How to Keep Squirrels Off Bird Feeders (2025)

Squirrels: Are they conscionable rats pinch amended PR? Be advised that this is not safe reference worldly for squirrel lovers, aliases moreover squirrel apologists. In my opinion, squirrels are worse than rats—smarter, much devious, much destructive. I’ve had them nest successful my chimney, chew holes successful my eaves to get into my walls, and destruct aggregate vertebrate feeders. I moreover had 1 chew done an full 4-by-2 pergola rafter to get astatine a suet block.

With nan fame of smart vertebrate feeders, it’s moreover much important to study ways to support them retired of your yard, lest they move your finance into a heap of chewed-up integrative bits. To make matters worse, if you unrecorded connected nan West Coast for illustration I do, you're apt to beryllium dealing pinch nan Eastern grey squirrel, which is simply a nonnative, invasive type that competes for resources pinch autochthonal type for illustration Western grey squirrels. What's a backyard vertebrate enthusiast to do?

Lucky for you, I've been feeding birds for almost 25 years crossed 3 different states, and person been testing smart feeders for nan past year, fighting near-daily battles pinch these furry vicinity foes. I've tried it each and recovered retired what works—and what doesn't—so you tin support your sanity intact.

For much birdy business, cheque retired our guides to nan Best Smart Bird Feeders, nan Best Binoculars, and nan Best Gifts for Bird Lovers.

The Golden (5-7-9) Rule

First off, location is simply a tried-and-true method of foiling squirrels, and it's some free and harmless. Experts mention to it arsenic nan 5-7-9 Rule: Keep your feeder astatine slightest 5 feet disconnected nan ground, 7 feet distant from structures for illustration houses, trees, aliases fences; and 9 feet distant from thing overhead that they could jump from, specified arsenic a character branch aliases roof. This usually intends putting your feeder connected a rod pinch a baffle (I usage nan group above), aliases hanging it from a gangly shepherd's hook.

If you're successful nan marketplace for a vertebrate feeder, particularly a smart feeder, it's imperative that it person nan action to bent aliases beryllium pole-mounted, because if you tin only equine it connected a obstruction aliases a tree, you're fundamentally rolling retired nan invited mat for squirrels. (All nan smart feeders I recommend, including Birdfy and Bird Buddy, see rod mounts.) If you want to spell nan other mile, you tin besides grease your pole pinch Crisco, which doesn't past agelong but is bully for an entertaining time aliases two.

Note that if your smart feeder doesn't person an attached star sheet to complaint nan battery, you apt won't beryllium capable to equine it connected nan rod pinch nan feeder without immoderate jury-rigging, truthful I urge going for a exemplary pinch a built-in star tile aliases nary star sheet astatine all.