UKH

Any bird feeding experts on here? I like to have nice wee birds in my garden, but recently a squirrel has been snaffling all the food from the feeders and there's no birds. What should I put out that only the birds will eat?

In reply to girlymonkey:

Coating peanuts in chilli powder deters squirrels, but birds can't taste it apparently.

In reply to girlymonkey:
we had the same issue in that a greedy squirrel took a fancy to the bird table but we didn't notice much of a decline in bird numbers.

our way around it was to change the feeding habits and how we fed them etc. the squirrels get a handful of peanuts and hazel nuts down by the shed (bottom of garden near trees) just loosely scattered on the floor etc. The birds hanging feeders have all been changed to squirrel proof types and brought closer to the house. the bird table is far enough away from a fence/tree etc so that any wondering squirrel can't jump the gap and the post has been greased and wrapped in a smooth plastic wrapping so he cant climb it. Also, we offer a wide range of foods in different areas of the garden the birds and squirrels just naturally pick which one they like and keep returning to that.

the only time we have had conflict is when all food and feeding methods are in close proximity. ...just spread them out a bit.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Not fat balls, I've seen one running away with one in our garden before. I've also seen them destroy squirrel proof feeder.

In reply to girlymonkey:

problem solved.

http://imgur.com/gallery/c2wRFnh

In reply to DanOsb:

Ha ha, that's awesome!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Sounds like chilli is the way forward, rspb website has it on so it must be fine

In reply to 999thAndy:

Seems a bit inhumane. Would you feed your pets things with chilli on? Not just squirrels and birds use the feeders, mice and animals collecting what the birds drop will all be collecting the food.

In reply to girlymonkey:

My father outlaw saved a squirrel from a bird feeder . It gave him a nasty bite , and he ended up in A and E!

In reply to girlymonkey:

I hope you find this of interest:
http://www.interfaceimages.co.uk/landscape/landscape11.html
May not be much help but may amuse.
RattyinStirling
PS The squirrels don't trouble us anymore since our heighbour cut down their tree!

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:

Lol, good story!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

The RSPB are advocating it! My initial reaction when I read it further up was that I couldn't do that, but internet searching reckoned you could.

In reply to keith-ratcliffe:





But that's a red squirrel, they are protected. I hope that the op is referring to greys which are officially pests.

In reply to j0ntyg:

Oh yes, I would never try to get rid of a red squirrel, just the fluffy tailed rats!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Help promote raptor populations? Will keep squirrels away too.

In reply to j0ntyg: Actually the squirrel in my story is a grey - all our local ones have a reddish colouration. I would love to have a genuine red guy in my garden.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Not sure it's inhumane, exactly - it's not like you're lacing the seed with poison. The chilli just discourages them from choosing to eat it on the first place.
Also, presumably it's done with the intention of maximising food available for the birds, which is altruistic, rather than to see squirrels suffer, which is sadistic

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:


Ergh, what a mincy comment! Animals are not stupid... they won't just eat the chili until their asshole is like a dragons nostril and their insides are fired out like flaming arrows. They'll learn quick its not nice and stop.

Chili is very good for training pets not to chew things too!

In reply to crayefish:

If I was your mate I would be putting some sneaky shots of capsaicin in your food/drink. See how you like it.

You have no idea how strong it will be for the animals eating it. I don't know why people are happy to benefit one animal at the pain of another.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:



It's not poison... it's bloody chili. You don't have to make it as hot as a Bombay curry to work. And it's not like the animal will find it too hot and THEN keep eating is it?

If your friend cooked you a hot curry that you thought wasn't (assuming you didn't like hot food), would you claim you'd been 'abused' after eating a mouthful?

In reply to crayefish:

Squirrels don't have the capability to go and drink a glass of milk. They also would have no idea what is happening to them. Hardly the same thing at all.

And there are large populations of these animals in our gardens. It's not like one will tell the rest, it will cause continuous suffering. And again, how do you know how strong chilli is for other animals? I doubt many people will be going out and buying mild stuff with the thoughts of being kind to squirrels if putting chilli in their food is even a thought in their mind.

None of this is necessary?

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:



No idea what's happening to them? Jesus. You don't think the animal will associate the chili with the food? Unsurprisingly evolution over hundreds of millions of years has taught animals to not eat food that hurts. Do you not have brambles in the garden for the same reason? An animal might hurt itself on them but can't tell it's friends!!! Oh why doesn't someone think of the children?

So the alternative is that the overpopulous grey squirrel (which disposed of our native reds) will grow fat over the winter while many species of birds will starve because we have destroyed all the hedgerows and now the supplement bird food is being taken? I suspect you suffer from the common British affliction of over-affection for fluffy tailed animals such as foxes and squirrels to the detriment of all other animals. I bet you wouldn't feel qute the same about rats or cockroaches. Squirrels are not stupid defenseless fluffy animals you know...

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:


But they do have a sense of smell, and won't eat stuff that they can tell from the smell is distasteful to them. They're not stupid - unlike people who get in a paddy about things they don't understand or haven't thought through properly, and then bang on endlessly about them online without engaging their brains at any point.

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Its much nicer that what Pest Control Officers do! They may use a humane trap, but they cant re-release the animals as they are regarded as vermin as its illegal, so they dispatch them out of sight!

In reply to purplemonkeyelephant:

Plants evolved chilli for this very reason; to stop mammals eating them. By using chilli to keep squirrels away you are using it for exactly the purpose for which it evolved.