I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird
food. As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them.
Has anyone experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and
which are good? The only problem that I can see is that the pair of
woodpeckers (well I say pair maybe they are just friends) will be unable
to feed. any help most welcomed. TIA
--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

On 28/07/2012 16:28, Moonraker wrote:

I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird
food. As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them.
Has anyone experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and
which are good? The only problem that I can see is that the pair of
woodpeckers (well I say pair maybe they are just friends) will be unable
to feed. any help most welcomed. TIA

I have a standard bird feeder but use the threaded hole on the underside
to attach it to the top of a 15mm copper pipe (using standard cheap
compression plumbing fittings - the official kit is overpriced).
Squirrels cannot climb smooth copper pipe and it is amusing to watch
them try.

The alternative is one that looks like a football with hefty gauge wire
to defeat the squirrels. Unfortunately then only small birds can get to
the feeder and I suspect a woodpecker will be too big to fit in.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:41:53 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

On 28/07/2012 16:28, Moonraker wrote:

I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird
food. As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them.
Has anyone experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and
which are good? The only problem that I can see is that the pair of
woodpeckers (well I say pair maybe they are just friends) will be unable
to feed. any help most welcomed. TIA

I have a standard bird feeder but use the threaded hole on the underside
to attach it to the top of a 15mm copper pipe (using standard cheap
compression plumbing fittings - the official kit is overpriced).
Squirrels cannot climb smooth copper pipe and it is amusing to watch
them try.


That is interesting Martin as our squirrels learned that if they took
a run and a jump and did not pause in their climbing they could manage
all the way to the top of our copper pipe support without too much
difficulty. It could be that as the pipe is 22mm there is sufficient
extra surface area to cling to. If they do pause they slide quite
gracefully back to ground level.

After trying greasing the pole for a while I fixed a (Gardman?) anti
squirrel dome a metre or so up the pipe which completely solved the
problem.

The reason I used 22mm pipe is that I fixed four rather nice black
iron hanging basket brackets at the top of the pipe at right angles to
one another and suspended four feeders from these. As our property is
somewhat exposed to the elements I reinforced the 22mm pipe with a
length of 18mm diameter dowel inside.

The trouble with the cage type feeders is that whilst they do exclude
the larger corvids such as magpies they do the same for Greater
Spotted Woodpeckers which we are more than happy to see.
--
rbel

"rbel" wrote in message ...


sic


The trouble with the cage type feeders is that whilst they do exclude
the larger corvids such as magpies they do the same for Greater
Spotted Woodpeckers which we are more than happy to see.
--
rbel

Our woodies have no trouble with the cage type - pictured left.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7...067a9341_b.jpg

They do with the one in the middle where the distance to the nuts is
somewhat greater.

The seed one on the left is a bit of a dead loss as all and sundry has
learnt that the contents
empty with a shake, on to the ground, which the magpies just love (:-(

Regards
Pete

On 28/07/2012 19:34, Pete wrote:


"rbel" wrote in message ...


sic


The trouble with the cage type feeders is that whilst they do exclude
the larger corvids such as magpies they do the same for Greater
Spotted Woodpeckers which we are more than happy to see.
--
rbel

Our woodies have no trouble with the cage type - pictured left.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7265/7...067a9341_b.jpg

They do with the one in the middle where the distance to the nuts is
somewhat greater.

The seed one on the left is a bit of a dead loss as all and sundry has
learnt that the contents
empty with a shake, on to the ground, which the magpies just love (:-(

Regards
Pete

Don't talk of Magpies.
My feeders are empty and will stay so for a day whilst I make more food
for the birds.
So this afternoon a Magpie decided to come in through an open window
looking for food, it took almost half an hour to get it to go out.
I wonder if I should have tempted it with food?

"Moonraker" wrote
I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird
food. As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them.
Has anyone experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and
which are good? The only problem that I can see is that the pair of
woodpeckers (well I say pair maybe they are just friends) will be
unable to feed. any help most welcomed. TIA

I had same problem with squirrels stealing the birds' peanuts and got
through several so-called 'squirrel resistant' mesh ones before deciding
enough was enough. Anything made with a wire mesh will just get ripped
open in the end. But I have found two feeders that did stop their
raiding.

