Last night, in the middle of the tornado warning alert and our phones and our alarm system screaming in unison that a tornado is imminent:
Gordon: Is that a tornado siren of a flash flood siren?
Me: Who knows?
Kid 2. Kid 2 knows. They used to just do sirens for the tornados, but now they added flash floods, and so the tone of the siren is different. Apparently, that was the flash flood siren.
We’d managed to catch Batty, our outside cat, and secured her in the laundry room. The trust is broken again, and she will have to get over it for the next 6 months, but she didn’t fly into the storm. The tornado and hail missed us, so hey, it’s a good day. So on brand for Central Texas though. Any other day – sunny, hot, blue sky. Memorial and 4th of July – massive thunderstorm every year.
Gordon is recovering from surgery. We had to take the original bandage off and sealed the incision sites with waterproof bandages so he could take a shower, and his incisions are dry, the right color, and seem to be healing well. He can raise his arm all the way up, but the shoulder is still tight. He’s been going to physical therapy and his post-op is next week. Hopefully they will clear him for swimming, because that really seemed to help.
Yesterday Grace Draven came over before the storm, and we hung out and talked shop. I’m so excited for the new novella she is working on. It’s a brand new world and it is so shiny.
In other news, we are engaged in a tower-defense military campaign called, “Protect the bird feeder.” We both really like watching birds from the office window, so we set up a birdfeeder. We get all kind of birds and it’s awesome. We also get squirrels and the deer, who wreck the birdfeeder. The deer are the worst, so we now installed some strategic garden fencing around the bird feeder in concentric circles so they can’t step over it.
The squirrels are a bigger problem. Protecting against them is impossible so instead we settled for the misdirection.
Look how cute he is at his picnic table.
That’s amazing. Thank you for cute squirrel pictures!
The squirrel picnic table is adorable.
I am surprised you don’t also get skunks eating all the dropped birdseed.
My experience with those fuzzy rats is that the misdirection will only work so long before they decide to hit both sites. Good luck!
I’ve heard them called tree rats. It’s funny, but I think they’re cuter than rats.
Aggressive tree climbing rats. Used to get in our dorm rooms (old buildings, no AC, no window screens) and destroy stuff. Had squirrel blood on my desk from a fight over a muffin I forgot to secure. Chew into attics and cause problems also. I like the low voltage shock approach ( was the only thing that kept our lab mix from climbing the fence). Don’t feed and increase population.
Rats can climb trees, When I was young we lived by a river. After our cat population rose to 3 including a semi wild cat who liked catching rats there was an explosion of bird life in the area. I asked my mother why there were more birds and she said, “The rats can get to the top of the trees and the bamboo where the birds nest. The cats can’t. ” The rats eat the eggs and the fledglings.
Try squirrel proof feeders. My favorite is the one that starts spinning when activated by the squirrel’s weight. It will keep on spinning until the squirrel is flung off. This doesn’t seem to damage the squirrels as they usually try several times before giving up.
My favorite as well
I adore the naming for your battle with the heathen squirrel.
Wow, that sounds great.
The Yankee Flipper. It’s the best! And the look on the squirrels’ faces as they walk away…
The Brome spring-loaded feeder has worked very well for us for years now. The spring tension is adjustable, so with a little trial and error the feeder will close for anything heavier than a cardinal. This means I can even discourage grackles, though a few have learned how to bounce up and down on the perch and time it when the food ports open up.
Another trick is to use “hot pepper” suet cakes and bird seed. Song birds (at least the ones in Virginia) cannot taste capsaicin but squirrels sure can! I’ve seen a squirrel take a nibble at our suet feeder, only to sit on our deck railing frantically using his paws to wipe off his face.
I have this feeder for the past 15 years and no squirrel or deer have managed to get the food. The birds love it. https://a.co/d/8ZXZW6t
Made by Brom.
I have that one too! When the heavier squirrel climbs on, the top slides down so the seed is covered. It works great. Also, if you have suet feeders (we get wonderful woodpeckers at ours) buy hot pepper suet. The birds don’t taste the capsaicin, but the squirrels are mammals and don’t like it.
Thanks for the cute squirrel photos! Have you seen the squirrel obstacle course guy on Youtube? it is hilarious and awesome!
Mark Rober. My husband and son love watching his youtube Channel
Squirrel Olympics – so awesome!!!
Oh my gosh! The backyard maze is truly hilarious. Made my morning.
Thank you so much, really brought a smile to my face, and I don’t even like grey squirrels – because I never get any of the walnuts from the tree I planted, and they have done so much more destruction in my garden and even in my roof.
THIS.
Also (though not squirrel related) his video showing how carnival games like The Claw are rigged.
YES! That’s him! I love those videos!
My kid and I love these!
