The only deterrent I've found is safflower seeds. Squirrels don't like it, but the songbirds do. Down side is the mess it makes with sprouted seeds. Make sure your feeder hangs in an area where that's not an issue.

Squirrels are pretty hard to foil. There are scientists who make livings out of trying to come up with squirrel-proof devices for bird feeders. Actually there are some very humorous Web sites showing various devices people have tried, showing the squirrels winning virtually all of the time.

When I lived where there were squirrels, I used to put out enough seed and nuts for birds and squirrels. I find squirrels to be entertaining. I gave up on bird feeders a long time ago. They were always breaking for one reason or another. Now I just put out a bowl of seed in a place where, if seed lands on the ground and sprouts, it won't bother me.

I quit using the hummingbird feeder, too. Now I use a tiny bowl of sugar water, which I place on top of a 6' post. I have no idea why the ants and wasps stay away from the bowl but were always at the feeder.

Lorna

thanks for the replies. I am still broadly seeking suggestions from others. There just has to be a way to address this problem.

Yes. It's called a baffle. It fits on the pole, so that when the squirrel climbs the pole, he can't get around it. Our feeder is a Yankee Flipper, but they just rode around until they drained the battery. We added the cone baffle, and no more problems.

We take down our seed feeder in late April and put up a hummingbird feeder (we have 3).

Cameron

{{gwi:688916}}

Ah, squirrels - such cute and inventive little tree rats!

As mentioned above, they don't like safflower seed (it is pretty pricey, but goes further since they're not chowing or scattering it) and they also won't bother nyger (thistle) seed which the finch type birds enjoy. I've found the basic 'seed mix' types sold everywhere to not only be squirrel magnets, but create a lot of waste and sprouting mess below.

I have Yankee Flippers too - quite entertaining - and I fill them with straight black oil sunflower seed. I just swapped out the motorized perch on one for the "Whipper" perch attachment (they're interchangable) - squirrels are foiled, but the whipper will support up to cardinal size birds so they don't lose out.

Good luck and have fun watching the feathered folks!

I do like the cone idea. pretty clever. Thanks