Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-31
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trace,peu.

How to keep squirrels out of bird
feeding station Is problem which both
ers one who writes, In part:
I'VE have followed your column faith
fully for long time, and 1t seems to me
that you once published a way to set
up station to which squirrels could
not gain access. We would appreciate
any advice on this matter, for as it is
now five or six squirrels come for three
square meals day, and we have to
watch to make sure there is any for
the birds when they come.
AT first we chased the squirrels
away, but they were so hungry that we
gave up and decided to try feeding them
peanuts. The news must have spread,
for our original squirrel has brought
along friend and three or four half
grown specimens.
"One day as was painting picture,
was startled to find was being
watched by small furry face pressed
against the window. She has done this
several times since, and we always re-
ward her with a peanut.
Our feed station is located on the
window sill of the kitchen at present.
1t seems to me that some way to pro-
be desirable without the squirrels get
ting it ALL"
Placing the feeding station atop an
iron stake, and then greasing the stake,
is one way.
Another is to make a big funnel Of
tin at least IL inches across and place
1t halfway up the pole, with the large
opening down.
This is explained more In detail in
the following letter, received from
r. M. K. at Bay Ridge, Md:
Being a bird lover, and living alone
as I do, derive great deal of pleas
ure from your articles, especially those
on our native birds.
Every winter feed the birds over
100 pounds of wildbird seed plus suet
and bread. I have homemade feeder
that is on pole about 10 feet from my
kitchen window
For long time I was bothered by
squirrels monopolizing the feeder, and
| was busy for quite a time devising
various schemes to circumvent them.
81 did not have much success until
| I remembered how rats were kept of
ships by sort Of funnel on the hawsers.
II had some roof flashing about Is
inches wide; and from this fashioned
large funnel, which tackled onto the
feeder pole, with the large opening to-
ward the ground.
81 then watched to see if it worked,
and it did. A gray squirrel soon came
along, and started up the pole, and, Of
| course, he went into. the funnel
He tried to get around 1t, but could
not do so.
HE descended, and went to q nearby
tree, evidently trying to leap to the
feeder, but the limbs. would not support
| him, so he came back and tried the pole
again, but without success.
HE then tried another tree, but that
did not help. watched him 60 through
| these maneuverS for over an hour be-
| fore decided my idea was success.
| II am passing this idea along to your
readers In the hope some of them will
| find 1t useful. It should be remembered
that the feeder should be far enough
away from trees SO that the squirrels
cannot Jump from limb to the feeder.
The funnel also prevents cats from get
ting to the feeder"
Il
This correspondent says that while
the funnel system deprives the squir-
rels of the food In the feeder, there is
enough scattered by the birds so that
they do not go hungry. Occasionally
he states, he puts out peanuts for them
Another method is to use an OLD
canary bird stand for the pole, and to
suspend the bird feeding station from
this as one would cage.
The crook in the standard seems to
outwit some squirrels, but not all oil
them. A thorough greasing OF the up
right and the curve win prevent the
other squirrels from getting to the seed
provided the whole affair is placed al
some distance from shrubbery or house
wall. and far enough from trees so tina,
the bushytails cannot drop down On thu
| station.