Disguise and Discourage

• There are several homemade feeders you can make to discourage the squirrels; they are based on the idea of hiding the seeds from the squirrels and making it harder to get to. You can build a feeder out of a clean plastic bottle by cutting holes big enough for the birds to enter but too small for the squirrels. Suspend this from a small wire that is hard for the squirrels to grip. Fill the bottom of the bottle with seeds for the birds. Make sure that there is enough air circulation in the bottle that it doesn't get too hot for the birds.
  
  

Baffle Them with Baffles

• Another way to discourage squirrels is to add a baffle to an existing feeder. The baffle can be made from sheet metal, plastic or even a metal pie pan, but it must be slippery and larger in diameter than the feeder. Attach the baffle to the top of the feeder with wires. How you attach the baffle will vary with the type of feeder, but usually you will drill holes in the baffle and secure it by wrapping wires around the top of the feeder or the post it is attached to. Also, you can attach pieces of PVC pipe with wires or chains in front of the feeding areas by wrapping the wire around the feeder itself or the roosting area. Bend the ends of the wires to avoid leaving sharp edges exposed that could harm birds or squirrels. This allows the birds room to feed but not the squirrels. Because the pipe also rotates when stepped on by the squirrels, it makes getting a foothold difficult.
  
  

Location, Location, Location

• After you've made your feeder or modified an existing one, locating it in the proper area might be your best squirrel deterrent. The feeder should be placed at least 12 feet away from a tree or post and 6 feet off the ground to prevent squirrels jumping on it.