> For years, I have tried to fend off squirrels, often losing feeders in
> the process. Squirrels are VERY smart and doubly as inventive. I made a
> small elevated platform feeder. It is about 16" x 16" and has 6" legs on
> it. I put a piece of fine metal screen on the bottom. I keep this filled
> with sunflower seeds. Occasionally one of the squirrels still wants to
> try & get onto one of my feeders, but for the most part, they stay on
> the platform feeder. It has actually gotten enjoyable to watch them.
> Especially this time of the year when the young are out playing. We even
> built a squirrel den & put it on a tree. They took to it immediately.
> Take it from me, there is no sense trying to fight them. They are doing
> what comes natural, trying to survive. Like they say, if you can't beat
> 'em, join 'em.

I love watching the squirrels. They can be so acrobatic in how they go
about getting to a feeder. I've put feeders in awkward places just to se
if they can figure it out, not to prevent them from getting to it though.
I tend to get peanuts for the squirrels though, and as long as those are
readily available, they seem to leave the sunflower seed feeders alone.

Steve Mansfield |The captain frowned. "It's a funny thing," he said, "but
steve at nwnet.net |why is it that the heathens and the barbarians seem to have
|the best places to go when they die?"
|Small Gods - Terry Pratchett