Alvin, Simon and Theodore are great when they sing Christmas songs in harmony or star in movies, but their real-life versions can be pretty pestering when they are constantly near your birdfeeder and eating all the goods that you intended for the birds. Here are some strategies to keep chipmunks and their “brother from another mother” squirrels away from your birdfeeder.
Squirrels can jump anywhere from eight to 10 feet so the first line of defense is to try to keep your feeder outside of that jumping radius from stationary objects like trees, posts, etc.
Most of the attraction for the birdfeeders comes when the seed is on the ground, making it easy to
access. Making the feeder out of range won’t do much good if the rodents just have to run up to the seed. Making some sort of a catch under the feeder and cleaning up the seed with more frequency will help alleviate that problem.
Probably the best, and sometimes funniest, solution is the squirrel baffle. Basically a squirrel baffle is a plastic globe with a hollow bottom that you can affix over your feeder. Often times, squirrels with land on the chain above your feeder but once they get to your baffle they tend to slide right off. This isn’t always fool-proof though. Sometimes the squirrels will manage to find a way in.
If you enjoy all of your furry friends from the forest but just don’t want them mooching off the birds, try installing a squirrel feeder as well. It might just distract them long enough for the birds to get their food first.