I even discuss the drawbacks and things to consider. Now, if all this DIY is too much, you’re still in luck, I put together a post for the best squirrel proof bird feeders you can buy.
#Diy bird feeder ports install#
**Make sure to plan to install this away from any tree branches or other obstacles that are within a 6′ drop or 6′ jumping distance. But I can confidently say the final product here is… a truly, undeniably legitimate -squirrel proof bird feeder. Seriously, I’m not a brilliant engineer by any means. There is some rust on the metal pole, that’s only visible because I could see it after pulling the inner pole out of the ground, but it is still in great shape. Years later, the only wear and tear is minor scratches to the paint and subtle fading. Oh, and an added bonus… It’s totally weather resistant. So I used a PVC pipe buried in the ground to act as a sleeve so I could simply pull the whole feeder out of the ground and it could be dismantled.Īnd it would leave nothing but a small hole that could be covered with sod later. Using this 6” round pipe is the best way to keep a squirrel from climbing to the top of the feeder.Īs a renter, I had the additional challenge of needing to be able to easily dismantle it in case the landlord doesn’t want it around whenever we move. A squirrel can easily dig its nails into the PVC plastic and get enough leverage to climb up the PVC pipe. This is because squirrels simply cannot grab hold of something that wide with such a completely smooth surface.Īnd for this reason, if you are wondering, I would not recommend using a 6” PVC pipe for the bird feeder pole or baffle. I found that a large, round HVAC duct pipe is the best thing to use for the squirrel baffle. However, you can’t just use a black pipe or PVC pipe because a squirrel can climb a PVC pole, and so you must use a baffle over it. This is much better than using PVC because it provides rigidity. You see, the first trick to this is that you have to make sure there are no surfaces that a squirrel can grab that are below 6′ off the ground.Īnd to save some of the cost of purchasing a bird feeder pole, I instead used a black plumbing pipe as the feeder pole. So I set out on my quest to make the perfect squirrel proof bird feeder, and after hours and hours of engineering, I finally made the first version of this back in 2007.Īnd I even have moved from state to state since then, and so this has been tested by pesky squirrels from multiple regions- and I’m happy to report that none have yet to conquer! It is true that can use safflower seed instead of black oil sunflower seed because squirrels don’t eat that type pf seed.īut guess what, plenty of our feathered friends aren’t in love with it either, so there’s quite a few that you’ll miss out on if you only use safflower seeds.
I tried things like sprinkling hot pepper like cayenne pepper on the seed, spinning tubes across the feeder’s arms and even spreading vaseline on the feeder pole- ha, squirrels are way too smart and determined. I’ve heard all the tricks for keeping squirrels off feeders and have tried them and none of them worked.
So if you want to feed birds, then you’ve got a dilemma. One day I might give you your own, but for now, hands off.Īnd if you’re like me, and everyone else I know, you’ve probably got a squirrel problem. Yes squirrel, I’m talking to you! I love all animals alike, but I’m not loving you hogging the feeder all the time.
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