The expert: John Hadidian, Ph.D., director of urban wildlife for The Humane Society of the United States, primary author of new book, “Wild Neighbors: The Humane Approach to Living with Wildlife.”
The product: squirrel-proof bird feeder
What I want: Something aesthetic that works.
I must have: Affordable. And doesn’t hurt the squirrels; we’ve seen some really barbaric homemade devices out there,
What I hate: People who think nothing of trapping and relocating dozens of squirrels every winter because they do not tolerate them at the bird feeder, not realizing that this is a death sentence to an animal that spends the fall storing food to carry it through the lean times.
Savvy shopper: Squirrels can chew their way through both wood and plastic so a feeder made out of these materials has to be protected by either a device that doesn’t allow squirrels to climb onto it (a baffler on a pole) or that protectively surrounds it (with a metal wire cage device). There are also metal feeders that close the access door to seed when an animal as heavy as a squirrel sits on them.
My pick: Custom-made metal cage around an old favorite, the Droll Yankee tube feeder. ($54.99, Sears). Pick up any Duncraft, Droll Yankee or most garden supply catalogues or visit a local wild bird center and you’ll see tons of good ideas about how to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder and co-exist with them peacefully.
Next best thing: Oh sigh….a vacation in a place where squirrels are not to be found—the Bahamas, perhaps. Most wild bird stores sell things for squirrels to eat too and a simple chain with a hook that attaches to an ear of dried corn can provide hours of entertainment as squirrels try fantastic leaps onto this irresistible food source (which also distracts them from your bird feeder!).
as told to Laurie Squire
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