By Jim Salmon
Do you have a bird feeder that the squirrels raid? Try a tube feeder made with wire mesh. Birds can still peck through it but the squirrels can’t get in it!
Keep cats from getting your birds at the feeder by simply putting the feeder on a pole, preferably a metal one so the most persistent cats can’t sink their nails into a wood one and climb it.
Birds tend to like the feeders more if they’re hung near trees or vines, so they can take refuge in them. We have evergreens and the birds loves to be on the branches and swoop to the feeder. Cherry trees are another big hit with the birds, safe place to hang out, nest and eat! It’s like a fine hotel!
With colder weather approaching, especially in the winter try leaving stale baked goods, overripe fruits, meat scraps and drippings, peanut butter & even bits of cheese. Or go ahead and fill your feeder with black oil sunflower seeds, sit back and watch all the birds you’ll attract! Here’s a little tid bit true story; We have a big woodpecker block wire cage attached to a pole a little higher than our regular bird feeders. They’re all on a pressure-treated post, with the feeders attached on a tray. One day the cage was completely empty, no woodpecker block to be seen! Wow, ok, the birds or squirrels pulled it open, but where’s the block?
Of course, refilled it, next day same thing. Refilled it again! Now it’s getting a bit expensive. The following day, the cage is gone too! Found at the bottom of a tree about 10 feet away. Plus, along with this the feeders were wiped clean! Squirrels maybe? Ok, we’ll fix it for good! Bungee cord the woodpecker cage to the pole! Yep, you guessed it. Now this is more than even squirrels can do. That night we discovered, an entire family of raccoons have been raiding the feeders and completely walking off with the woodpecker blocks! Very fat raccoons!