It's a familiar frustration for bird lovers: the careful stocking of feeders, only for agile grey squirrels to effortlessly snaffle seeds and fatballs.
Over the years, desperate measures to stop these fury pests have included coating poles and baffles – the inverted bowl-like guards – with cooking oil or petroleum jelly, hoping the unwelcome visitors will slide off before reaching their prize.
Yet, these cunning creatures often find a way.
With government figures indicating over 2.5 million squirrels across the UK, the question remains: what more can be done to protect our feathered friends' meals?
Here’s what to know.
Use squirrel-proof feeders
There are loads on the market, many of which house the food within cages which are too small for squirrels and larger birds like magpies and pigeons to access.
Some are better than others, so make sure you buy one with a tight lid, because squirrels have been known to gain access to the food by prising off the lid with their teeth and claws and literally climbing inside the tubular feeder inside.
There are also weighted feeders, which close when anything heavy like a squirrel lands on them, but again, make sure that it’s not possible for the squirrel to access the feeder without actually resting on it.
If there are nearby branches or bushy shrubs on which the squirrel can perch, lean over or dangle from to get to the food in a weighted feeder, you may have to reposition it.
If squirrels are targeting a particular feeder, just take it down for the time being because if you stop the supply of food at least temporarily, they will go elsewhere.
Use food squirrels don’t like
“Not all bird food is equally attractive to squirrels. While they’ll devour sunflower seeds, peanuts and suet without a second thought, there are some options they’re less keen on,” says wildlife expert Sean McMenemy, founder of bird food provider Ark Wildlife.
These include: capsaicin-treated seed – birds can’t taste spice, but squirrels find it unbearable; niger seeds – too tiny and fiddly for squirrels, but perfect for goldfinches; safflower seeds – these have a bitter taste that birds love but squirrels tend to avoid.
Place feeders out of reach
“Position feeders away from nearby trees or other surfaces that animals could use to jump on to the feeder,” suggests wildlife expert Richard Green from Kennedy Wild Bird Food & Pet Supplies.
Squirrels can leap surprisingly long distances – typically four to five feet vertically and eight to 10 feet horizontally from a launching point. So, position your feeders where a squirrel might make a leap for them, away from fences, trees with convenient hanging branches and evergreen shrubs.
Don’t think that hanging a feeder from your washing line will keep them off either, because many gardeners have witnessed them walking tightropes to reach their next meal.
Sprinkle cayenne pepper
Sprinkle a little cayenne pepper in the bird seed and mix it around. Squirrels hate spice but birds don’t have the same receptors for spicy heat.
Try natural deterrents
You can buy concentrated blends of peppermint, cinnamon, chilli and garlic essential oil to dilute and spray around the areas you don’t want squirrels, such as feeder poles or around bird tables, because they hate the smell.
Citrus peel has also been used as a deterrent around the base of feeders, while some gardeners scatter coffee grounds or place vinegar-soaked cloths near feeding areas.
Store bird food carefully
Even if you think your bird food is safe in sealed, rigid plastic containers, if you’ve left it outside in a sheltered spot but squirrels can see it, they will often find a way in. Plus, any damp can increase the risk of mould on your seed.
To be on the safe side, store it indoors in cool, dark, dry area in a galvanised metal container with a tight lid.
Create a separate squirrel feeding station
Offering a separate squirrel feeding station containing nuts can act as a distraction, McMenemy suggests.
Don’t overfill feeders
The Wildlife Trusts maintains that refilling feeders little and often will avoid squirrels finding a regular excess of food and is better for the health of birds as well, because it helps reduce the spread of diseases, along with regular feeder cleaning.
“The best long-term strategy is to remove whatever is drawing squirrels to your property from the start,” says McMenemy.
Reduce other garden incentives for squirrels by putting fine wire mesh over veg patches and removing fallen fruit, as well as planting squirrel-repellent flowers such as daffodils and alliums, he suggests.
“The big lesson is about layering many different methods instead of only one. Combining physical barriers, scent deterrents, and feeder technology provides a first-rate all-around protection plan, one that can keep your bird paradise in service and deter squirrels.”
If you provide them with an alternative natural food by planting species such as oak, which will give them a supply of acorns over time, this will help sustain them in winter months, rather than the bird seed, The Wildlife Trusts adds.
