- Bird Accessories, Squirrel Baffle, Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder, Squirrel Proof Bird Feeders, Uncategorized
turn your feeders into squirrel proof bird feeders
Backyard birding can bring a few frustrations to the serene and peaceful hobby. Namely squirrels… they can cause some damage and be a real bummer when constantly raiding bird feeders.There are fairly easy ways to turn your existing feeders into squirrel proof bird feeders. With some careful placement and a quality squirrel baffle, your squirrel headache will be solved for good!
Economical plastic or metal baffles may be installed for pole-mounted feeders and hanging feeders too. On the pole, the baffle sits below the feeder and keeps squirrels from reaching the feeder above. When used on hanging feeders, baffles act as a shield to keep the critters from reaching down past them to the feeder.
Some baffles, like the Twirl-A-Squirrel shown here, have a motorized compartment which reacts and spins when the weight is significantly increased. It’s very effective against squirrels, and extremely hilarious to watch. But don’t worry, it will not harm the spinning squirrel… only make him a bit dizzy – depending on how long he wants to hang on!
Check it out in this manufacture’s video clip:
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ants in the window hummingbird feeder
Last season a customer purchased this window hummingbird feeder in hopes of not only attracting the tiny jewels, but bringing them closer to home for better viewing. She seemed happy with her purchase, until I received a note saying there were ants swimming in the nectar!Now this is perfectly understandable, ants being a constant battle with nectar feeders, but…. this window hummingbird feeder has a built-in ant moat.
So I proceeded to ask: “Is the moat filled with water” and she said “yes”. “Has the moat always been filled with water?” I asked, rather puzzled. After explaining that ants can’t swim, if the moat were consistently filled with water, this would be impossible. Ants just can not cross a body of water. So, my belief is that the water must have evaporated from the moat – it’s really the only logical explanation.
By the way, this is a great little window hummingbird feeder because it allows for full view of birds. It can also be used as a seed feeder during colder months, attracting more feathered friends for close-up viewing!
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fatal hummingbird feeders
Some feeders may actually be hiding black mold.
In preparation for the winter season, I recently took down the hummingbird feeders. Prepped for a thorough cleansing in the dishwasher before packing them away for spring, one feeder in particular left me wondering: how does this one come apart? Well, it didn’t, and I proceeded to break one of the perches in trying to do so! I thought it was a pretty decent feeder, with 4 perches and a built-in ant moat, it was purchased from a “big-box store”.
To my surprise, black mold was found in the base, hiding in the recessed areas next to the bottom of the feeding ports. You couldn’t reach it even with the craftiest of brushes. After running this hummingbird feeder through the dishwasher, the ugly black stuff persisted. This mold can be deadly to hummingbirds, and purchasing a feeder that doesn’t come apart was not my brightest idea. Placed in the bin for recycling, this bargain hummingbird feeder is now history. You can bet that any future ones will be be totally disassemble-able!
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