Squirrel Special Forces Team

TO: Duncraft Designers

FROM: The Twin Lakes Squirrel Special Forces Team

DATE: March 18, 2007

Well, we saw The Lady (the human who lives in Salisbury, CT) opening up the package you sent her enclosing a new knob for the Duncraft platform feeder she hangs outside every morning.

It took us nearly three years to figure out how to get at the birdseed in that particular feeder. The Lady really thought she had a truly squirrel-proof feeder, and acted like a smarty pants every time she hung it out. That is, until a few weeks ago. We fixed her little red wagon. You should have seen her face when she saw that we had gotten into the birdseed! Man, was she disgusted! Oh, the language--it was awful!

We hate to admit it, but your platform feeder was a doozy. We tried every tactic over and over again, but all failed. We held weekly committee meetings in the woods, scheming for the day we would conquer the feeder. Then, this newcomer, a feisty little red squirrel said, "It's that damn knob doing us in. We have to chew it off, you big dopes."

And that's what we did. When The Lady saw the first chew marks on the knob, she painted it with Frank's Red Hot Sauce. And then she waited and watched. Heck, we just thought it tasted like Mexican food.

Well, it was nice of you to send The Lady a new plastic knob. It will be fun chewing through that one too. I heard The Lady tell her husband that Duncraft ought to make the knobs in metal. But we hope you won't do that.

Well--have to sign off. The Lady just hung out her six birdfeeders. Got to get busy. See ya!

General of the Twin Lakes

Squirrel Special Forces Team

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Posted at Friday, March 23, 2007 08:09 AM
In Squirrel Stories Category | Permalink

Comments
(Total 11)

I've given up trying to outwit squirrels, I just bring them breakfast every morning. Rice cakes loaded with peanut butter and grapes. It keeps them very busy and they leave the bird feeders alone. I think they get so filled up on breakfast they don't feel hungry enough to climb on the feeders.

Posted by Jackie Lessard on Monday, March 26, 2007 10:25 AM

One week after we put up our squirrel-proof platform feeder our squirrels were happily sitting in it and - somehow - reaching through the 'grid' and scooping the sunflower seeds out of it. Ms. Lessard has the right idea -- just feed them and get it over with!!

Posted by Elaine Johnston on Monday, March 26, 2007 01:23 PM

It can be as much fun feeding
squirrels. They are hilarious
to watch.

Posted by Mike Sullivan on Monday, March 26, 2007 03:16 PM

Your right,if you cant beat them ,then feed them.I made two corn feeders from pictures provided by the manufacturers. They do work and didnt cost me a dime.

Posted by Don on Tuesday, March 27, 2007 10:11 AM

I enjoy feeding my squirrels and watching their antics. I have a large family of red fox squirrels and we have reached a bit of a truce. As long as they remain well supplied, they don't rob my bird feeders."Truce" may not be the right word.
I too have found that the squirrels love grapes. My guys are perhaps, a bit spoiled. They peel them! Really! I've also discovered that if the grapes are not seedless, they spit the seeds out. I find piles of peelings and seeds under their little platform!
I know there has to be a reason they do this -- other than just being spoiled brats. And no, I don't peel their grapes for them!

Posted by Joyce P on Sunday, April 1, 2007 12:03 PM

I have the craziest (smartist) squirrel in the neighborhood. He not only hangs by is hind legs and eats out of the squirrel proof bird feeder, he is now given lessons to all interested in do the same.
The other day I was making breakfast and looking out the window. I saw some movement at the wire caged bird feeder and looked very closely to see what it was. To my surprise it was my little friend the chipmunk sitting inside the cage eating breakfast. Now White Ears (the squirrel and Chip (the chipmunk) each have their own feeder.

Posted by pat schrul on Monday, April 2, 2007 11:55 AM

I agree, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I attempt diversion feeding, giving the squirrels their food in an area close, but not with the bird feeders. The bungee feeders are especially amusing to watch them eat from. May as well make those little monsters work for it!

Posted by Kelly on Wednesday, May 2, 2007 11:51 AM

We have a weight-activated perch feeder similar to the Heritage Farm models and the squirrels can not get into it. They climb on the roof and fall off, get on the perch and fall off. They try but give up quickly. We have separate feeders for the squirrels across the yard with their own sunflower seeds and corn. I'm glad to hear that they like grapes. I have two pet starlings and the grapes go bad before they all get used. I rescued the starlings from the ground after they fellow from between two buildings and I could not get to the nest. They talk and are related to Mynah birds which I didn't know when I rescued them. They are a lot of fun.

Posted by Jan Tuinstra on Tuesday, August 28, 2007 09:07 PM

We, too, have a weight-activated perch feeder, the Heritage Farms model, and it foiled our squirrels for about four years! But this year, one smart squirrel discovered that he could REMOVE the perch, and then retrieve the food while hanging on to the pole. My husband, not quite as smart as the squirrel, retrieved the perch and re-installed it on the feeder. Smart Squirrel removed the perch once again and took it away with him; we are now unable to find it!

Posted by Sue Steen on Thursday, February 7, 2008 12:32 PM

Four years? FOUR YEARS! It took my squirrels 8 weeks max to figure out my spring-loaded, weight-activated feeder. Removing the perch was not necessary. He found a convenient limb cl;ose enough to lean on over, and rather than put his paw on the cage, or on the perch, he put it in the feeder-port itself. With his weight supported there, the weight-activated mechanism was never triggered,and ol' Rocky got a free feed.

I give up. If he's smart enough to figure that out, then he deserves his sunflower seeds! Let him eat!

Posted by Cori on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 01:25 AM

Ha! Sue and Cori, I laughed out loud when I read your posts. Taking the perch nd hiding it! I have a small yard but lots in it. We've created quite the haven for birds over the years. It is quite delightful and entertaining to watch thru our 9 ft front window. The cat likes the entertainment as well. This year, we had 2 greyish, reddish squirrels show up. Never had squirrels visit before, I thought it was because we have dogs. But these 2 are quite cute and seem to understand that they can outrun and outclimb the dogs. I bought them their own feeder as I have heard the war stories before. They do seem to like sitting in the gazebo style feeder. It's actually kind of cute. Maybe I won't think so after I see how often I am refilling it. For now, they are fun to watch.

Posted by deb on Thursday, March 6, 2008 10:50 AM