Author Topic: Not feeding the Squirrels  (Read 3491 times)

Offline Jo

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Not feeding the Squirrels
« on: December 01, 2020, 01:44:49 PM »
Every year it happens  :rant: I put food out for my little feathered friends and the  :censored: squirrel turns up rips open the feeders and steals the contents.

No more  >:( ! This year I am up grading the feeders by removing the mesh and replacing it with 1mm thick perforated stainless with 10mm holes for access for my friends.

I ordered a 200mm by 200mm sheet, rolled it in my benders and it fits almost perfectly  :whoohoo: I decided to silver solder the ends together rather than wire which may have left something to catch yourself on. I also find that the perches provided on these feeders are too thin for my Robin so I had upgraded them with some sleeves, this time I am trying some corks  :wine1:

Now to see if my friends appreciate their new feeder  :)

Jo
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Offline crueby

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2020, 01:52:26 PM »
Add a steam powered catapult to launch the squirrels over the roof?

Offline Jo

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2020, 01:56:18 PM »
Both the Tree Rat and the pigeons recognise my Air rifle when I get it out  ::)

Jo
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Offline Jasonb

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2020, 02:44:27 PM »
We have a clear plastic dome part way up the pole which seems to work as they can't shin up the pole

Online Twizseven

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2020, 02:53:17 PM »
Jo,

I have the same issue.  Your solution looks good.  I also revert to the spring powered lead launcher. :)

Colin

Offline tghs

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2020, 04:32:03 PM »
I wanted to make a combo trebuchet/squirrel feeder and see if they would evolve into flying squirrels.(someone told me I shouldn't) if you really want some fun youtube yankee flipper.. I once mixed some crisco with ground up ghost peppers,, spread it on the bird feeder poles where they jumping to get past the baffles,, they didn't like that at all!!!
« Last Edit: December 01, 2020, 05:39:44 PM by tghs »
what the @#&% over

Offline nj111

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2020, 07:00:57 PM »
What no castings involved?  Good effort though!
Nick

Online ddmckee54

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2020, 10:10:46 PM »
Both the Tree Rat and the pigeons recognise my Air rifle when I get it out  ::)

Jo:

Your solution is obvious, camouflage - a Ghillie suit for you and the appropriate season camo for your air rifle.  A little practice and the rats, both tree and flying, will never see you coming.

Don

Offline crueby

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2020, 10:38:25 PM »
Put a steam whistle out next to the feeder, air line into the house. Squirrel gets near the feeder, give it a blast. Scare the nuts off the squirrel!

Offline Jo

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #9 on: December 02, 2020, 11:05:06 AM »
Day two of the new feeder: the birds were not sure the first day but they seem to have got used to it and are raiding it as much as the other ones  :ThumbsUp:

Next experiment is making my own Lard balls using a ball mould  :thinking:

Jo
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Offline nj111

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2020, 12:32:15 PM »

Next experiment is making my own Lard balls using a ball mould  :thinking:

Jo

Ah, clever,  I'll accept that as some form of introducing castings into this project
Nick

Offline tghs

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2020, 01:16:39 PM »
we make our own lard/suet mix,, used pvc pipe sections to press out rods of the mix,, the feeder is a hanging log section with holes just under the rod size,, keep the "rods" in the freezer,, bang in a section into an hole,, the woodpeckers love it, even the big pileated come in to feed..the mix must be good because other types of birds have learned to use the feeder,,
what the @#&% over

Offline Jo

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #12 on: December 02, 2020, 03:02:34 PM »
Next experiment is making my own Lard balls using a ball mould  :thinking:

Jo

Ah, clever,  I'll accept that as some form of introducing castings into this project

About 15g of lard is melted in the microwave on high for 1 min then the seed is mixed in until it reaches the point where it is still sticking together (not too much seed relative to lard) and squashed between the two half moulds. 10 mins in the freezer and it goes solid and the two mould sides come off easily. And off to the feeder with it for my little inspector to check it out :)

Jo

P.S. the Robin is known as the little inspector as when I am gardening it likes to constantly come and inspect what I am doing.
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Offline Art K

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2020, 03:22:49 AM »
All this squirrel oops I mean bird feeder talk reminds me of two separate feeder stories. My uncle lives in Wisconsin's north woods. He came up with an ingenious squirrel proof bird feeder. He used a liter pop bottle with the appropriate holes and dowels for the birds to perch on. On a string above that was a piece of sheet metal bent at a 90 degree angle as a roof above it. His video of the squirrel jumping from the branch above that onto the sheet metal roof & sliding off to the ground 6 feet below is priceless. The one problem with this is that it isn't bear proof. The other is my neighbors. One of his neighbors at the time had a farmers electric fence hooked up to the feeder so that when the unwanted squirrels were on the bird feeder he flicked a light switch and the squirrels got zapped. But the squirrels got wise and when they saw the guy crossing the back window they knew they were in for it. At that point when he saw the squirrels he had to crawl on his hands and knees under the window to reach the switch so he could zapp them. I think that was the point of diminishing returns.
Art
« Last Edit: December 03, 2020, 03:26:34 AM by Art K »
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Offline Mosey

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Re: Not feeding the Squirrels
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2020, 01:38:49 PM »
After numerous ingenious failed attempts to foil these little grey tree-rats we hooked our bird feeder from a suspended wire hanging straight down off a tree to tree steel wire. The little bugger ran across the tree wire upside down, then vertically down the suspended wire to the top of the bird feeder. Trouble was as he descended the vertical wire his tail popped into a loop and when he weighted the feeder it closed the loop around the end of his tail and cut it clean off about 3 inches. I'm still laughing!
Mosey

 

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