One is a strong 'caged' version from The Nuttery (got it on ebay at a
good price). The other has no cage, so great spotted woodpeckers still
come and visit it, but it's made with a tough ceramic top and bottom and
the body is of perforated steel rather than wire. You undo a wing-nut
and take the base off to refill.
It's proved strong enough to foil the blighters even after several
year's use. The young ones do come and try a few times before they learn
they can't tear this one open no matter what they do - after that they
leave it alone. I can't remember the make now, but I found it in a local
garden centre.

--
Sue

On 29/07/2012 01:46, Sue wrote:

"Moonraker" wrote
I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird
food. As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them.
Has anyone experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and
which are good? The only problem that I can see is that the pair of
woodpeckers (well I say pair maybe they are just friends) will be
unable to feed. any help most welcomed. TIA

I had same problem with squirrels stealing the birds' peanuts and got
through several so-called 'squirrel resistant' mesh ones before deciding
enough was enough. Anything made with a wire mesh will just get ripped
open in the end. But I have found two feeders that did stop their
raiding.

One is a strong 'caged' version from The Nuttery (got it on ebay at a
good price). The other has no cage, so great spotted woodpeckers still
come and visit it, but it's made with a tough ceramic top and bottom and
the body is of perforated steel rather than wire. You undo a wing-nut
and take the base off to refill.
It's proved strong enough to foil the blighters even after several
year's use. The young ones do come and try a few times before they learn
they can't tear this one open no matter what they do - after that they
leave it alone. I can't remember the make now, but I found it in a local
garden centre.

Yours sounds good Sue, but sadly too little information to locate it!

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

On 28/07/2012 19:22, rbel wrote:
On Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:41:53 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

On 28/07/2012 16:28, Moonraker wrote:

I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird
food. As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them.
Has anyone experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and
which are good? The only problem that I can see is that the pair of
woodpeckers (well I say pair maybe they are just friends) will be unable
to feed. any help most welcomed. TIA

I have a standard bird feeder but use the threaded hole on the underside
to attach it to the top of a 15mm copper pipe (using standard cheap
compression plumbing fittings - the official kit is overpriced).
Squirrels cannot climb smooth copper pipe and it is amusing to watch
them try.


That is interesting Martin as our squirrels learned that if they took
a run and a jump and did not pause in their climbing they could manage
all the way to the top of our copper pipe support without too much
difficulty. It could be that as the pipe is 22mm there is sufficient
extra surface area to cling to. If they do pause they slide quite
gracefully back to ground level.

Could be a grip thing or maybe your squirrels are more numerous and
smarter than ours. I did forget to mention greasing the pole.

You can also get dome shaped clear things like the devices to stop rats
climbing ships mooring ropes but I have never needed to.

After trying greasing the pole for a while I fixed a (Gardman?) anti
squirrel dome a metre or so up the pipe which completely solved the
problem.

The plumbing bits are certainly much cheaper than at the garden centre!

The trouble with the cage type feeders is that whilst they do exclude
the larger corvids such as magpies they do the same for Greater
Spotted Woodpeckers which we are more than happy to see.

We do get the odd crow and starling - partly because the more rigid
mount doesn't sway so much when the land. But they have to be very agile
because I shortened the landing posts to compensate.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

"Moonraker" wrote in message
...
I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird food.
As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them. Has anyone
experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and which are good?
The only problem that I can see is that the pair of woodpeckers (well I say
pair maybe they are just friends) will be unable to feed. any help most
welcomed. TIA
--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

If you have two points that you can fix up some fishing line between, hang
your feeder in the middle of that. Squirrels can't
negotiate it. Remember to put it above head height though for obvious
reasons.

Tina

Classic squirrel: http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i1.../squrrel-4.jpg

"Moonraker" wrote in message
...
I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird food.
As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them. Has anyone
experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and which are good?
The only problem that I can see is that the pair of woodpeckers (well I say
pair maybe they are just friends) will be unable to feed. any help most
welcomed. TIA
--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/p...719,33068&ap=1

http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/p...719,33068&ap=1

http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/p...719,33068&ap=1

On 31/07/2012 05:37, graham wrote:
"Moonraker" wrote in message
...
I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird food.
As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them. Has anyone
experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and which are good?
The only problem that I can see is that the pair of woodpeckers (well I say
pair maybe they are just friends) will be unable to feed. any help most
welcomed. TIA
--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/p...719,33068&ap=1

http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/p...719,33068&ap=1

http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/p...719,33068&ap=1


I like the look of these, sadly they are made by a USA company, so I may
have difficulty procuring them here, however I will try. Thanks for the
pointer Graham

--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire

"Moonraker" wrote
On 29/07/2012 01:46, Sue wrote:

I had same problem with squirrels stealing the birds' peanuts and got
through several so-called 'squirrel resistant' mesh ones before
deciding enough was enough. Anything made with a wire mesh will just
get ripped open in the end. But I have found two feeders that did
stop their raiding.

