Squirrels amazing acrobats but very annoying

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by Farnham_Red, Jan 8, 2020.

  1. Farnham_Red

    Farnham_Red Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    We have a couple of bird feeders in our garden - when first installed I had a problem with squirrels scoffing the lot so I bought squirrel baffles - these worked for months but recently I noticed the feeders have been emptying in record time again
    Just watched a squrrel climb onto the baffle by going down the chord the feeder is hung by and hang on by a back foot and stretch so it can just reach the edge of the baffle with a front foot. Let go with the back one - somersault over the edge pulling itself in towards the feeder and drop catching the perch of the feeder on the way down with the back leg again - then haul itself back up and tuck in - at least until I chased it off.
    I now don't know what to do - if the squirrels get to the nuts regularly it will cost me a fortune to keep it filled up and to be honest i dont want to feed grey squirrels - I do want to feed the birds though .
     
    Farnham_Red, Jan 8, 2020
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  2. Redhelen

    Redhelen Well-Known Member

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    I could lend you my dog? He loves chasing squirrels!
     
    Redhelen, Jan 8, 2020
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  3. Birkdale Red

    Birkdale Red Well-Known Member

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    At they end of the day they are vermin. I love my birds and have the same problem as you. Another issue is the voracity with which they eat birds eggs. They are as big a problem now to the bird population as cats and the ever-growing Crow family (of which Magpies are the worse - they kill for fun).

    To that end I have reluctantly bought a BB gun. Hopefully my eyesight will mean I scare more than harm.
     
    Birkdale Red, Jan 8, 2020
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  4. Sta

    Stahlrost Well-Known Member

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    I love squirrels and feed them separately with a special feeder. It has a lid which they have to push up to get at the nuts. It's so easy for them, but the birds can't figure it out, so they stick to their own feeders. Only when the squirrel feeder runs out do they try to get at the bird feeders.
     
    Stahlrost, Jan 8, 2020
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  5. Del Rosso

    Del Rosso Well-Known Member

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    We have the same problem we take great delight watching so many varieties of birds in our garden, but, along with squirrels being a pest (funny though) we have the added problem of rats raiding the spillage from the feeders and so out came my trusty .22 air rifle, so far I have shot 3 garden gnomes, several garden ornaments of varying expense and an outbuilding window, the bird feeder is now in the hut along with my air rifle
     
    Del Rosso, Jan 8, 2020
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  6. Farnham_Red

    Farnham_Red Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    Call me racist but I love our native Red squirrels and would have no problem feeding those - but down in Farnham we only have the illegal immigrant grey squirrels that killed off our reds - not sure I could bring myself to shoot them but I dont want to feed them
     
    Farnham_Red, Jan 8, 2020
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  7. Birkdale Red

    Birkdale Red Well-Known Member

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    Absolutely, I feel your pain.

    I couldn't bring myself to harm an animal normally but one cannot understate the carnage caused by Greys, Magpies and cats!!
     
    Birkdale Red, Jan 8, 2020
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  8. scarf

    scarf Well-Known Member

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    The new work on DNA editing should wipe them out eventually, if it gets approved.
    And it won't affect the native reds.
     
    scarf, Jan 8, 2020
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  9. Birkdale Red

    Birkdale Red Well-Known Member

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    Just grey squirrels, or all vermin? Rats, pigeons, Millwall, etc ...... ;-)
     
    Birkdale Red, Jan 8, 2020
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  10. Til

    Tilertoes Well-Known Member

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    Why don’t you buy a plastic grey squirrel, put some make up on it and play some saucy music in the garden to lure the intruders away from the food. It often works with Pepe le peu with a black cat that has recently squeezed under a newly painted white fence.
     
    Tilertoes, Jan 8, 2020
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  11. Sta

    Stahlrost Well-Known Member

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    To be honest I love all wildlife and wouldn't intentionally harm any creature. I just like watching them run around in the garden. Very entertaining!
     
    Stahlrost, Jan 8, 2020
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  12. Farnham_Red

    Farnham_Red Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    Think I have visualised a fix for the original problem - I need a second baffle about half a squirrel length above the first then when it tries its acrobatics it will bounce off the second one as there is nothing to grab like the perch on the feeder- only problem is I will need a higher mounting point as its currently fixed to the apex of the shed but 2 baffles will drop it so I bang my head every time I go through the shed door
     
    Farnham_Red, Jan 8, 2020
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  13. Bossman

    Bossman Well-Known Member

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    This is exactly what I do, :D
     
    Bossman, Jan 8, 2020
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  14. Stephen Dawson

    Stephen Dawson Well-Known Member

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    Just find where it's hiding it's nuts problem solved.
     
    Stephen Dawson, Jan 8, 2020
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  15. BobT

    BobT Well-Known Member

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    Get a super soaker, plenty of fun, no cruelty.
     
    BobT, Jan 8, 2020
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  16. Red

    Red-Taff. Well-Known Member

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    as Scarf says there are plans to get rid of the grey squirrels so that the red ones wont be decimated.

    What I've noticed is that the pigeons seem to dominate things so the little ones don't get a lookin.

    (get my birdseed from KDA Dodworth - cheapest I've found.)
     
    Red-Taff., Jan 8, 2020
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  17. JLWBigLil

    JLWBigLil Well-Known Member

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    We sometimes get our birdseed from KDA, too. The visiting blackbirds & robins have a particular fondness for mealworms, though. I'm just happy to see wild birds feeding in our garden.
     
    JLWBigLil, Jan 8, 2020
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  18. Red

    Red-Taff. Well-Known Member

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    this bird-feeding is quite a science with different holders for different seed which are suitable for different birds. I find the smaller birds prefer seed that's just left on the bird table.
     
    Red-Taff., Jan 8, 2020
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  19. JLWBigLil

    JLWBigLil Well-Known Member

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    That's true.
    We also have three levels where we feed the birds. There's a small tray near the ground (amongst shrubbery) which is usually used by blackbirds and robins. Then we have a bird table, which attracts sparrows, various finches and the half coconuts hanging from the table are used by a variety of tits. Finally, the roof of our outhouse has food placed on it which mainly attracts wood pigeons, rooks and ring necked doves.
     
    JLWBigLil, Jan 8, 2020
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  20. MarioKempes

    MarioKempes Well-Known Member

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    Reminds me of this...

     
    MarioKempes, Jan 8, 2020
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