Ysgrifennodd "david taylor" mewn neges
...
I had two cheap plastic based nut feeders for birds hung in a hawthorn bush
and a grey squirrel gnawed off the base of one to get at the nuts. I
replaced that feeder with a metal one. The squirrel then attacked the
second plastic feeder. I smeared the base with butter then vasilene mixed
with chilli powder (cheap from an Asian supplier). The squirrel sampled it,
recoiled, tried again, washed itself vigorously, then went off and hasn't
been seen since.
There are not many grey squirrels in Devon where we live, unlike
Cheshire-maybe they favour more open country-there's something different.
In any event it had other places to chose away from our garden.
The chilli did not affect the birds and it does seem to be a way of
keeping squirrels from particular targets such as bird tables or feeders.
Regards
David T

Apparently, birds can't, or don't notice the heat from chillies. I used to
have a parrot who loved eating chillies a couple of times a week.

T Dave R