Yes! I was also going to suggest watching these if you haven’t seen them. it is truly amazing to know how much time I can spend watching squirrel videos.
My grandparents had problems with squirrels getting into the bird feeders, too. They put suet in their feeders. The were in central Michigan so they got blue jays and cardinals and yellow finches — all the pretty male birds. If I recall correctly, they had a wire screen up around the bird feeder. The holes were small enough for birds but too big for squirrels. Not that the squirrels didn’t try, but I don’t think they were too successful. My grandmother was also known to sit outside with a glass of tea or lemonade and a gun filled with birdshot to discourage the squirrels and chipmunks.
You should check out Backyard Squirrel Maze by Mark Rober on YouTube when you need a laugh. It is hysterical!
I was going to say the same thing! Super entertaining 😄
That picnic table with the umbrella is SO CUTE. I love it.
Have you tried a metal slinky? That’s how I keep the squirrels out of my bird feeder.
I used to have a clean plexiglass bird feeder with aluminum pegs for the birds to perch. I hung it from a clothesline with pulleys for easy access. The squirrels learned they could jump and reach the feeder. So after the next refill I moved it about 3 feet further away. Then they tightrope walked out to the feeder. So I hooked up a 9 volt battery in such a way that when the squirrels hung down to steal the seed they’d get a 9 volt shock ⚡️ That solved the theft issue.
If you haven’t seen this squirrel management, I highly recommend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFZFjoX2cGg&vl=en
I confess – I am an engineer.
Squirrel buster bird feeder-it really works and the squirrels just eat what’s left on the ground.
https://www.amazon.com/Squirrel-Buster-Standard-Perches-Capacity/dp/B00ABGSX4S
That is adorable
My friend at work has rescued four squirrels over the last few years. I love watching her videos about them and how they orient them for the outdoors etc. This spring she had three squirrels rescued. She made a huge bird house to be their first nest after they were comfortable with being outside and she cut up their blanket for them to use as part of their nest. They all the pieces in and it was precious to watch. My friend knew how much I loved that video so took a photo of them grabbing a blanket piece,and gave it to me. Of the three squerils this spring only one still comes by to their deck for seeds and a visit. I love your misdirect and that picnic table is precious! Cheers.
Glad you and Gordon are safe from the severe weather. It’s been pouring rain in the DFW area this past weekend. Didn’t have any tornadoes. Whew!
Cute picnic bench and umbrella for the squirrels. Hopefully the misdirection works, and the birds get their food.
Can’t wait to be able to buy Grace’s next book. From the newsletter I received from her a few months ago, this new series is going to be really good. 😀
I love Grace Draven’s books! I started reading/listening to her thanks to your recommendation. She’s fantastic! Thank you!
Also check out this squirrel / Mission Impossible ad from 40 years ago … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY9GBl7UmVs
I feel we should be exact and point out that this advert is actually 35 years old, just in fairness to those young people who remember when it actually came out.
I feel old for some reason suddenly. . .
Joining the old age gang I beleave the original footage comes from an old TV series bird brain of britain. They built feeding puzzles for birds then filmed them being solved but the squirrel kept gate crashing so they made him his own course.
I have squirrels in combat boots dancing on my roof at 6 a.m. most mornings. The mobile home park I live in is next to a county forest preserve, so there are plenty of the cheeky little fur people, and they have plenty of food. Occasionally, there will be one sitting on my lawn furniture looking for a hand out, but I always tell them “sorry, no trick-or-treats here”.
That’s adorable
If you have bird feeders mounted on a stand alone pole, encase the pole with stove pipe. It isn’t aesthetically pleasing, per se, but squirrels (and raccoons) can NOT climb it. The entertainment value of watching them try is priceless.
A Slinky can be fun for everyone too
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1645174286064882
so very creative, love it, thanks for sharing
omg! I love the picnic table!
Hopefully Gordon is feeling better soon. I had some fun arthritis cleaned out of my AC shoulder joint the year before last, and I feel like a new person now. PT took forever, but it was worth it.
Keep ducking, going for shelter and whatever else protects you and yours from the mercurial weather that y’all have. Huh different siren sounds, makes sense.
so cute that picnic table.
Glad the flash floods and tornados missed you! Also glad that Gordon is recovering well.
I put out bird food in the freezy snowy time this winter (about a week here in Washington state). The birds were happy, but the squirrels were even happier ( destroyed my first squirrel proof feeder). I finally just put the food out later in the day and the birds got to it usually first. If the dogs heard or saw the squirrels they raced out, but the birds and feeders were in an area the dogs couldn’t get to, but their racing out did scare the squirrels away, for awhile. I used to really like squirrels, until they started chewing these holes into our attic and barn! Smart guys!
