The Squirrel Wars Continue
I’ve reached a draw. I think. I bought the above feeder hoping that, with a squirrel baffle, it would make a difference. It didn’t…and by now I should not be surprised. After they figured out how to hang upside down on this feeder—squirrel baffle notwithstanding—and destroyed my ostensibly squirrel-proof next attempt (see the fifth installment), I emptied it and transferred the peanuts to this one:
This feeder is sold by Audubon, who ought to know what they’re doing since they’re in the business of birds. And to be fair, they must be on the right track. I haven’t had a single squirrel in my yard since I put this feeder up and filled it with shelled peanuts. They just can’t get at them. The only furry critters in my yard now are rabbits and chipmunks, and I don’t mind either of them because neither chews through my supply in two days.
Yay? Or Not.
Unfortunately, while squirrels couldn’t access the peanuts, neither could the birds. The outer cage is too small for squirrels to get through, yes—but it’s also not big enough for a bird to get peanuts out of the mesh inner “sleeve.” The birds small enough to get through the cage simply aren’t strong enough to pull a peanut out. Good attempt, Audubon, but it needs some tweaking if you’re going to market it as a peanut feeder.
I will keep this feeder, but it’s going to have to house suet nuggets or hulled sunflower seeds, because anything smaller will just fall right through the mesh inner “sleeve.” I transferred the peanuts back to the first feeder pictured and decided to let the squirrels who arrive to eat them, have their win. Once I run out of peanuts, however, they’ll have to find their pickings elsewhere. The feeders I currently have seem to be worth keeping for squirrel prevention. Good thing my neighborhood doesn’t get bears!
Maybe I can call this a win? 😅
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