Baffles:

Your first defense against squirrels should be baffles.  Not only do baffles protect hanging bird feeders from squirrels, it can also protect the bird seed from rain and snow!  Baffles hang over feeders like a dome, although some baffles may be placed below. The goal with a baffle is that the bird will not be able to find his way around it and onto the bird feeder.

I would recommend the Super Dome Squirrel Baffle, shown to the right, for your pest problems!  It is the largest baffle on the market at 18 inches in diameter.  This huge baffle minimizes the risk that your bird seed will become soggy from rain or snow.  Wet bird seed becomes moldy, which can make birds get sick.  You do not want birds to associate your bird feeder with bad bird seed!

If you want to make a home-made baffle, you can use an aluminum pie plate.  Just cut a whole in the center and string it above the feeder.  If your bird feeder is close to the ground, you can put a baffle underneath the feeder.  Be sure to have your lower baffle at least 4 feet above the ground so that squirrels can not leap over them.

Decoy Feeding Station

Believe it or not, some people enjoy having squirrels in their backyard.  I am actually one of these people!  I love having animals of all kinds in my backyard.  However, I do not want squirrels to eat my expensive bird seed.  What I do is set up a wire basket and fill it with dried corn and put it near the trees that the squirrels like to climb.  Having cheap food easily accessible to squirrels makes them less likely to try to attempt to steal from a bird feeder.

Set Up Live-Traps

Live-trapping squirrels and relocating them is an option.  When relocating a squirrel, be sure to take them far away from the nearest bird feeder.  More squirrels will most likely show up, so you will have to set up more live-traps.  Therefore, it would be easier to try baffles and decoy feeding stations before trying live-trapping!

Updated:  October 11, 2010 

Two elements that can destroy your bird seed are rain and snow.  These two elements can make it soggy and wet, which can harbor bacteria and mold.  To help prevent your bird seed from becoming ruined, a rain guard on your bird feeder can be very beneficial for protecting the bird seed and keeping it fresh. 

Here are a few feeders that are great for a variety of feeders. Brushed Copper Weather Shield by Aubudon Woodlink. 

This beautiful rain baffle is made of copper that weathers nicely with age. It may be easily attached to the top of your bird feeder for protection from rain and snow.  In addition, it is 18 inches in diameter and that is great for offering birds some shelter from the elements while they eat.  It also looks great with a variety of copper bird feeders for a coordinated look.

Another fun, decorative rain guard that looks great with a variety of bird feeders is the Decorative Bird Feeder Dome 14 in. .  This attractive rain guard is made of a durable polycarbonate that is virtually unbreakable and the dome is 14 inches in diameter to offer birds plenty of shelter when eating from your tube feeder.  The decorative design on the cleardome will instantly add character to any tube bird feeder and it is very easy to install on top of the feeder.

The Seattle Rain Guard for Bird Feeders is a simple and easy-to-install rain guard that looks great any tube bird feeder.  It is designed to easily slip on a variety of Droll Yankee bird feeders or other tube bird feeders that are two and a half inches in diameter. The UV stabilized polycarbonate dome is resistant to breaking and won’t become discolored from exposure from the sun.  Not only is it great protection from your bird seed, but also protects the birds from rain and snow.

“I was sitting in my kitchen one day watching the birds eating when I noticed that I could not see the birds on the opposite side of the feeder. I tried to move from one window to another to get a glimpse at the birds but was frustrated in that I could not figure out what kinds of birds they were!

That is when I thought of the initial version of the ‘Twirl-a-Squirrel™’ invention! Except this version would be for rotating birds very slowly.

“So about a week later I had a crude prototype made that had a wire that went from the top of the feeder to an on/off switch inside my house. Then when birds landed I turned the on/off switch on and was pleasantly surprised to see that at certain RPMs, the birds did not mind at all the rotating bird feeders. In fact I think they liked it more since now they too could see 360 degrees around them, which was great for looking out for predators like house cats trying to sneak up on the feeding birds.

“Well one day, while I was testing my new invention, a squirrel jumped on the feeder, which of course scared away all of the birds. This was when I asked myself, ‘If I rotated the hanging feeder fast enough, would the squirrel want to jump off? So I took my prototype down, made some minor modifications to the gearbox and motor and hung it back up again the next day. This time when a squirrel jumped on, I turned the ‘high-speed’ switch on and was so excited to see that my new invention ‘Twirl-a-Squirrel™’ worked fantastic! The squirrel did indeed get dizzy after about five seconds of riding the ‘merry-go-round’ feeder. As the days went by, it was even more fun watching the squirrels all try and defeat this invention. Of course they never did!”