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From: jtkrist@ihnss.UUCP (J. T. Krist)
Newsgroups: net.rec.birds
Subject: Re: squirrel@feeder
Message-ID: <2575@ihnss.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 11:07:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihnss.2575
Posted: Wed Aug 14 11:07:12 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Aug-85 16:28:27 EDT
References: <711@umd5.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 42



My next door neighbor (a retired Western Electric Engineer)
uses a battery and spark coil attached to the feeder.  When
ever he sees a squirrel on the feeder, he'll give it a zap.
Claims that they learn pretty fast.  But then, this is a guy
who has a radio controlled model Canada Goose that he takes
to the local pond, and gets kids to throw bread at.

Since I can't stay home all day, I've gone through a number
of feeders (and especially a lot of suet).  It's amazing to see
the way that squirrels can leap from trees, bird baths, phone wires, 
the side of the house, etc. to land on a feeder.  So the first
problem is to hang the feeder where the squirrel can't just
jump onto it.  I have mine hung on the overhang of my house 
in front of a large sliding glass door.  Too close to the
edge of the door though, and the rascals will climb up the bricks 
of the house and jump over.  They haven't yet figured out to 
get suction cups to climb up the glass.  To hang the feeders,
I use heavy, plastic coated wire.  I guess they could knaw through
that, if they really wanted to, but maybe there's easier food to
come by where I live.  Finally, I bought some heavy plastic
"squirrel guards" from the local hardware store.  These are roughly
18" hemispheres of about 3/16" plastic.  These are hung low enough
so that the squirrels can't reach them while hanging from the roof
of the house.  Their size, shape, and slipperyness seems to keep the
squirrels from being able to hang on and knaw they way through.

I've used this solution for about two years and haven't had a problem
with squirrels since.  I have a large Droll Yankee sunflower feeder,
a Droll Yankee thislte feeder, and a mesh bag of suet, installed
as described.  We get juncoes, chickadees, cardinals, downy woodpeckers,
and occassionally a pine siskin, and crossbill along with the resident 
{english sparrow|house sparrow|weaver finch}es.
-- 

	Jim Krist
	...!ihnp4!{ihnss!ihesa}!jtkrist
	AT&T Bell Laboratories
	Room IH 6C-541 
	Naperville, IL 60566
	(312)-979-4847