Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site umd5.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!umcp-cs!cvl!umd5!jay From: jay@umd5.UUCP Newsgroups: net.rec.birds Subject: squirrel@feeder Message-ID: <711@umd5.UUCP> Date: Mon, 12-Aug-85 09:13:17 EDT Article-I.D.: umd5.711 Posted: Mon Aug 12 09:13:17 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 14-Aug-85 03:28:31 EDT Distribution: net Organization: U of Md, CSC, College Park, Md Lines: 27 Well they tried to take our group away and that got everyone excited. It's good to see traffic in this group again and I thought I might stir up some more by posing a question about what is probably the most common annoyance to those of us with backyard feeders; how do I keep the squirrels from my feeder? I tried the trick recommended in the instructions for assembling my latest feeder. It suggested using fishing line to hang the feeder and placing a an album between the suspended line and the top of the feeder. So, what did that do? The squirrels gnawed away at the top of the fishing line and crash went the feeder. So I hung it up once again and covered the part of the fishing line that hangs from the branch with duct tape (I know, it sounds weird). This worked for one day. Once the squirrels figured out that duct tape is not a menace, they climbed down the fishing wire past the record album and ate two huge chunks out of the side of the (cheap) plastic feeder. Short, of recommending that I buy a gun (I suppose survival knives are now more in vogue), I am interested in hearing from other bird-feeding compatriots who have managed to stave off similar competition at their feeders. I suppose I'm just as interested in hearing about failure, too, since then I'll know what not to try. P.S. Please don't suggest wiring the feeder to the house current. -- Jay Elvove ..!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umd5!jay c/o Systems, Computer Science Center, U. of MD.