Living with Birds How to prevent squirrels from eating bird food Tweetapedia

An introduction to UK squirrels

The UK is home to two types of squirrel: Eurasian red squirrels and eastern grey squirrels.

Grey squirrels, introduced from North America, now vastly outnumber red squirrels in the UK. They are considered an invasive species because of their negative effects on the native red squirrel population. The number of red squirrels is stable in parts of Scotland, the Isle of Wight, and Anglesey because of conservation projects. They are also common across mainland Europe, particularly where grey squirrels have not been introduced.

Unlike many animals, squirrels do not hibernate over winter, although they often sleep for several days at a time. They build their nests, known as 'dreys', above ground level, usually in trees. These often appear like messy balls of sticks, moss, and leaves.

What do squirrels eat in the UK?

Squirrels are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and meat, although their diet consists mostly of plants and seeds. This is why you can often see them in gardens eating bird food. They have also been known to eat bird eggs, baby birds and insects.

To ensure that they have enough to eat throughout the winter, squirrels bury their food underground. They do this across a large area, reducing the chance that another squirrel will find their stores. Forgotten stores can grow into new trees, helping to maintain future squirrel populations.

How to stop squirrels eating bird food

Squirrels can be an annoying and costly problem for both people and garden birds. Luckily, there are a number of humane ways to prevent squirrels from accessing bird food.

Squirrel-proof bird feeders UK

There are a variety of feeders that have been designed with squirrel prevention in mind.

The Squirrel Buster® feeders are widely known as one of the best squirrel proof bird feeder ranges. Using a weight-activated mechanism, the food ports close automatically when a squirrel climbs on, preventing them from being able to access the food. This may also prevent larger birds like pigeons from controlling the feeding station. Furthermore, the lid is securely fastened, meaning that squirrels cannot remove it to reach the food inside.

However, any squirrel-proof bird seed feeder is sure to prevent and deter squirrels from stealing.

Squirrel-proof feeder accessories:

Using a feeder accessory can also help to make bird feeders squirrel proof. For example:

1. Squirrel baffles are wide, metal or plastic domes that stop squirrels from climbing up or down a pole to reach the feeder. They have a smooth surface that provides no grip for their paws, meaning that they will be unable to hang on for long.
2. Caged feeders also prevent squirrels (and large birds) from accessing bird food, allowing small birds to take precedence. You can also purchase bird feeder guardians to protect the feeders that you already own.
3. As birds are messy eaters, there are often discarded seeds and husks around the base of a feeder. This shows squirrels where there is an opportunity to feed. Therefore, providing a tray underneath to catch any debris may help to deter them from scavenging.

Providing squirrel food

Whilst it may seem counterintuitive, giving squirrels their own feeding station may help to lure them away from bird feeders. Having their own, dedicated feeding area in a separate part of your garden increases the chance of squirrels leaving bird feeders in peace.

What to feed squirrels UK:

Common food sources for squirrels include nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Giving them access to any of these is sure to deter them from stealing bird seed. If possible, place squirrel food several meters away from bird food. By associating a separate area with their food, squirrels are likely to ignore the area with your bird feeders.

Alternatively, you could provide birds with foods that squirrels are known to avoid. This is not a guarantee; hungry squirrels will most likely eat anything that they can get their hands on. However, foods such as niger seed and sunflower seeds are known to be less popular in general.

Setting up your feeders

We generally recommend a minimum clearance of 18 inches around a bird feeder. This reduces the chance that a squirrel will be able to reach or jump across from a branch or fence and access the food.

Preventing access

Stopping squirrels from accessing your garden in the first place is another option. Obviously, this is quite difficult to do. However, creating barriers out of materials such as chicken wire will at the very least make it more difficult for them.

Conclusion

There is no definitive way to prevent squirrels from eating your bird food; they are incredibly committed to finding their next meal. However, by employing one or multiple of these methods, you can drastically reduce the likelihood that they will be able to access bird feeders and ensure that garden birds can get their share of the food.