Squirrel Baffles Really Do Work

But you have to put them in the right place! 

Not so much the baffle, that's the easy part, but the feeder placement itself will determine if your baffle's installed correctly. If you see squirrels in the feeder... then you've failed the test!

Uber-squirrel can jump horizontally up to 10 ft. He does this by launching himself from any sturdy object-even those objects not so sturdy may serve his purpose! And that purpose is nothing more than to gain access to your bird feeder. He won't give up, it's just not in his nature.

So, if your feeder is on a stand-alone pole, or a feeding station with several feeders, or even a 4x4 wood post, it must be placed so there is no horizontal launching spot! The bottom of the baffle should also be at least 4 ft. above ground level. If you can't slide the baffle over said pole, the wrap-around baffle is ideal, it opens up and then self-locks in place with no need to remove feeders.

Now say you'd like to hang a feeder from that sturdy branch, the view from the kitchen window is perfect, but the squirrels are impossible. Not necessarily so! Hanging baffles are very effective, but you must consider the horizontal launching point. If placed too close to the tree trunk itself, the baffle will serve no purpose. If not far enough from the ground, the result is the same... failure to win the war.

This war is all about tactics, and with a little thought and careful planning, squirrels will be a non-issue at bird feeders! Baffles save tons of seed, aggravation and even some wood or plastic feeders squirrels love to chew, usually destroying them in the process. And if you happen to like the furry critters, it's best to give them their own feeder or two away from birdseed :)