Use Hot Peppers
Another great deterrent is hot peppers. Birds can eat them without any problems, but squirrels will stay away from anything spicy like most other mammals. One way to use peppers on your bird feeder is to take some chili pepper and coat your feeder pole with it. The capsaicin in the chili pepper causes a burning sensation in their paws, which makes them feel like it is on fire. This makes them run away very quickly, and they will not want to go near that area of the yard again. You can also add some to the feed itself. Once the squirrels try it, their mouth starts to burn, and they will avoid eating your bird food again.
Baffle It
Some squirrels are relentless in getting food, so there may be no way you can stop them entirely unless you make significant changes to your backyard; however, you can change the way they go about getting it. Baffling is a method of using wire mesh to block off places where squirrels are trying to climb. If you place baffles around the trunk or pole that your bird feeder is hanging from, then there will be no way for them to get up and reach the food inside. It is a relatively cheap and effective way to prevent squirrels from getting into your feeders.
Give Them Their Food
They may be annoying, and they may steal most of the food from your bird feeders, but it is essential to remember that squirrels are also an integral part of nature. They help with seed dispersal and can live ten years or longer if there is enough food. If you have a large backyard and want to carve out a separate area for just squirrels, you can put up a variety of specific food. This could be an assortment of nuts and seeds that they love even more than the ones in your bird feeder. It will make them feel less inclined to mess with your bird feeder because they will have their buffet.
Conclusion
There are various ways to keep squirrels from eating all the food in your bird feeders. The methods above will work well if you have a small number of feeders and only need them to withstand minor damage. However, for those who have many feeders and need something more practical, there are other more expensive options out there. Just remember, the last thing you want to do is hurt or kill the squirrels. Although they can be annoying sometimes, that doesn’t mean they deserve to be harmed. They are just after a meal like most things in this world!