How to Keep Squirrels Off Bird Feeders (2025)

Squirrels: What are they? Just rats with good PR? Be advised that this is not safe reading material for squirrel lovers or even squirrel apologists. In my opinion, squirrels are worse than mice – smarter, more confused, more destructive. I’ve had them nest in my chimney, chew holes in my ears to get into my walls, and destroy multiple bird feeders. I even chewed one through a full 4-by-2 pergola rafter to get to a suite block.

With its popularity Smart Bird FeederIt’s even more important to learn ways to keep them out of your yard, lest they turn your investment into a pile of chewed plastic bits. To make matters worse, if you live on the West Coast like I do, you’re likely dealing with the eastern gray squirrel, a nonnative, invasive species that competes for resources with native species like the western gray squirrel. What’s a backyard bird enthusiast to do?

Lucky for you, I’ve been feeding birds across three different states for nearly 25 years, and have been testing smart feeders for the past year, fighting almost daily battles with these furry neighborhood enemies. I’ve tried it all and found out what works – and what doesn’t – so you can keep your sanity intact.

For more bird trades, see our guide The best smart bird feedersthe Best binocularsAnd Best gift for bird lovers.

Golden (5-7-9) rule

Photo: Cat Mark

Onlyfly

Bird feeder pole stand

First, there is a tried and true method of filing squirrels, and it is both free and harmless. Experts refer to it as 5-7-9 rule: Keep your feeder at least 5 feet off the ground, 7 feet away from structures like houses, trees or fences; and 9 feet away from anything overhead that they can jump over, such as tree branches or roofs. This usually means placing your feeder on a pole with a baffle (I use the set above), or hanging it from a long shepherd’s hook.

If you’re in the market for a bird feeder, especially one Smart FeederIt’s important to have the option of hanging it or mounting it on a pole, because if you can only mount it to a fence or tree, you’re rolling out the welcome mat for squirrels. (All smart feeders I recommendincluding Birdfy And Bird BuddyPole mount included.) If you want to go the extra mile, you can too Your pole is Greece With Crisco, which doesn’t last long but is good for entertaining for a day or two.

Note that if your Smart Feeder doesn’t have an attached solar panel to charge the battery, you probably won’t be able to mount the feeder to the pole without some jury-rigging, so I recommend going for a model with a built-in solar roof or no solar panel at all.