Wherever there is birdseed, most likely squirrels are nearby. In winter months, squirrels are busy looking for food and bird feeder makes it easy for them to get it. Unless you have a squirrel proof bird feeder. Bird watchers rely on their bird feeders to attract wild birds for their enjoyment. Squirrels can make this hard to achieve when they eat all the birdseed from the feeder.
This has lead to more expensive and complex feeders. The more sophisticated feeders can close the access to the seed when a weighty animal attempts to eat the seed. Some feeders have a cage that only allows smaller animals to pass through the opening to the feeder. If the expensive feeders are out of your price range, you can resort to traditional and cheaper methods. Try changing the bird seed or bird food that you put in the feeder. Squirrels love birdseed but despise safflower seeds. This will discourage them from returning to the feeder. Greasy poles cause squirrels to slip off the poles and again discouraging the attempt to get to the birdseed.
The higher you place the feeder on the pole, the better. Just make sure it is not close to a tree. The harder it is for the squirrel to climb the pole you stand a better chance at keeping your birdseed for the birds. Squirrel proof bird feeders can keep squirrels away from the birdseed. Screens that are installed on some feeders stop squirrels from devouring the birdseed. The squirrel cannot get to the seed but the birds can. Plastic tops or dome coverings only allow access by birds and squirrels can’t reach the seed.
Even though the squirrel can’t get to the seed, some will try to knock the feeder down or knock seed out of the feeder by impact. By constantly jumping on or bumping the feeder, some seed will spill. The squirrel realizes this and will continue to make an attempt to bump the feeder. The seed falls on the ground and the squirrel has his meal. If you can keep the squirrel off the feeder, you will save more birdseed.
Gadgets like circular plastic guards are used to keep squirrels from reaching the feeder. Greasing the pole with oil can’t cause the squirrel to slip off the pole and again ruining his chances of reaching the feeder. A squirrel proof bird feeder does indicate that it will keep squirrels away from the birdseed. If you rather not deal with oil and gadgets, the squirrel proof bird feeder might be what you are looking for.