Just make sure the bottom of the feeder is at least 6 ft off the ground. A short step ladder can be used to attach & fill the feeder. If they get in the roller, it will roll them off. (The pipes should be about 1-2 ft long each.) These act as rollers if & when a squirrel actually gets on the pole or cable. On the cable inbetween each end and the clamp, add a 3" diameter piece of slick metal lightweight pipe. Attach a clamp for the feeder to the center of the cable where it can not slide to either end. A 1/4" steel cable tightly strung inbetween each pole top. (Think of a "Y" without the bottom leg.) That will make the tops of the poles more than 7 ft apart. First, a pair of metal poles, (slick ones,) or good wooden ones about 10 ft long with metal flashing wrapped around them, sunk in the ground approximately 7 ft apart, AT A 60 DEGREE ANGLE OPPOSING EACH OTHER. Think about these measurements when constructing a squirrel proof bird feeding station. I just happen to see too many cases where they are tried & do not work.)īird feeders are a constant battle for homeowners.Ī squirrel can leap up to 8 ft horizonally. (I know, I know, some folks swear by them. Even the "tried & true" mothballs do not work. Most of my squirrel work is to deal with the ones that have already invaded homes & are causing damage.Ĭhemical deterrents are, at best marginally effective. I deal with these questions all the time. Hartland resident Al Batt’s columns appear every Wednesday and Sunday.I am a state certified Animal Damage Control Agent. I don’t like the idea of a squirrel-flinging birdfeeder because I have been flung. Even if I were holding a severed limb, he told me to walk it off. Coach Smith had taught me to walk things off. I could have been angry, but I let it slide. I picked myself up and walked gingerly toward the truck. Until that moment, I had been fascinated with flight. The saucer stopped moving and flung me a good distance onto a wind-hardened snowbank. After several trips around the post, I came to the end of my rope. It began to wrap around the post like a boa constrictor embracing its favorite prey. I sighed with relief as I missed the post, but the rope hit the post head-on. I tried to turn the steering wheel, but there was none. When it came my time to turn, the saucer went off the road and headed for a signpost. The truck’s turn was made shorter than it should have been. A survivor’s smile spread across my face. The vehicle’s turn was navigated with little bloodshed and I artfully dodged harm. The saucer bounced like a crazed kangaroo, but I had ridden a horse that hated me, so I found hanging onto a circular sled to be no challenge. The pickup started and began to move slowly because the driver wanted to spare me the whiplash until later.ĭown the road we sped. So there I was, sitting in a saucer like Forrest Gump. I had a bad feeling, but I was unable to articulate my objections. 38 Calibre steel ball bearings or lead shot. My preferred choice of hunting ammunition is. This wrist brace really helps to maintain accuracy and reduce strain on the arm. Thread the clothesline through each of the soda bottles one on each side of of. The Catapult I have owned for many years is an extremely powerful manufactured model with a wrist brace. Thread the clothesline through the mount of the bird feeder. Puncture a small hole in the bottom of each of the soda bottles with the knife. If we had owned a label maker, my label would have been “chump.” A tried and tested tactic to keep squirrels off your bird seed is to use feeding poles with special attachments called baffles. The instructions for creating a clothesline baffle system are quite easy and very inexpensive to make: Step 1. “Where would we find anyone dumb enough to sit in that saucer?” I asked.Įveryone looked at me. There should always be room for cavorting. I was excited about the prospect of watching this thing take place. Today, this birdseed thief learned a valuable lesson.or maybe I just had some fun. It will keep you, the squirrels, and the birds all content and happy. This miniature picnic table gives a place to place the food while also giving the squirrel a place to ‘sit’. “We’ll use a long rope so that the rider of the saucer will have plenty of time to veer to either side in case I have to make a sudden stop because of a tree in the middle of the road or something.” This squirrel picnic table is the ideal way to keep squirrels off of your bird feeders. We always had rope because we had many things that needed roping. It will be like the Olympics only better.” “We’ll tie the saucer to the bumper of my truck and then pull it down the gravel road.
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