Squirrel Proof Feeders


Squirrels inspire two emotions with people who feed birds: they either love them or hate them! Everyone has stories about how smart squirrels are and the constant (and usually futile) war they wage at keeping them out of bird feeders. "Good Luck!" is the common thread to all stories. But don't despair, it can be done through the use of squirrel proof feeders.


There are many different feeders on the market that promise to stop your squirrels from poaching on the feeders. They are usually divided into two types; barrier (caged) and weight sensitive feeders. The idea behind the barrier style is to make an opening too small for the large Eastern Grey Squirrel to ft through. Feeders are surrounded by a cage made up of 1"x 1" squares - perfect size for smaller birds to fly through but too big for that fat Grey Squirrel. And don't despair if you have a new tube feeder that your squirrels (to your dismay) have discovered. You don't need to take down your WBU feeder, just get a cage for it. These cages are the same as the ones featured in the pictures above but you place the tube inside. We carry ones that fit a medium sized feeder as well as ones that are more versatile. These you can cut to fit a smaller feeder or leave it as is for a large one. It also comes with either a wire or metal bottom tray that screws into the bottom of your tube. (Note, these cages only work with WBU Quick-Clean or Eco-Clean tube feeders.)

Suet and cylinder feeders are also tempting to squirrels, being filled with tasty suet, seeds and of course, nuts. So, to make life difficult for the squirrels, get a cage for those too! On guard cages can be added to both Holscher cylinder feeders and WBU Dinner Bells. Or you can buy a feeder and cage combo for either suet or cylinders.

         

 

The other type relies on the fact that even the largest Northern Flicker weighs less than a Grey Squirrel. When the squirrel tries to feed from these feeders, their weight causes the ports to close, cutting off access to the seed. This frustrates the squirrel, sometimes causing him to resort to shaking or swinging on the feeder to cause a few kernals of seed to fall but he is prevented from cleaning the feeder out.
Our weight sensitive feeders come in 4 sizes; the large Eliminator (which holds 3 lbs of seed and allows you to adjust the tension to feed both small and large birds), the Fundamental (holds just over a pound of seed), the Standard and the Mini (a small feeder perfect for apartments or homes with few birds).

Watch the videos below to see how effective these feeders are in your battle against the squirrels!

WBU Eliminator Feeder

WBU Fundamental Feeder