The Experiment

 I know I have moaned and complained about the squirrels eating my birdseed. About purchasing feeders that were supposed to stop the squirrels.  Most of you probably have watched the YouTube videos of how blasted smart the squirrels are and how they figure out all these "squirrel buster" designs.

Yep, I thought I had one too.  I even took the suggestion of putting the safflower seed in as that is the very least favorite of the squirrels, or so "they" say!

My feeder is the kind that if a heavier bird even, sits on the bar, the weight brings the bar down and the seed is covered up.  This worked pretty well for a little while. Until that beady little squirrel brain figured out what to do.

While the squirrel was working on his problem, the raccoon had no problem, he just lifted up the roof, where you fill it and helped himself. To eliminated this, I moved the feeder over in front of a 2 x 4 and then he couldn't lift the back of it. Awe, too bad. He didn't like the safflower anyway. Way too much work for a few tiny seeds. 

Back to the squirrel! In this period of time, the squirrel figured he could lay across the top of the feeder, get his head down on the sides and there are some holes there that help hold that bar in place. 


   
                                   
If you look closely there are two dark spots. Those are the holes the squirrel gets into for seed!


                                   
                                There are 4 drain holes, you can see which the use the most!



                                    
                         This is how the squirrel eats the safflower out of the drain holes

At one point the safflower was not full on this side so the squirrel moved over to the other side, getting seed out of those holes.

I was at a Master Gardener after plant sale BBQ.  One of the Master Gardeners gave me a product that she had use and told me to try it. I had some Thistle and Bits, which is Thistle and pieces of sunflower hearts.  I also had safflower seed.  I mixed some of each to equal about 5 pounds which the above feeder will hold.  I mixed them in a container and mixed in some of the hot sauce product.



I put the feeder out on the hook.
Since I did this, I have had the sparrows, (always) House Finch, Black-capped Chickadee and Cardinal. I have yet to see a squirrel on the feeder.  I have seen them in the area but I think, after one or two bites, they change their mind. They have been at the birdbath drinking a lot of water! 

I will keep watching. Let me know if you think I have solved the problem on this feeder.  












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