How to stop squirrels stealing bird food

So, how do you stop squirrels from stealing your bird food?

While it certainly helps to know where to place bird feeders when knowing how to stop squirrels stealing bird food, squirrels are great problem solvers and can usually navigate their way to food if hungry enough. Generally, they will find their way to your feeders no matter where you place them, so using squirrel-resistant feeders is often the only way to stop them from competing with your garden birds for their nutritious bird food!

Squirrel-resistant feeders stop squirrels stealing bird food

Bird feeders designed with squirrels in mind will restrict them from being able to steal bird food, and it won’t be too long before they give up and do not come back:

• The Squirrel Buster® Bird Feeder has a 0.75-litre capacity, which is ideal for smaller gardens. This feeder will close when a squirrel climbs aboard, which restricts squirrels from getting the bird food. It also features a patented ventilation system that lets fresh air in the bottom while allowing warm, humid air to escape at the top to keep bird food fresher for longer!
• If you have a larger garden and attract more garden birds, the Squirrel Buster® Plus Bird Seed Feeder, with its 3-litre capacity, is the better option. This larger bird feeder offers birds longer periods of uninterrupted feeding thanks to its size, and it also means it needs refilling less often.
• Finally, the Squirrel Proof/Cage Seed Feeder is the ultimate solution against bird food-stealing squirrels. This robust bird feeder features a durable cage with a bird feeder inside to prevent squirrels from getting to your bird food. The centre-mounted feeder can be removed easily for cleaning and refilling.

Providing birds with nutritious food that squirrels don’t like

Squirrels love nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, corn and most fruits. And they will be drawn like a magnet towards bird feeders with their favourite food inside! So, if this sounds like your garden bird feeders, you could try filling them with different food that birds enjoy but squirrels are not interested in. Bird food like niger seeds, safflower seeds and millet will keep your bird’s bellies full, and you can be sure that no devious squirrels will be trying to steal any of it!

Offering squirrels an alternative is a good way to deter them!

If all else has failed and the hungry squirrels are not giving up and are still scaring your birds away, offering them a separate food source could be the solution. It is most likely that squirrels visiting your garden are doing so because there is no food elsewhere, so you will be helping nature by giving them some treats! Squirrels have a sweet tooth for peanuts and sunflower seeds, as mentioned before, so you will keep everyone happy by putting small portions of food out in an area away from your bird feeders.

Quick tips to help stop squirrels stealing bird food

• Provide squirrel-resistant feeders for your birds.
• Offer bird food that squirrels do not like.
• Clean up any bird food that birds may have spilt while they feast.
• Store your bird food in a sealed container in your garage or garden shed so squirrels can’t get easy access.
• Provide a food source for squirrels to keep them away from your bird feeders.
• If your feeders hang from string or a washing line, it can be a good deterrent to place plastic bottles, sections of plastic pipes or even a ‘slinky’ kids’ toy, making it harder for them to get to your feeders.

We have further reading below to help make the experience as rewarding for you as it is for the garden birds you are feeding:

• How to attract birds to your garden
• Where to place bird feeders
• How often should you fill your bird feeders?