Evidently I got Miz t. a bird-repelling bird feeder.

[trof]

A few days ago she said for Mothers' Day she'd like a bird feeder outside our home office window.
Her wish is my desire.
Done!

I bought a cool red feeder at Lowes.
Fits on a 1" pvc pipe.
6'.
Squirrel-proof.

Put it up at 6:00 this morning so she'd see it when she got up.
So it's been up, chock full of tasty bird seed, for over 10 hours.
The back yard is FULL of birds.
They're almost bumping into each other.
We had 3 mid-air near misses.

And not one single bird has come close to that red bird repellent feeder.

[Phoenix61]

1. It can take awhile for them to figure it out.

I had one up for several days before they got the hang of it. Also, the bird shop told me if there is plentiful wild food the birds will eat that before they will go to a feeder.

[sarge43]

2. Important Rule: The mind set of our fur, feathered and scaly friends and your kids,

the more elaborate and expensive the item you buy for them the more likely they will totally ignore it - direct correlation. If you had put a pie tin on top of that pole, every bird in the county would have swarmed it.

In fact they're just cautious. They'll eyeball it for a day, then send over poor old dumb Louie. If he comes back alive -- FREE FOOD!

[trof]

3. Two squirrels are going nuts.

They have eyed that new thing in their yard from every angle.

From the foot of the pole.
They have calculated that
1. They can't jump that high and
2. They can't get a grip on PVC pipe.
(I'm guessing this is from previous experience.)

From the outside of our windowsill.
Too far for a lateral jump.
They are wishing they were flying squirrels like the famous Rocket J. Squirrel.
That would work.

From a branch above the feeder that is just a little too spindly and wafting in the breeze to risk jumping from.

They haven't figured it out yet.
They KNOW there's food there.
Somehow.
They're still working on it.
They've given me some amusement anyway.

[Lochloosa]

4. Drone with a roap ladder. They'll figure it out.

[sarge43]

5. Watching squirrels figuring out how to unsquirrel proof a birdfeeder is the best free show in town.

Some day they're going to build a catapult.

"Not to worry, Sam. I've tested it with chipmunks. It works. One thing, don't hit it spread eagle. Not sure what would happen to you, but the 'munks got kinda squished. OK, when you're get there, threw a lot of that seed down to me, chow down, moon the hooman in the window and make to sure to tuck and roll when you jump off. What? Ladders?! Ladders are for losers."

[trof]

6. Love it. Great.

Thanks

[Yonnie3]

8. I ran a piece of wire from a tree to the house to hang the feeder.

This was to put the feeder above bear reach. The squirrels hated it.

The squirrels would jump from the house or the tree and miss. They would sit on the ground and chatter at it. They would climb anything they could and stare at it.

They were fun to watch.

One day, about a month later, I saw the feeder shaking violently. A squirrel was hanging from the wire and shinnying toward the feeder. Like he was on an obstacle course. I rapped on the window and he looked toward the sound and thump he lost it.

Great fun.

[onethatcares]

7. watching a squirrel

grab a greased piece of pvc pipe that wasn't greased before is a laughing matter. Unbelievably funny.

poor critter gets that "WTF?" look in their eyes.