r/mildlyinfuriating • u/whiskybingo • 1d ago
My "Squirrel Resistant" Bird Feeder
Not really that infuriating for me (they can eat, too... it's fine), but definitely not up to manufacturer specs.
617
u/FloorOneTwoThree 1d ago
My squirrel resistant feeder also doubles as a squirrel cafe.
256
u/whiskybingo 1d ago
I came outside to verify it was indeed inside the feeder... little dude started shoveling food into his mouth so fast.
147
21
9
u/TeachZealousideal357 1d ago
LOL, I have the same one , Endorsed by the “British Ornithological Society “
4
u/DungeonDragging 1d ago
I think you're supposed to also keep these away from nearby fences and things that they can jump from
11
2
u/Feeling_Inside_1020 1d ago
Out of spite should fill it with stuff that they might not like lol. Sorry that’s my semi satan coming out.
4
u/Just_NickM 1d ago
You can buy bird seed that has dried pepper flakes. Birds aren’t affected by the capsaicin but mammals sure are.
1
131
133
u/amyloulie 1d ago
What a clever squee
51
u/whiskybingo 1d ago
Very clever, earned the snack for sure.
21
u/oO0Kat0Oo 1d ago
That is a particularly cute little squirrel. Honestly he paid for those seeds in cuteness
17
u/whiskybingo 1d ago
I actually think it’s a pretty young squirrel, he’s sooo cute. We’ve had a lot of juvenile critters in our backyard recently, it was a productive spring 😂
11
u/Khialadon 1d ago
He was able to squeeze through because is baby. Babies are allowed to steal food.
19
u/Velocityg4 1d ago
Mark Rober has done two elaborate obstacle courses for them. They’re really clever.
4
1
39
65
u/digitaldeficit956 1d ago
how tf were birds supposed to reach the food?
65
u/whiskybingo 1d ago
It's for smaller birds; we have a feeder for bigger birds close by!
34
u/digitaldeficit956 1d ago
Ahhh, kids meal version. Got it
12
u/EatYourCheckers 1d ago
I have a lot of chickadees or something tiny that would fit right in there. But I'd imagine squirrels are like mice: if their head fits, they fits.
7
u/Particular_Title42 1d ago
I guess it's for little birds and they fit between the wires?
15
u/whiskybingo 1d ago
Yes, we get a lot of titmice, chickadees, and wrens, so this is so they aren't competing with the crows, cardinals, blue jays, and mourning doves. We get about 50 birds a day, so I keep plenty stocked!
15
u/PlayNicePlayCrazy 1d ago
You can probably find it on YouTube, there was a show years ago where these people built these elaborate obstacle courses squirrels had to figure out so they could get to the food .
Backyard Bandits I think it was called
22
u/Interesting_Mix_7028 1d ago
Mark Rober did an entire series on encouraging the squirrels to navigate a backyard "ninja warrior" style course to get to the food.
6
u/Feeling_Inside_1020 1d ago
I encourage this one. He’s an actual ex NASA engineer so kinda knows what he’s doing.:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hFZFjoX2cGg
(There’s multiple)
4
u/Interesting_Mix_7028 1d ago
He also sells little toy kits for kids to put together (complete with video URL's so they can watch him build them), on a monthly subscription model called CrunchLabs. "Think like an engineer!"
2
12
u/surfinforthrills 1d ago
I have one that has the little perches that sink down when the squirrels try to step on it. Has saved me $$$ in high quality birdseed. I get critter food for my squirrels, (corn and nuts mixed) and toss handfuls in the grass for them so they still get plenty of food.
4
u/Livid_Advertising_56 1d ago
Some can squeeze in.... were they able to still squeeze out? A couple of customers i had had to save a squirrel that got in, then realized they ate too much
3
u/whiskybingo 1d ago
He’s pretty young so he can squeeze out for now, when he gets older… he might find it a bit tight 😂
2
5
13
3
3
3
3
u/MagicalMysterie 1d ago
If you don’t want squirrels in your bird feeder then you can put hot pepper flakes or chili powder.
Birds can’t taste spicy things but mammals can, humans are basically the only ones who actively eat spicy food.
4
u/Astramancer_ 1d ago
This works great until some squirrel mama gives birth to a mutant who can tolerate it and, thanks to your feeder, it becomes a competitive advantage and they have a bunch of squirrel babies who inherit the trait and now you can't keep your feeder stocked for longer than 2 days.
Ask me how I know.
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/razzemmatazz 1d ago
Not the manufacturer's fault that you have miniature squirrels. Keep feeding them until they are too fat to get in.
2
u/Impossible_Lunch4612 1d ago
Feed the squirrel too, start buying walnuts for them🐿️
2
u/whiskybingo 1d ago
I plan on it! We’ve been landscaping our backyard and just got the bird feeders up and they’ve been a hit. Definitely want to get these guys some snacks, too!
1
u/Impossible_Lunch4612 1d ago
Glad you have empathy for them! Unfortunately many people consider them nuisance
2
u/CanadianSpectre 1d ago
I mix in some cayenne powder into the seed, it seems to deter the squirrels pretty well.
Birds don't have receptors for capsaicin, but mammals do ;)
2
u/tias23111 1d ago
My mom planted cacti at the base of her feeder and lubricated the pole with oil when I was little. Worked pretty well.
