When asked, many birders in North America would tell you their common backyard nemesis is the squirrel. Many products have been created and marketed to deter these bandits, who gorge themselves on the available food AND often damage the feeders.
During the early days of Covid, Mark Rober had some time on his hands and decided to start birding. However, he found the squirrels in his Sunnyvale, California backyard were getting the best of him.
According to Wikipedia, Mark Rober is “an American YouTuber, engineer, inventor, and educator. He is known for his YouTube videos on popular science and do-it-yourself gadgets.” With these skills, he created the “Backyard Squirrel Maze 1.0 – Ninja Warrior Course.” If you haven’t seen this viral video from nearly four years ago, it is worth viewing! He even created two follow-up videos you may also want to watch!
Most of us won’t go through these efforts to deter those pesky rodents, but Google AI provided the following tips for keeping squirrels away from bird feeders:
- Squirrel baffles and squirrel-proof feeders: These products can help keep squirrels away from bird feeders.
- The 5-7-9 rule: Squirrels can’t jump more than 5 feet up, 7 feet across, or 9 feet down.
- Owl statues: Squirrels are afraid of owls, so placing an owl statue in your yard can be effective.
Although squirrels and birds can sometimes be enemies, it’s possible to keep both safe and happy in the same yard.
Let us know if you have any tried and trued ways to deter the squirrels in your yards!