If you can’t beat them, welcome them with their own feeder. There’s a guy on the net who has created elaborate feeder obstacle courses for squirrels. They are really intelligent or just hungry.
Arbor day sent me a bird feeder this year. My and my neighbors cats consider it an all you can eat buffet. I tried putting it up where they can’t get it but birds dump the seeds out and then eat them off the ground. The cats stay away from my parrot… but the damned pigeons are just stupid. No squirrels in my yard. The cats get them.
That is such an awesome idea dor squirrel distraction! Im still bummed about our birdfeeder… I had to take it down because it was attracting rats.
Lololol!
I told my ex he was putting up squirrel feeders when he put up the bird feeders. He was constantly at war. Good luck
Squirrels are furry ninjas 🥷
Have you watched Mark Rober on YouTube with his squirrel Olympics. He was having the same issue so he engineered an obstacle course! You should watch it it’s hilarious and entertaining!
cute picnic tables for animals – https://www.instagram.com/chunk_the_groundhog/
😀 😀 😀
That picnic table is adorable! And presumably it made it through the storm?
Tornados are terrifying (as are flash floods, of course). We live in fire country out here in So Cal and you just wonder when it’s your turn to have your house burn down. We’ve been evacuated twice in the 20 years we’ve lived here, so it just feels like a matter of time. But there really isn’t anywhere in the country where you are completely free of weather terror.
Anyway, thanks for the cute pix! Have a lovely week.
PS: Grace Draven! Yay! *fangirling*
That squirrel is adorable at his little picnic table. Omg just the kind of kindness that I love.
💗
I wish misdirection would work in my yard.
the squirrel proof bird feeder closes under the squirrels weight but the squirrel figured out how to swing the feeder until the trays dumped out.
we had to take it down since the bears are awake but we love the red Cardinals in the winter.
tried misdirection with rabbits by planting a field of clover. they hop over it to my perennial bed, bite off but don’t eat the toxic leaves and flowers. WHY????? even the chili powder didn’t stop them.
The picnic table an umbrella are adorable.
The bird feeder I saw that seemed to work had one spring-loaded cylinder inside another. The holes on bother were lined up, but if anything as heavy as a squirrel tried it, the outside cylinder would pull down and the holes disappear.
Unfortunately I stopped having seed bird feeders because one of my cats will wait for them to come to the ground after the spilled seed and catch them there. I stick with hummingbirds now.
My folks neighbor had one of those. A squirrel figured out that if it took a fast run at the pole several times the sleeve would hit the feeder hard enough that it would spill a lot of seed on the ground. Exercise and then eat. The repetitive thumping on the feeder got tiresome.
Impressively inventive, but the one I saw was hanging from a tree branch. To do what you describe they would have to swing it more or less horizontal to get it to hit anything. Although I would never discount a squirrel’s ingenuity and determination.
Tower defense military system, oh it brings back great memories of my dad. When he came to live with me, he developed a love of birds. The squirrels drove him nuts; off to Lowes’ for fencing, extra strength car grease and special bird feed. A good memory
Anyone have suggestions for discouraging crows from washing in the bird bath whatever horrible garbage they’ve found to eat? If I don’t clean it out every day, it’s completely foul. I found a piece of ham in there the other day. The less gross birds won’t use it anymore.
Have you tried multiple different bird baths? In our yard, for example, we have
1) standard bird bath that all wildlife uses to drink and/or bathe
2) grade-level bird bath used by ground birds and ground animals (including raccoons to wash their food – so funny)
3) shallow bird bath that small birds use (made with a metal pie plate and a couple of sloping rocks, set on our picnic table).
The multi-prong approach works well for us. Wildlife can find the location/size/depth of water they prefer, and if one water source gets dirty there are always others.
Thanks!
I used to have a huge squirrel raider problem but was told to add cayenne pepper. It works! Mammals get a fiery mouth and stay away but birds don’t feel it. Good luck.
HA! I was six minutes behind you with the same suggestion! 😂
Yes! +2 Hot bird feed works.
I tried that back when I put out bird feeders.
I ended up with squirrels that liked Mexican food…or Buffalo wings, take your pick.
Someone on our local Facebook page suggested mixing cayenne pepper into the bird seed…the birds don’t have the taste receptors for it but the squirrells do…and they don’t come back for more. Haven’t tried it myself but it seems like a great idea. Best of luck against the wee beasties!
They come and bury their monkey nuts in anyone’s plant pots on the balconies of my eight floor (nine storey in the US?) 1950’s block of 120 flats. I’m on the first floor (second I think in US) and regularly chat with a man on the eighth about how many we find when repotting. My record was changing the camellia (a big pot) and 23 monkey nuts. What amazes me is them going up to the eight floor. And the fact that for my first floor I’ve seen them using the staircase – which is enclosed!
