Bought a fancy new suet feeder, ended up feeding the local squirrels for a month

I got one of those 'squirrel-proof' cage feeders and hung it from my maple tree in the backyard. For three weeks straight, the only thing I saw on it was a gang of gray squirrels hanging upside down like tiny acrobats. I finally moved it to a pole with a baffle, and a downy woodpecker showed up the next day. Anyone have a better spot for these things that actually works?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan_lopez692mo ago

That baffle on the pole is the real key. A lot of folks think it's just about distance from the tree trunk, but the angle matters too. If a squirrel can jump from a fence or a roof overhang, they'll still get it. You need that smooth pole section to be at least five feet high, and make sure there's no launch point within a ten foot radius. My neighbor had his feeder cleared out because a squirrel jumped from his deck railing.

the_max2mo ago

Your shed is definitely close enough for a squirrel to make that jump.

daniel_martin2mo ago

So that ten foot radius rule, is that from the base of the pole or from the feeder itself? My yard is pretty cramped and I've got a shed about eight feet away from where my pole is. A squirrel could easily run up the side of that shed and take a flying leap.

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