One is a strong 'caged' version from The Nuttery (got it on ebay at a
good price). The other has no cage, so great spotted woodpeckers
still come and visit it, but it's made with a tough ceramic top and
bottom and the body is of perforated steel rather than wire. You undo
a wing-nut and take the base off to refill.
It's proved strong enough to foil the blighters even after several
year's use. The young ones do come and try a few times before they
learn they can't tear this one open no matter what they do - after
that they leave it alone. I can't remember the make now, but I found
it in a local garden centre.

Yours sounds good Sue, but sadly too little information to locate it!

I did try and Google up something similar but I can't find one like it
on the market now, either.

The sprung-loaded type ones that close off the nuts to anything heavy as
a squirrel look as though they might work. Something like this, perhaps?
http://gardenbirdfeeder.co.uk/acatal...f_Feeders.html

Good luck with the search anyway. Hope you find a solution - it's not as
if bird food costs peanuts these days. :-/
--
Sue

"Granity" wrote in message
...

Christina Websell;965688 Wrote:
"Moonraker" wrote in message
...-
I am heartily sick of squirrels getting the lion's share of my bird
food.
As fast as I get rid of squirrels new ones come to replace them. Has
anyone
experience of those for sale? If so which are useless and which are
good?
The only problem that I can see is that the pair of woodpeckers (well I
say
pair maybe they are just friends) will be unable to feed. any help most

welcomed. TIA
--
Residing on low ground in North Staffordshire-

If you have two points that you can fix up some fishing line between,
hang
your feeder in the middle of that. Squirrels can't
negotiate it. Remember to put it above head height though for obvious
reasons.

Tina

Classic squirrel: http://tinyurl.com/c8vsr8v


They can't get to feeders if you suspend your feeders from a horizontal
fishing line like between two trees or other suitable points.
They cannot grip the fishing line.
Might not work vertically.

On Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:53:09 +0100, "Sue" wrote:


"Moonraker" wrote
On 29/07/2012 01:46, Sue wrote:

[Snip]
One is a strong 'caged' version from The Nuttery (got it on ebay at a
good price). The other has no cage, so great spotted woodpeckers
still come and visit it, but it's made with a tough ceramic top and
bottom and the body is of perforated steel rather than wire. You undo
a wing-nut and take the base off to refill.
It's proved strong enough to foil the blighters even after several
year's use. The young ones do come and try a few times before they
learn they can't tear this one open no matter what they do - after
that they leave it alone. I can't remember the make now, but I found
it in a local garden centre.

Yours sounds good Sue, but sadly too little information to locate it!

I did try and Google up something similar but I can't find one like it
on the market now, either.

The sprung-loaded type ones that close off the nuts to anything heavy as
a squirrel look as though they might work. Something like this, perhaps?
http://gardenbirdfeeder.co.uk/acatal...f_Feeders.html

Good luck with the search anyway. Hope you find a solution - it's not as
if bird food costs peanuts these days. :-/

We also had one of the ceramic and perforated steel peanut feeders. I
looked for a replacement a while ago, as the ceramic top was broken
when the feeder fell (or was pushed!).

We have had a 'Squirrel Buster Plus' feeder as on the link above for
some years now. The plastic perch ring has been destroyed by squirrels
twice, but there are alloy perches which the birds do use without the
ring. I have not been in a position to check if certain birds are
discouraged by lack of a perch ring. NB When I got the replacement
perch ring, I was told it was not included in the lifetime guarantee.

The squirrels cannot get at the food directly from the feeder, unless
it is hung somewhere they can get to it side-on, e.g. a close-by
branch. It is a large feeder, so you need something quite high and
strong enough to take the weight when full. As we wanted to see the
birds, we resorted to getting a tree surgeon (here to do other work)
to fix a chain on a sturdy branch high up, so it dropped in a space
between lower branches.

Gardening on Wilts/Somerset border
on slightly alkaline clay.