I found two 12 inch raised beds last year and was excited to use them for flowers. The rabbits ate my plants so I wrapped chicken wire around the beds. They look tacky but the rabbits can’t reach the plants now. I only fill the bird feeder occasionally as the bigger birds chase the little ones away and I’ve been moving sod and hauling rock base for a pathway and didn’t want to deal with them flying around. I’m not a fan of birds up close and personal but the cats enjoy watching them. Happy to hear Gordon is doing well. I told a couple friends about the serial chapters, maybe some new fans!
I missed a few days, so I got to read through four chapters of Inheritance. This is sooooo good. It makes me happy. It has rained here for almost a solid week. I need happy. Thank you, thank you…so much!
Brilliant. I’ve seen many possible solutions to the squirrel and bird feeder problem – including the Rube Goldberg obstacle course set up by the same engineer who created the package sparkle trap – and this has simple superiority.
One of the better solutions is to grow plants that make seeds that birds like and just leave them up over the winter. Instead of all the seeds in one location making it easy to steal, you spread them out. Also, it’s way less work as a gardener.
Heh as I was reading, I thought, going to need to feed the bushy tailed rats separately. Cute photo! It’s what I do as well and it is quite effective.
So good to hear Gordon is recovering so well!
omg squirrel picnic table. That’s amazing.
Add cayenne pepper to the bird seed! Doesn’t affect birds but it does for squirrels. And I’m guessing deer?
Add cayenne pepper to the birdseed! Doesn’t bother birds but it does squirrels. And I’m guessing deer.
My cousin used fishing line strung between trees to hang his bird feeder. The feeders were also hung on lines from the cross line. No squirrels the afternoon I was visiting him.
Mark Rober on YouTube has a series of “bird feeder/squirrel proofing/obstacle course” videos. They are hysterical. He’s a former NASA engineer, and does amazing engineering projects. Highly recommend!
Glad to hear Gordon is recovering well and there a new shiny coming from Grace!
The squirrel picnic table is too cute! Nicely done and hope it keeps working!
OMG, that squirrel picnic table – how adorable! Also, I am excited to hear Grace Draven is working on something new!
Glad the storm missed, but sorry the cat is miffed. Protecting bird feeders is a regular trial hereabouts, with various rapacious non-avian wannabe feeders. For those who want to feed hummingbirds, it’s the bears who are the problems.
Love it ! Squirrels having a great time at his bistro table x I have just had knee replacement surgery on my knee so I feel for Gordon x Wishing you both well and happy bird feeding .🐦⬛🐿️ Any cute honey badgers 😂
Mark Rober and Fat Gus for squirrels and bird feeder fun. Hilarious and surprisingly educational.
how are you finding the mis direction bribes to be working?
I’m not sure if you’ve ever the bbc programe from the 80s about this. I can’t find the origional, but found the second generation video from 1991 called Daylight Robbery II – that was loaded up in 4 parts (though I can only find 3)
https://youtu.be/uY9Yf26J4ZM?feature=shared
the first one shows the clip from the 80s which was used in advertising beer.
Basic lesson= the American grey squirrel is the IRL version of Cornelius trained ferrets in their ability to get around your defences….
He IS cute! I’m so glad Gordon is doing well!
Speedy recovery to Gordon.
I had Problems with my shoulder, to, but I had no surgery.
It was an angry tendon.
I had a good doctor who gave syringes, it only helps when given directly in the tendon. Missed and it brings nothing.
Plus physio and later Aquajogging, if you find a good course.
I also thing moving in the water is the best.
The picnic table with the Squirrel really is so cute!
We also have two different feeding places, one for squirrel and one for the birds.
The squirrel has to Open his himself.
Most do it, but one did not understand the mechanism, the poor one.
But it was interersting to watch his attempts.
After the squirrels ate through my “squirrel proof” bird feeders I now use the Hot Nuts spray on the bird food.
OMG! 🤣, is that a picnic table with an UMBRELLA?!😂🤣😂
Thank you my morning is now starting off great!
Thank you for the delightful post and photos!
Happy to hear the storms were not too bad in your area.
Sending healing energy your way that Gordon’s recovery continues to progress!
Sending peace, health and safety to all!
Try catching a metal slinky to the bird feeder pole. You attach one end to the bottom of the feeder, with the pole going through the slinky, and let the other end dangle down. It’s pretty entertaining to watch it work, although I did have one squirrel who figured out how to outwit it
Hope Gordon is doing well. If you haven’t seen it check out YouTube video Backyard Squirrel Maze. There is no way to win. They are evil incarnate (lol)
Hysterical!! Love it!!!
My Momma is also involved in a battle vs the squirrels for the fate of her birdfeeder. We’re currently adding cayenne pepper to the bird seed. It doesn’t hurt the birds, and it makes the squirrels sneeze.
