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[jannabelle1]

If you feed the birds with seeds that you place on the ground, you'll have squirrels. You can purchase squirrel-proof feeders that are mounted either on a pole or a fence. I bought several different types from Duncraft and they work perfectly. Another possibility is the suet or seeds that are spicy hot - the birds can't taste it (according to Duncraft), but the squirrels leave it alone. Or, try a small feeder with suction cups that attach to a window. Most squirrels won't try to climb up your house to get to a window feeder. The birds will find the feeder and you can still watch them - up close!

You could also purchase some of the fun squirrel feeders that use peanuts in the shell. Squirrels can be entertaining, but they can also be annoying at times. I live in a wooded area, so squirrels are just part of the habitat. I chose to give them their own little feeding area with peanuts and shelled corn, and that keeps them away from my squirrel-proof feeders.

[fthunt]

Millet - sorry don't think birds like them either and are tiny tiny seeds.  Have clened pounds of it from bird feeder bottom/

With squirrels have to get feeders up off the ground.  On a pole install a ...buffer....looks like a witch hat -black has a bracket w/screws to attach to pole half way up - between ground and feeder.  Squirrel hits a dead-end as he goes up the pole.  At Amazon for $14 - $20.  get a big one - 14 to 18 inches.......otherwise squirrel will hang on small one and reach for feeder.  East to install once you have the pole /w feeder on top.

Also feeders have a spring loaded perch so IF squirrel makes it to feeder - his weight will close the food tray.

I never have a squirrel in my feeder.  Also get a hanging one with just perches - feeding holes.......no place there for squirrel to set himself down to eat.

Duncraft best feeders on earth - google Duncraft

You can not feed birds at ground level - you'll lose every time fighting the squirrels.

sorry so long..............................................

[River Song]

I buy the cheapest bird seed mix at Wal-Mart.  The birds and squirrels eat together throughout the day.  Everybody eats, everybody is happy.  My problem is with the raccoons, they are pigs, eat all the bird seed and chase away the birds and squirrels.

[Mistreatedbycs]

There is absolutely nothing you can do, trust me, read up on it, bought

this awful smelling squirrel deterant and nothing works.  You will also attract chipmunks and moles too with that bird feeder.  

So you just can't feed one and not all the rest.  You'll drive yourself crazy buying everything out there, nothing works.

My friend live traps them, drives them 10 miles and releases them, for some reason they know how to come "home".  Not really, but there's always more to live trap.  They just don't go away.

[RedTop]

@Tinkrbl44 

I feel for you, as those squirrels are not going to walk away from their free food source!   

It took 20+ boxes of D-con to get rid of the squirrels that invaded my grandmothers house looking for the peanuts my grandfather gave them daily for over 10 years.   They chewed their way in from the top and bottom, and destroyed many things inside the house, looking for food.   

[proudlyfromNJ]

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@Snowpuppy wrote:

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@proudlyfromNJ wrote:

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@ThinkingOutLoud wrote:

I had a bird feeder on a pole with one of those metal can kind of things that makes it hard for squirrels to climb it. They still tried but after one took a rough fall, didn't see any for quite some time. It wasn't the ideal look but it worked. 

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@ThinkingOutLoud  That's what I have and have had it for years. Have never had a squirrel get in the feeder. They hang around the bottom for cast offs as do the deer.

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And up here the spilled bird seed is a mighty nice treat for the black bear that come around.

Bears have quite the nose. A local man found that out when he brought the feeder inside his home only to find the black bear on his deck, pushing his nose against the slider.

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@Snowpuppy  Yes, I can see bears would be a deterrent, but we don't have them in this area.

[On It]

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@Snowpuppy wrote:

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@proudlyfromNJ wrote:

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@ThinkingOutLoud wrote:

I had a bird feeder on a pole with one of those metal can kind of things that makes it hard for squirrels to climb it. They still tried but after one took a rough fall, didn't see any for quite some time. It wasn't the ideal look but it worked. 

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@ThinkingOutLoud  That's what I have and have had it for years. Have never had a squirrel get in the feeder. They hang around the bottom for cast offs as do the deer.

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And up here the spilled bird seed is a mighty nice treat for the black bear that come around.

Bears have quite the nose. A local man found that out when he brought the feeder inside his home only to find the black bear on his deck, pushing his nose against the slider.

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Bear really enjoy a good drink out of the hummingbird feeder as well. I saw a photo of a bear holding one with both paws and chug-a-lugging away in the area where we vacation.

[ScrapHappy]

We have a bird feeder in our back yard, it hangs on a shepards hook.  Eventually the squirrels found it.  They were always at that feeder.  Drove my husband crazy which drove me crazy.  He'd go out and chase them, run after them we a bb gun.  We purchased one of those squirrel :repellant" thing, like a guard so the squirrels couldn't get at it.  Of course that didn't work.  Read on line somwhere that squirrels are smart and they will eventually figure out how to get what they want.  They only thing that helped was greasing the shepards hook poll.  Eventually they got tired of trying and hasn't been on the bird feeder for some time now (knock on wood).

[Kachina624]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

Whoops!   I forgot to mention .....  

I buy bird seed at Anawalts and place it on a tray and it sits on the cement on my terrace.  There's a water dish nearby for those who are thirsty.    All sizes of birds have access .... but so do those little monsters.

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@Tinkrbl44    And mice and rats are attracted to your house. 

[ECBG]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

I don't have squirrels but I hear everyone who does and feeds birds has this problem.  Don't people usually buy squirrel-proof bird feeders? 

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@Kachina624 

I had TOTALLY forgotten there is an item like you describe!  Great call!