Squirrel-Proof Your Bird Feeder With A Handy DIY Solution

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Everyone loves garden visitors. Wildlife is an integral part of our ecosystem, so it's important that we create spaces where animals feel welcome and safe. That's exactly why so many of us invest in feeders that will keep birds flocking to our yard. The issue is that, when you put food out for your feathered friends, it's also attractive to squirrels. And while you may not want to play favorites, that can be a bit of an issue. While they're fun to observe and undoubtedly cute, squirrels aren't good at sharing. In addition, they're also known to chew through all sorts of things, including the plastic or wood that the bird feeder is made of, destroying it and ruining the party for neighboring birds. But don't worry, a fiberglass column or tube might be all you need to squirrel-proof your bird feeder.

This hack is specifically for pole-mounted feeders. While they might look like a safe bet, feeder poles are often narrow enough for squirrels to grab onto and climb up, and sometimes made of materials that are grippy, like wood. These guys are agile, especially when it comes to getting food. They're willing to climb very high if it means eating their favorite snacks.

So, what can we do? Well, the idea here is to cover the pole with a fiberglass column, which is too smooth for squirrels to climb up with their little feet, and too wide for them to wrap their legs around. You're pretty much putting a slippery barrier around the pole to make it less convenient to climb, which should prevent squirrels from getting high enough to access the bird feeder and its precious seeds.

The first part of this hack is to successfully install the bird feeder pole in your yard. Squirrels can jump really high (nearly 5 feet), so you'll want the bird food to hang high enough that they can't just throw themselves at it and go around your fiberglass subterfuge. Something like Gtongoko heavy duty bird feeder poles, which are 9 feet tall, is perfect. Despite its height, you'll also have to place the feeder pole somewhere that's not near any other structures and trees. Squirrels can jump nearly 10 feet from one perch to another, and if they can simply go from a tree branch or roof to your bird feeders, the fiberglass won't be any help. 

Fiberglass porch columns are hollow, which is perfect for our purposes. The main concern when choosing a fiberglass column is that it's shorter than the feeder pole so that it can cover its bottom section but the horizontal hooks will still be able to poke through at the top. Here, look for something like Endura-Stone's round tapered column, which comes in 5 or 6 feet tall models, both of which would work, depending on your feeder pole's height.

To put this DIY together and keep squirrels out of your bird feeder, take the top or bottom sections of the pole off. Typically, the different sections screw into each other, so de-assembling and re-assembling it should be simple. Now, feed that thin feeder pole inside the fiberglass column. At the bottom, under the base of the column, re-attach the feeder's hooks meant to go into the ground. At the top, re-attach the horizontal poles and hangers above the top of the fiberglass column. Now, just insert the feeder pole into the ground, with the fiberglass column around it.