Picnic table adorable, but the umbrella just put it over the top for me!
I battled fruit rats at my previous home, they defeated most feeders. Found a ray that had chewed its way into a tube type feeder and got stuck. Ugh! (Yes I rescued it and retired the feeder)
Consider a birdbath. Lots of fun viewing as well
We have the same issue with squirrels taking over our bird feeders. I have recently found Cole’s Flaming squirrel sauce. I found it at a Wild Birds Unlimited store but you can buy online. I have two feeders I let the squirrels have and then I mix in according to directions some sauce with the bird seed that goes into the bird dedicated feeders. If anyone uses this be sure to wear gloves when you mix it up. It has worked well and now the squirrels are staying at only their feeders. I also looked into “squirrel proof” feeders but the way mine are set up they wouldn’t have worked as well because the squirrels could have grabbed them over from a tree or the pole. Apparently these work best when squirrels have to descend from above the feeders.
Glad to hear healing is going well!!
Ha, squirrels! We have a shepherds hook, with a metal cone baffle on it for the tray feeder we usually put out. They can’t get past the baffle, but they sure do try. We put out compressed corn logs for the squirrels, since they only eat the germ on regular corn kernels. We’re not feeding the birds this year due to the bird flu, cats can get it and I don’t want to take the chance my elderly cat catches it.
I used to think squirrels were cute and fed them corn. Now I feed the birds pepper laced bird food, no longer buy corn, and use pepper spray to keep the squirrels from eating my hibiscus to the wood.
Good luck with the war.
After a few years of squirrel baffles, bribing (similar to House Andrews), and hundreds and hundreds of dollars in squirrel/raccoon prevention as well as ruined bird feeders and poles from which hang the feeders (yes, the heathens even brought down a pole that was set in cement!), we have two solutions that seem to work at our Texas home.
Raccoons were also raiding the patio box where I placed seed and suet cakes. I woke up one morning to find a case of suet cakes in the middle of the yard with nothing left but empty wrappers. First, I put a combination lock on the patio storage box. Although I must admit I woke up in the middle of the night hearing “Whump, thump! Whump, thump!” Hubby sleeps like the dead. The two cats had alarmed looks on their faces. I cautiously crept out to the back french doors and turned on the light. There, on the cushy patio chair and leaning against the pillows, was a very large raccoon. She(?) was lifting a 40 POUND bag of sunflower seeds by the upper bag edge through the crack between the lid and bottom of the patio box (with lock engaged). The raccoon lifts the bag (whump) and when the bag won’t come out, drops it (thump.) The raccoon is so huge that I can only plead temporary mental insanity for the fact that I walked out onto the back patio in a short nightshirt yelling at it. At any rate, the raccoon was frustrated and hasn’t been able to get into the box since.
Secondly, my husband (with a gleam in his eyes that always gives me pause) bought electric fence supplies. He wrapped the birdfeeder poles (no harm to birds as they can sit on it like they do electric power lines). I did hear a raccoon bark in the middle of the night soon after, but the raccoon and squirrels are fine, we still see them most days as they clean up the dropped seed. There are also torpedo-style squirrel baffles on the poles to prevent the squirrels from bypassing the electrified portion of the poles. No animals have been harmed in the previously described scenario, although a few may have received electric shocks enough to change behavior. To House Andrews: I wish you luck in your bird feeder endeavors!
We call that paying “tribute” to the squirrels. 😏
In the bird feeder vs squirrel wars, we went to hot pepper suet and finally found a brand of hot pepper treated bird seed as well. Every year, a few young squirrels have to try our feeders. One bite and they tend to fling themselves off.
Feed the cute squirrels, yes! No matter if they might be considered a pest in your area of the world.
I saw a meme a few days ago – couldn’t find it or I would have posted it and if it was yours, sorry – of a bear cub jumping up to hang on a bird feeder and eat the feed. So there’s worse than squirrels!
The UMBRELLA! That is aweseome. Also glad to hear that Gordon is doing well and that y’all didn’t wash away.
I’m in West Texas, so I hear you on the rain. We get our annual rainfall around Memorial Day. Enough to breed mosquitos. Then we move to drought conditions. :-/
Idea, you might put a hook in a eave outside the window you want to watch from and suspend the bird feeder pretty high, so not easily accessible by deer or squirrels, merely an idea of course. Dont you hate it when the thieves are friggen adorable? sigh, fortitude!
The Squirrel Buster Legacy Squirrel-proof Bird Feeder w/4 Metal Perches from Amazon and others is truly squirrel proof. Don’t know about deer.
