I once had a bluebird feeder box. It was hand-crafted from pine wood and plexiglass. There were several small holes in the plexiglass where the bluebirds could enter and feed on meal worms, which they would be able to see through the clear glass. It worked like a charm until I made the mistake of putting a few sunflower hearts inside the feeder. When the squirrels discovered that there were sunflowers inside, they gnawed a big hole through the wood and plexiglass and ruined what was a very expensive feeder.
Recently, Nancy gave me another one.
This time – no mistake. I will put the feeder on my new Squirrel Baffle Kit. I found it online. It was under $40, a good buy since individual baffles are expensive and sometimes don’t adapt to the poles and slide down. The kit includes the metal pole plus the 16-inch wide baffle to keep the squirrels from shimmying their way up. And it’s rust proof. I will hang the feeder above the bevel. They would be able to jump from above, but I will keep it away from overhangs and they cannot get to the feeder from below.
This will also keep the robins from hogging the worms when my bluebird babies arrive, because the holes only allow small birds. If a wren or titmouse sneaks inside, that’s okay. They need to eat too.
I can’t tell you how much damage squirrels have done to my feeders through the years. They have even gnawed on and ruined plastic lawn chairs. They are totally destructive rodents. But they will not bother my newest feeder, thanks to the Squirrel Baffle Kit.