaseline keep squirrels off a bird feeder?

Yes, Vaseline can keep squirrels off a bird feeder, but it’s harmful to birds. Therefore, you shouldn’t use Vaseline for this purpose.

Do coffee grounds repel squirrels?

Yes, squirrels dislike the smell of coffee grounds. However, coffee grounds can make birds sick, so it’s not a good method for repelling squirrels from bird feeders.