We too have squirrel/feeder issues but knock on wood so far the pepper flavored bird food is doing the trick. We got it at Wild Birds Unlimited. The birds apparently can’t taste it so it doesn’t bug them but the squirrels don’t like it. We heard some determined squirrels get used to the taste but so far ours have decided it’s not for them.
OMG!!! So cute
I have ninja chipmunks. I put a baffle on the pole with the feeders. I now get to watch birds and the chipmunk trying to defeat the baffle. So far the baffle is winning.
My husband and I were given a hummingbird feeder/camera for Christmas. My bird buddy takes really nice pictures that you can upload and share, we have a family message line
I love watching birds too. My two dogs love the squirrels, though. I think your misdirection using the corn and small picnic table is more humane than the bird feeders with squirrel spinners or the corn on the cob squirrel spinners I have seen on YouTube.
The only way to keep squirrels away is to have magic wards.
Wards that catch them, barbecue them (slowly), and serve them up on their little picnic table so the whole nest can watch the ants pick Daddy’s tiny, thieving little bones.
Vengeful….ME?!
(blushes shyly) Yesssssss!
best wishes for a continued smooth recovery for Gordon
that squirrel/picnic table photo made my day, made me smile – thanks for sharing – the pic, the vibe, the feeling that, omg if people are providing squirrels with picnic tables and corn, there is still hope for this land of ours, and there is still joy 🙂
The best defense against squirrels is a squirrel baffle. Available commercially or make your own with pvc pipe. (Google it)
We used a wide baffel (umbrella) over the pole to keep them off. I’ve had a few stubborn ones bang their heads off it a few times, but so far so good.
It will only work with a pole and hook set up. We gave up on tree feeders years ago, too many problems with them. (We somehow ended up with rats and the snakes that eat them.)
Love the picnic table, he’s very cute.
I have an elaborate setup to keep the raccoons out of my sugar water hummingbird feeders. I cannot hang my feeders in trees. Because the squirrels and raccoons will eliminate them.
Instead I use our large front porch. I had ugly long metal silver flashing cones around the porch poles to prevent raccoons from ascending and tearing up the thirty four hummingbird feeders ( they worked but were very ugly).
My husband hated all of that ugly metal, and so he hired a contractor last month who put up lovely, tight metal rain gutters that fit around the square poles, painted blue.
That theory was the raccoons, could not climb the tight metal poles.
Last week, we watched the raccoons walk right up those new metal poles and empty/tear down the hummingbird feeders.
Now I hang my hummingbird feeders in the center of the ceiling of the front porch, so the raccoons cannot reachgoats, and yesterday there were at least fifty hummingbirds enjoying a sugary drink! ( With water ant moats to keep away the ants.)
My, what big squirrels you have!
Must be a Texas thing… big squirrels, I mean.
We have a few medium-sized gray squirrels with big, bushy tails, and then a ton of ground squirrels with small, thin, raggedy tails. The ground squirrels are an absolute menace. Their holes can breach ditches, earthen dams and make horse fields into a leg-breaking obstacle course.
Only the hawks and enterprising coyotes seem to be able to catch them, and only rarely. Rodents are just too smart.
Though, the gray squirrels here aren’t too smart when in comes to cars — they hesitate, then run into traffic and “squish!”… ah, darn, no more cute fluffy squirrel. But they do distribute tree nuts quite effectively. If I had my way, we’d have more gray squirrels and an eighth of the population of the ground squirrels, you know, as food for the coyotes and hawks.
I had to give up on bird feeders… the bears find the easy-to-reach bird food irresistible. And eight-foot fences don’t seem to deter the bears. Luckily, we are only plagued by black bears — no grizzlies, thank peanut butter and chocolate!
We had a doe (mule deer) use our patio table as a step stool to reach a higher-placed feeder. I snapped some video before I chased her off.
Now, if I want to feed birds, I throw the peanuts and bird seed on the roof. (I may regret that simple feat some day soon.)
Anyway, hope you all take care. Stick with the physical therapy — it’s good for you, Gordon!
Love the books and stories!
Cheers!
The way to handle squirrels AND THIS WORKS is to mix large quantities of crushed red peppers in with your birdseed. You can buy this mixture readymade and spend big bucks. OR, you can pour your chosen birdseed mixture into a five gallon bucket and mix in a cup of crushed red peppers.
Squirrels HATE crushed red peppers. They’re sensitive to capsicum.
Birds don’t notice or care.
Buy the crushed red peppers in bulk at the Costco or at any place that sells herbs and spices in bulk.
When you mix in the crushed red peppers, wear latex gloves. It will out-gas as you mix in the crushed red peppers so you may also want a mask. Mix thoroughly so the crushed red peppers are well distributed. We use a giant wooden tiki spoon since we’ve got several adorning our Florida room. Put the lid on the five-gallon bucket (to contain the toxic fumes) and you’re ready to fill birdfeeders, secure in the knowledge you won’t be feeding squirrels.
