If you learn, accept and then apply these 5 facts about Gray Squirrels, your birdfeeding experience will be more enjoyable.
Other advantages: your blood pressure will go down and you will no longer find yourself cursing at a squirrel on your feeder in front of your neighbors and kids.
1) Gray Squirrels can jump up to 10 feet horizontally.
So, place any birdfeeder or birdhouse you don't want them on at least 10 feet from any jumping off point. Get a tape measure to be sure. Look around for "jumping off points"; they include not only trees, but roofs, wires, bushes, birdbaths, well heads, deck rails, boulders, cars, tree stumps...well, hopefully you're getting the idea.
2) Gray Squirrels can jump up to 4-5 feet vertically.
To deal with this, place anything you don't want them to get to at least 5 feet high. When placing a baffle on your birdfeeding pole, the top of that baffle should be 4-5 feet high. Just as importantly, make sure no feeders dangling below the top of the baffle. If you miss this point, squirrels will just jump to the bottom of the low dangling feeders, bypassing a baffle and accessing your entire feeding station!
3) If you live in the north, snow piles become jumping off points.
Keep an eye on this as winter progresses and as snow accumulates.
4) Each new litter of squirrels will explore and discover their new world by chewing, climbing, jumping, stretching, and testing everything in their path.
Summer is an especially trying time as young squirrels and nursing mother squirrels try to get at an easy source of food.
5) We are the humans; they are the rodents. We are smarter than them.
They ARE persistent though. But when we are armed with this knowledge of their physical limitations, we CAN set up our birdfeeders in a way that squirrels cannot access them.
Apply these squirrel facts and be happier and healthier!
Barbara, thanks again for the thumbs up! This year has been a huge squirrel year and they can cause headaches if you don't set up the feeders right. Thanks again for your comment.
Posted by: The Zen Birdfeeder | July 04, 2012 at 05:57 PM
Love this post - and your final comment Nancy - Squirrels - grey, red or black can confound us as can their cousins the chipmunks. The red black and grey fellows have left my property due to persistent dogs and cats, but recently a wiley chipmunk appears to have moved it. I wonder how long it will last? Great post to think about and enjoy! and good information too
Posted by: Barbara | June 29, 2012 at 09:15 AM