Slinky stupendously stops bird feeder robbing squirrels!

Hokey Smokes! I'd never believe it if I hadn't tried it for a week. And on edit, no squirrels were harmed in this effort...

I've feed thousands of dollars of bird feed to squirrels over the last two decades. And I've replaced a half dozen or so feeders that were "eaten out" by the acrobatic scurids.

I've chased them, sprayed water on them, hung feeders from wires with 2 liter bottles as barriers, I've put doggy do around the post... BUT... my search for anti-squirrel devices finally came down to putting a one dollar slinky (yes the kid's toy) over the post from which bird feeders hang.

It's been a week and a half and I've not seen a squirrel or chipmonk on the feeders. The feeders usually emptied every other day, have lasted over a week on a single filling...

SO, I'm BULLISH on slinkies! Why don't they sell these at Wild Birds Unlimited??????

If you didn't like the squirrels eating the food you put out there, why did you keep putting food out there?

That's why I put food out, and I don't want any damn squirrels eating it - this is an extra issue over here given the whole grey/red controversy.

…most of it is going to be eaten by squirrels. It's practically a law of nature. If you don't want the squirrels eating the food (I don't see why it's a big deal, but hey...), then don't put the food out for the birds.

pic, link, anything?

Although a solution may give my ex-FIL a reason to give up... It's been his mission for years to keep squirrels out of the feeders.

I wish I had a digital camera...

My current bird feeder is a pole that supports 2 curved arms from which the bird feeders hang.

I pulled section with the branches off, put the slinky over the pole i.e. so the slinky spirals around the pole. I replaced the section with the branches and wired the top of the slinky at the base of the "Y." The stretched out slinky reaches within 6 inches of the ground. When the squirrels grab it to climb or jump up on it, it stretches and puts them back on the ground!

Simple, cheap, and so far very very effective.

:bounce:

Thank you.I have stooped to throwing rocks at the chipmunks.Thank you.Thank you.Thank you.

Glad it works, but how in heck did you think of using the slinky?

most of us with bird feeders are long reconciled to feeding squirrels.

But, I have no kid's birthdays/holidays to shop for so I never made a point of going into children's toys the slinky until a men's clothing sale stretched to near the toy section in the local Target store.

Went to the dollar store and got the biggest damn plastic bowl they had plus a 2-pack of ceiling hooks with molly bolts. Punched a hole in the bottom of the bowl and ran a ceiling hook bold through it then screwed a hook on either end (with the molly between them to hold the bold snug but probably not necessary). So the order now is branch/short chain/hook/upside down bowl/hook/feeder.

and watch the furry critters try to climb it. Probably good for a laugh.