We make a mixture of birdseed: huge supermarket bags mixed with more expensive cracked corn, peanut hearts, shelled sunflower seeds, and so forth. If you mix it yourself in your five-gallon bucket, you control what you serve and save a few bucks.
If it concerns you that you’re waging chemical warfare on squirrels, don’t be. They’re rats. They wear cute outfits and live in penthouse apartments but they’re bulb-eating, birdseed raiding rats. They’re also very smart. One or two bites of pepper-treated birdseed and they won’t be back.
The cure for deer (we live in Central PA so this may not work elsewhere) is a rifle and a freezer.
As I said elsewhere, I tried the capsicum trick for a few years.
I ended up with squirrels that liked Mexican food and Buffalo wings…
Your deer solution has promise, but not in residential areas. There are laws about that where I live. Something about discharging firearms in certain areas.
Good heavens. Our squirrels leave our feeders alone. We also use plenty of crushed red peppers. Maybe it’s the quantities plus leaving the bucket of birdseed to essentially marinate in crushed red pepper.
They’re storm sirens now, telling you to seek shelter and get inside if you’re outside, and check weather. The alerts are issued for thunderstorms (lightning strikes can kill), hail, tornadoes, floods… i.e. potentially any life threatening severe weather.
Awesome squirrel pics. Very cute!
I’ve never understood the squirrel hate. I used to feed the birds (until it attracted skunks and my dogs got sprayed several times). I loved the squirrels and set up specific feeders for the. What a amazed me is I bought black oil sunflower seeds for the birds and shelled raw peanuts for the squirrels and had to switch them around, the squirrels preferred the sunflower seeds and the birds wanted the peanuts, go figure.
My dad got a squirrel buster feeder from my aunt in Canada as a birthday gift about 10 years ago. We live in the uk and couldn’t find one as good then (there are a wide range now). Best gift she gave us, Squirrels still haven’t worked it out. Its not cheap but a good investment. The number of times they fell off (perfectly fine after). The magpies and starlings have worked a system but they don’t get much.
Magpies are such smart birds also you don’t want to mess with them as my neighbour cat found out. The young cat was chased off by two magpies (probably protecting their nest in one of the trees). I went outside to scare it off because didn’t want chick’s to lose their parents but they already had it sorted. Neither birds or cat were harmed in the scuffle.
They also was a three way fight between 2 squirrels and a magpie, magpie chased them off.
Try whole peanuts. It will bring out the Blue Jays who will absolutely dive bomb the squirrels for the peanuts. It is fun to watch
double cuteness!!!
The squirrel picnic table is the best thing ever!😍😍😍😍
I tried that and it backfired royally. The squirrels still squirrels. I hope it works for you.
So completely charming! Thank you, you two are the absolute best thing for my headspace. My current awake times are centered around re-listening to everything you’ve written, quilting, teaching quilting, and avoiding the news. Oh, and tea, carbs and nut butters, also good. Thank you for providing such intriguing, captivating, satisfying, creative mind-candy for my DIY assembled alternate reality. And for the squirrel picnics.
As a child, the Longview, WA squirrel bridge was enchanting.
We used to have patio string lights. The squirrels took the lightbulbs apart to eat an inner piece. They had a stockpile of plastic, glass, peanut shells (neighbors), random human & pet toys, etc out under a large tree before it was cut (just the other side of our property line). They also went for all the bird feeders out then as well.
A local author even wrote a blog/book about squirrel escapades in her yard (I think it was Romeo & Juliet inspired, but haven’t read it).
Was it lilith Saintcrow? https://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/the-books/squirrelterror/ She had running battles with the squirrels
Yep 🙂
Oh. My. love the picnic table for the squirrel! And the squueeeee cute umbrella!
Definitely bribe. If you haven’t seen this already its worth a watch. Its the first in a series of videos of him trying to outsmart squirrels. Squirrels are amazing and tenacious.
https://youtu.be/hFZFjoX2cGg?si=TqDKLN-nrLmt-yev
How is Grace Draven doing? I’ve been traveling so missed a lot of posts (and probably an update on her progress). I hope she’s okay.
Slinky around bird feeder pole works very well and is great entertainment😁
Glad to hear Gordon is on the mend. We tried squirrel corn and our squirrels just went “meh” and continued to ravage the bird feeders. They are quite picky unless there are peanuts involved, then they attack without abandon.
Thanks for the squirrel pics! Super cute and I needed the laughs. It looks like it has been fed really well 😄
There are some fantastic YouTube videos of this guy who builds squirrel obstacle courses with ‘rewards’ of treats for those squirrels that compete. Truly amazing to see just how smart the squirrels are & just how athletic too. Did not know they could jump that far. Or that they could figure out how to access the treats that quickly!
