Each week the feeders were moved to another location in the garden.Twice a week, we recorded the bird species that visited each feeder, and the total number of individual bird visits.We put up each bird feeder in a rural garden in the West Midlands for three weeks in winter.We selected 12 different bird feeders designed for holding seed that also claimed to keep out squirrels. Which? is independent and doesn't accept advertising or freebies, so you can trust our reviews to give you the full, honest and impartial truth about a product. Why Which? squirrel-proof bird feeder reviews are better Easy to clean A central tube that can be removed or a simple feeder with few nooks and crannies will be easy to clean and won’t harbour diseases that could affect birds.Large cage A large cage encourages the birds to visit.Metal fittings Look for metal fittings and avoid plastic, which squirrels can gnaw through swiftly.Strong cage Squirrels will gnaw through thin wire, and a weak cage will also allow young animals to squeeze into the cage and possibly get trapped.What to look for in a squirrel-proof bird feeder Catch any seeds that drop from the feeders by placing a bucket underneath, then dispose of this at the end of each day so there’s no food left overnight to attract them. ![]() The best recourse is to only use hanging feeders, positioning them away from overhanging branches, fences or walls. Rats move quickly and are excellent climbers, so preventing them from taking food is very difficult. The easiest way to prevent deer from taking bird seed is to place the feeder out of their reach, as they’re unlikely to rear up to access the food. Keeping out other pestsĪlthough squirrels are the wiliest, most persistent bird-food thieves, large birds, rats, mice and even deer will take food if they can reach it. If you want to keep the squirrels in your garden fed but don't want to be overrun with weeds, here's our best no-grow bird seed. It’s illegal to release trapped squirrels. It’s legal to control grey squirrels at home, but it’s best done by a pest-control company. ![]() They are sometimes controlled in commercial forestry and to keep them out of areas where red squirrels still thrive. Grey squirrels have a population of more than 2.5 million. Red squirrels are a protected species and it’s estimated that there are only 140,000 left in Britain, with just 15,000 left in England. Their antics can be amusing as they’re very agile and determined, but they can get through vast quantities of seed and scare off garden birds, sometimes damaging the feeders too. Raiding bird tables for food has become common behaviour. They are at home in parks, woods, and gardens with trees and shrubs. The natural diet of a grey squirrel consists of nuts, seeds and fruits, although they also eat bird eggs. The grey squirrel was introduced into the UK from North America in the 19th century and it displaced the smaller native red squirrel, which is now only found in a few isolated areas.
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