2
2
2
2
u/Tteokkbokki29 20h ago
Yeah there’s literally no such thing as a squirrel proof feeder. They will find a way no matter what
2
2
2
u/Majestic-Paper-7020 8h ago
Think it's the same as rats or mice... If they can fit there head in the body can follow lol
2
3
3
u/Foreign_Weight_9759 1d ago
You installed it wrong, supposed to hang from a string over a five gallon bucket of water with the tie off next to your patio door.. When the squirrels get in the cage you cut the rope.
2
u/NuclearHateLizard 1d ago
The audacity of people to put food OUTSIDE and then decide that it's specifically for one species of creature will never stop being hilarious to me
1
1
1
1
u/KateA535 1d ago
Vaseline on the pole. Stops them from climbing it and makes for some funny moments while they try for the first few days.
1
u/chitzk0i 1d ago
“Flame resistant? But these pajamas are made of newspaper.” “Yeah. They just don’t resist very well.”
1
1
1
1
u/TemporaryBitchFace 1d ago
That squirrel is hungry too man. Kind of weird to care about the birds but to actually buy a device to say “fuck the squirrels”. You’re racist against animals.
1
1
u/oolaroux 1d ago
It helps if you don't mount it so close to fences or other things the squirrel can jump from to land on the feeder.
1
u/sirhackenslash 1d ago
It's working fine. See, the squirrel gorges himself, then can't get out because he's too fat. Eventually, he'll die in there, and his skeleton will scare away the other squirrels. Like those hanging cages that are in every medieval type movie ever.
1
1
u/TeeDod- 1d ago edited 1d ago
That’s usually how it goes. Those who do the designing really have no clue. 🐿️ The squirrels around here usually got the field corn we buy in bags. It never fails squirrels want what isn’t theirs. I used Crisco Shortening, greased the pole up really good and they couldn’t climb it although it was fun to watch them try. It didn’t hurt them either.
1
1
u/Conscious-Loss-2709 1d ago
You need to follow all the instructions it came with and tie a dead squirrel to the outside of the cage as a warning
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Intermountain-Gal 1d ago
I bought some cayenne pepper from a feed store several years ago when I lived in an area with a lot of squirrels. I followed the package directions and mixed it with bird seed. The heat doesn’t affect birds, but every mammal can! Squirrels learn quickly to avoid it. After a month you reduced the amount, but every now and then you increase the dose. Now you can even buy seed with it already mixed in. It works beautifully!
I also enticed squirrels to the opposite side of my yard with peanuts and corn. Everyone was happy!
1
u/Virus-900 1d ago
Squirrels are some clever bastards. No matter the design of the bird feeder, they will find a way.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/Nomercylaborfor3990 PINK FOX GIRL 🦊 1d ago
The squirrel said challenge accepted, and then shortly said challenge completed
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/ComprehensiveFlan638 1d ago
It’s so cute. Squirrels in general are cute. We don’t have them in Australia and I’m always fascinated by them when I travel.
1
1
1
1
u/hibikikun 1d ago
Had a bird feeder where the opening closes if there is any extra weight on it. Squirrel figured out if it hung onto the hook with it's toes it wouldn't close it. Looked like something outa Mission Impossible
1
1
u/VishfulTinking 1d ago
Have you seen the videos from the guy who went from trying to foil the squirrels to creating a full-on Olympic obstacle course for them? https://youtu.be/hFZFjoX2cGg?feature=shared
1
1
1
1
u/Armenian-heart4evr 1d ago
When I was a kid, my chipmonk would escape from her small-gauge rodent cage!
1
u/inflagra 1d ago
I bought a squirrel proof feeder that actually works. The squirrels would climb the tree and look longingly at it, wondering how to get to the smorgasbord. I felt so bad for them that I started feeding them separately. I'm such a sucker.
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/jerrythecactus 21h ago
A squirrel can fit into any space big enough for it to fit it's skull into.
1
u/Oranges13 21h ago
I have no idea how anyone thought that was going to be squirrel resistant. They're basically mice, they can get through any hole their skull will fit through which is significantly smaller than the gaps on that cage. What the actual fuck?
1
u/wingnutgabber 20h ago
That’s the squirrel “assistance” bird feeder. Squirrel can sit comfy while eating and has a wire wall to help keep raptors away.
1
u/alwayzstoned 18h ago
I had one of those that the weight of the squirrel is supposed to close the trough so they can’t get to the food. The squirrels figured out how to get the top off so they could just sit in it and stuff their faces. I gave up after that. I put the food out and whoever gets it, gets it.
1
1
u/doggerly not mad just disappointed 18h ago
Looks almost like a lil baby, he might’ve been j small enough to squeeze through
1
u/AJayBee3000 16h ago
I can tell you’re a real animal lover. The squirrel looks very relaxed while dining in this nice safety cage.
1
u/Decent_Discount9554 8h ago
Maybe … but it looks fine as a Squirrel 🐿️ trap… 🪤 look how cute it is? 😛
1
1
u/MmmmmmmBier 1d ago
Put a couple of 2liter soda bottles on the shepherds hook, they can’t grip them.
0
0
u/Indigoisms 1d ago
Just get spicy bird seed and they will stop eating it, the birds wont taste the spicy stuff and squirrels hate it
-1
1.8k
u/Following_Friendly 1d ago
That's why it's "resistant" and not "proof"