PS: Batty may condemn you to cat hell for all eternity, but if she hadn’t wanted to be caught chances are you wouldn’t have been able to catch her. Call it the stealth version of ‘I’m ready to move in but don’t want ‘them’ to know that just yet’. One must keep the servants servile, after all:)
OMG! The cute!! I love the umbrella best. I can’t we don’t really have squirrels with all the woods around us. Must be the cats and dogs but other people have them, y’all certainly have more critters.
I need to find a solution to my blue bird boxes. They were super successful for like 6 years. No suddenly predators issues and we had a sterile couple that kept having the eggs never hatch so she’d put a nest on top lay more. I ended up cleaning it out and it had 13 unhatched eggs. I put up all new boxes thinking maybe that would help but now I think I need to change locations. We’ve not had a successful hatch this year.
North of here, the deer aren’t nearly as much of a problem as the other bird feeder bandits…black bears. Squirrels are still the worst.
Hi there, my hubs is calling me for dinner, so apologies if others in the BDH have already answered this. Birds cannot taste chilies. All rodents, all of them, including squirrels, detest them. In fact, they detest anything with a strong fragrance like Russian, sage, lavender, etc. You can buy suet cakes with chilies mixed in for this reason. Being in central Texas, you can buy bulk dried chilies, cheap, grind them in a processor, and mix them into your birdseed. Bye-bye squirrels!
Spicy bird seed. It’s a thing. Keeps squirrels out. Bears not so much. All according to my neighbor who waged war with squirrels.
Glad to hear Batty continues, the weather is scarier where you are. Best wishes for your hands and Gordon’s shoulder.
Lilith Saintcrow tried Crisco on the pole, though Pacific Northwest hot I’d not the same as Texas hot. Parts I-IV are linked at the bottom, but part V is the best.
https://www.lilithsaintcrow.com/2018/08/squirrel-vs-pole-part-v/
Her battles were EPIC Lol. But then, the critters were pretty crazy too, 🙂
I’ve read putting a slinky on the post you put your feeder on keeps the squirrels from being able to climb it. Pictures I’ve seen seem to show it working. Good luck.
Is it me or is that a fat squirrel?
Putting ground up dehydrated chilies in our bird feeders worked for us to keep the squirrels away. The capsicum doesn’t affect birds but the squirrels leave it alone.
I just gave up and have a squirrel and bird feeder.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hFZFjoX2cGg&list=PLgeXOVaJo_gl1ZIpbYyPRXzQner7-5j5k&index=1&t=9s&pp=iAQB0gcJCY0JAYcqIYzv
Just watch it, it’s worth watching.
Have you tried bird seed with chili powder mixed in? The birds are uneffected by it, but squirrels and deer hate it. I started using that a little over a year ago and now the squirrels don’t even bother coming to my yard. I don’t even have to do the chili seed every time now, since they aren’t checking it.
That ain’t no flying squirrel!
I started laughing when you wrote “squirrel” after “bird feeder.” I remember my dad using some type of axle grease on the pole of his bird feeder. Don’t know if it worked to keep them out of the bird seed, but years later the grease was still on the pole!
Good luck. Everyone I’ve known who have gone to war with the squirrels seems to be constantly losing the battle, year after year. Maybe they need to try your method.
But not in Milwaukee. Feeding squirrels attracts the rats, which have become problematic there the last few years. Just sayin’.
I’ve seen someone put a slinky around the feeder pole. They fixed it about 4 feet up and when the squirrel grabs it to climb over, it stretches and dumps them on the ground.
Feeds the rats, who then are preyed on by cats? At least, that would Nature’s intent…but maybe like our eco system here it is the coyote?
Wait until the raccoons show up…🙄😄
Picnic table ROFL
Internet trick I have heard of is adding cayenne pepper or other capsaicin vehicle. Bothers squirrels and dogs (wish I had known this 15 years ago as Mom’s rat terrier would eat whatever the squirrels left then he would make a deposit for her on the carpet later). Capsaicin doesn’t bother birds. Now I would recommend double checking with a vet, but if true a simpler solution.
Too bad they don’t have a Nevada equivalent to question him.
I would love to see your fences. I have a terrible problem with deer tearing up my fruit trees.
I love the squirrel at the picnic table.😄. Happy to hear about Gordon doing well.
He is SO cute at his picnic table 😍
Hope Gordon’s recovery goes smoothly. Take care!
I have a friend that found a special hot sauce for bird feed. It doesn’t bother the birds and the squirrels hate it.
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Your writing always brings joy! I love the humor and heart in every post. Thank you for sharing your creativity—it truly brightens my day.
Is there a blog post on their day to day writing process?