Jen...
The Squirrels are just hungry too. I put up a Squirrel feeding station with one old feeder with no perch, a Squirrel snack box & one ot the things that holds an ear of corn. Didn't take them long to start using 'their' feeders, the Squirrels never bother the bird feeders now.
I would recommend putting food the Squirrels like in the feeders. I use part songbird food, part Squirrel food.
Now I have the opposite problem - the birds keep getting in the Squirrel feeder even though they have their choice of many other feeders that always have food in them.
To me feeding the Squirrels is well worth it for the show they put on, love those little cuties... :-)
Good luck

I love them too, but I am getting no birds due to their greedy natures!! lol!! We were watching them today and they were just racing around the tree, fighting like crazy lol!! They just about fell from around thirty feet up on several occasions! I have seen that happen, and it was hysterical!! (no one got hurt:)) I will try separating the feeding stations. I am going to have my hubby build a long stand in an open section of the yard for the birds and I will keep the squirrel station in closer to the trees. Maybe that will do the trick. Thanks:)
Jennifer

Jennifer...
Here's a link to a neat home made Squirrel feeder with instructions on how to make one.
I've hinted & hinted for my brother to make me one - he says he's printed out the instructions & I've got my fingers crossed maybe I'll get one for Christmas since I asked a year in advance... :-)
A Squirrel Feeder ThatÂs Sure to Get Some Chuckles

I built one of those squirrel feeders a few years back. I've got it around 8 feet from our group of feeders, and about the only time the squirrels bother the bird's is when theirs is empty or I've got a seed mix in the bird feeders with a bunch of sunflower seeds.

Dreamweaver, tell your brother to get off his duff and build you one. ;-) They're really pretty simple. 1 board, a gallon jar, a few screws and/or nails and you're ready to go. I made the entry holes bigger though. Our little guys get plenty chubby in the fall, and couldn't get in with the hole the original size.

I put a mix of sunflower seeds, cracked corn, and peanuts in ours, and it seems to keep them happy.

Dave...
Thanks for sharing about your feeder... :-)
Last year I hinted for my brother to make me one - this year I've been begging! When I first sent him the instructions last year he seemed so interested, even said he might go visit the guy since he also lives in Austin, TX. I asked about it early this year & he said he lost the link, told him I'd send it again & he says he's printed the instructions out now so maybe I'm making progress.

I know they look simple to make but I don't have any tools so can't try it myself but sure do want one.
Funny you had to enlarge the hole after your Squirrel got to fat to go in! :-)
The mixture you use sounds like a good one to keep them happy, it's about what I use. Think it'd be a mistake to put just corn if the birdfeeders have sunflower seeds & peanuts or other goodies. I was shocked at how little food it took to keep them happy, far less than I thought they were eating at the bird feeders.

Just really tickles me my birds took such an interest in trying to get in the Squirrel feeder, even my Mockingbird! I'm guessing it's the small amounts of fruit in the songbird mix I use the Mocker is after. Been lucky so far, the Mocker has not started guarding the feeder like they sometimes do.

One morning I looked out to see an enterprising bluejay inside the jar. The only problem was, he couldn't get out. Because the jar was clear, he kept on trying to fly out through it, sort of the reverse of a bird flying into a window. He kept on flying into it, and started freaking out. It wasn't my first choice, but after about 10 minutes I went out, and took the jar down. He jumped out and took off without saying thank you or anything.

The one downside to making the hole larger is I've caught a baby raccoon in there a couple of times. I don't know what I would have done if he or she had gotten stuck.

If your brother keeps on dragging his feed, try buying one. I imagine people sell them on eBay. I thought about doing that. I also saw them in a local garden center here. Try searching for "squirrel jar feeder", or "squirrel under glass". I've seen them described as that.

Oh no, poor Blue Jay that he couldn't get out on his own but lucky you were there to help. I can just imagine how glad he was to get out but shame on him for forgetting to say thank you.
Glad the baby Raccoon didn't get stuck in there, I'd think they could put up a fight if they were scared.
What about Possums, I have Possums in my yard from time to time, guess it's have to be a baby to get inside the feeder, the one I sometimes see is a fairly large one.
He fooled me good early one morning when I let my dog out, saw him running like he was after something so went out & there lay what I thought was a dead Possum. Got my dog back in & asked my son to help dispose of the body...but when we went back out the 'dead Possum' was gone... :-)

You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him...

That is so cute! Guess your only hope is that when it gets bigger it can't get in there any more & hope it won't try to tear it down to get to the seed.
Thanks for posting the cute pictures... :-)