Squirrel problem

[heronviewer]

I have fed birds for years and have several nut boxes made of wood with strong stainless steel mesh on each side which are used for peanuts. Fine for the birds and proof against woodpecker and nuthatch damage.
In the last two weeks grey squirrels have arrived and are chewing the wood at the bottom of the mesh to get at the nuts - and basically destroying the boxes.
On one box (two others are useless as they are) I've just fitted thin brass angle pieces on each side of the bottom and hope that might stop them.
Anyone else has any ideas ? I don't want to use squirrel proof feeders with large mesh balls around them - they are pretty unsightly.

 

[Rorschach]

I find a .22 does an excellent job of deterring squirrels.

 

[Harbo]

I use Droll Yankee feeders which have proved to be squirrel resistant.

Rod

 

[geoffshep]

Ah - squirrel-proof feeders!

 

[heronviewer]

Looks like a .22 is the solution !

 

[Hemsby]

Had the same problem. We have several squirrels that visit daily and they are welcome, but at first they did attack the bird feeders to get to the peanuts.

Decided to make them their own feeder with easy access to the nuts. Seems like most creatures they were happier to go for the easy option rather than doing contortions to get into the bird feeders.

All living happily together now.

 

[NazNomad]

As above, a .22... A small lead-injection seems to be the only effective deterrent.

I only do it when they start to wreck feeders though. I usually live & let live.

 

[RobinBHM]

What about spring loaded feeders?

When a squirrel lands on the feeder their weight causes a cover to come down

 

[adidat]

sounds like a good excuse to invest in one of these bad boys!

adidat

 

[duncanh]

Shoot the squirrels, then eat them

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A member of our club works for the charity which is reintroducing reds on the Lizard - he's shot or trapped over 2000 greys there in the last year or so.

 

[heronviewer]

I have put up a squirrel nut box the other day and put a few nuts around it to attrct the squirrels - but they have not visited it so far. The brass angles on the bird nut box seem to have stopped any further destruction of that box so far but it is too soon to know if it will work. I saw a squirrel on a plastic bird seed feeder last night, so that might be the next target !

 

[sunnybob]

.25 will make a better job of it. greys are tough animals, a 177 will only annoy it, a 22 will need to be a heart or eyeball shot. a 25 in the chest cavity will stop any future acrobatics.

I knew one guy who humanely caught one, and then took it to the country side to let it go. The daft pillock only put his hand inside to grab it from the cage.
many, many stitches later, he bought himself a gun.

 

[Duncan A]

I know someone who uses a shotgun to blast them out of a walnut tree (licensed shotgun, on his land).
Doesn't get many walnuts from the tree, though!
Duncan

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Who knows?
A woman, a dog and a walnut tree
The more you beat them, the better they be.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

.25 will make a better job of it. greys are tough animals, a 177 will only annoy it, a 22 will need to be a heart or eyeball shot. a 25 in the chest cavity will stop any future acrobatics.

I knew one guy who humanely caught one, and then took it to the country side to let it go. The daft pillock only put his hand inside to grab it from the cage.
many, many stitches later, he bought himself a gun.

It is illegal to let them go once caught.

 

[AndyT]

There's no such thing as a squirrel-proof bird feeder. Surely you must remember this?

https://youtu.be/1EnDwkclDcA

 

[whiskywill]

Anyone else has any ideas ?

https://tasteofgame.org.uk/squirrel_casserole/

 

[sunnybob]

.25 will make a better job of it. greys are tough animals, a 177 will only annoy it, a 22 will need to be a heart or eyeball shot. a 25 in the chest cavity will stop any future acrobatics.

I knew one guy who humanely caught one, and then took it to the country side to let it go. The daft pillock only put his hand inside to grab it from the cage.
many, many stitches later, he bought himself a gun.

It is illegal to let them go once caught.

No idea, just telling a story from my past. There arent any in Cyprus, although we do have hedgehogs and foxes.

 

[gwaithcoed]

A friend of mine fitted his bird table with two copper plates which he connected to the mains via a switched plug. When he saw a squirrel on it he switched on and dispatched the little critter. He was reported to the RSPCA who paid him a visit and threatened to prosecute as he said it was inhumane. He did point out to the fellow that in America it was a humane way to dispatch people :shock: :shock:

Alan