A feeder that a grey squirrel can empty in a few days needs a better design, a cone on its pole or a different position. Wire cages, metal casings and a cone on a smooth pole all help, but none works if a squirrel can jump onto the feeder from a branch or fence. In the parts of Scotland where red squirrels survive, keeping greys off feeders also helps keep squirrelpox away from the reds.
For feeding red squirrels, see red squirrels in your garden.
Why grey squirrels are so good at this
Grey squirrels are frequent visitors to gardens with bird tables and feeders. They are renowned for agility, adept climbing and cunning, and can crack open bird feeders and run along tight washing lines to reach nuts. They can also quite easily bite through plastic, which is why a thin plastic port or hopper is not a long-term barrier. You cannot stop squirrels entering a garden, so the aim is a feeder they cannot empty. A grey squirrel is about 30cm long with a 20cm tail and weighs around 600g, enough to trigger a weight-activated hatch (Scottish Wildlife Trust).
Feeder designs that work, and ones that don't
Garden centres sell squirrel-proof feeders and tables, usually a stout wire cage around the food that lets birds in and keeps squirrels out. Birds may visit these feeders less often. Match the barrier to how the squirrel attacks: climbing a pole, squeezing through a gap, or chewing a hole.
| Design | How it works | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wire cage or guardian feeder | A stout wire cage encloses the food dispenser, so small birds reach through the gaps and squirrels are kept out | The most common design in garden centres |
| Metal-cased feeder | A metal casing squirrels cannot chew through, or a cage around the central feeder | Squirrels damage plastic feeders by chewing, so check the construction, not just the label |
| Weight-activated feeder | The hatch moves down and blocks the food when a squirrel or other heavy visitor lands on the perch, and the perch resets when it leaves | Stops large birds as well as squirrels, and a hatch set too sensitively shuts out bigger garden birds, so adjust it to the birds you feed |
| Pole-mounted cone (baffle) | A cone fitted below the feeder stops squirrels climbing up the pole | Works only on a smooth metal pole, because a wooden or rough post gives a grip, and feeders must be kept far enough from anything squirrels can jump from |
Chilli in the seed is the one cheap extra worth trying: birds do not mind it and squirrels dislike the burning sensation. Other repellent substances and scaring devices, such as sprays and ultrasonic scarers, are likely to give no more than short-term protection, and a squirrel that has found food is a poor candidate for being scared off it. Smearing petroleum jelly on a pole is not a recommended fix, so rely on a smooth cone instead. For keeping feeders clean once you have them, see bird feeder and bird bath hygiene, which covers how dirty feeders spread disease and how to clean them.
Placement matters as much as the feeder
A well-designed feeder in the wrong place is still an easy target, because a squirrel does not need to climb the pole if it can launch onto the feeder from somewhere else. Keep feeders away from any tree, fence or shrub that could be a jumping point, and put them at eye level or a little above. Walk round the spot and check every possible springboard, including fence tops, shed roofs, wheelie bins and overhanging branches, then move the feeder or the springboard. No reliable jump distance exists, so check each springboard rather than trusting a figure. If squirrels drop from above, move the feeder away from the overhanging branch, because a baffle above does not help. A freestanding smooth pole in open lawn with a cone fitted deals with the climbing and the jumping route together. A feeder on a wall bracket or a tree branch needs the same clearance, since a squirrel that can climb the wall or drop from the branch never has to solve the pole.
Keep the ground clean too. Spilled seed and husks under a feeder can attract squirrels and rats, so fit a seed catcher or tray and empty it regularly. The best set-up combines a caged or metal feeder, a cone on a smooth pole, clear space around it and clean ground. A stronger barrier may put off some shy birds, so expect fewer visits at a caged feeder.
Why it matters more in some Scottish gardens
Grey squirrels carry squirrelpox virus without showing symptoms, but red squirrels exposed to it suffer severe symptoms and high mortality. Greys are thought to have brought the virus to the UK. The first Scottish cases were in 2005, along the border with Cumbria, and it is still spreading in southern Scotland. Where greys are absent, so is the spread: modelling commissioned by NatureScot found the virus is unlikely to spread through areas that have only red squirrels, including the Highlands and parts of Tayside, Argyll, Moray and Aberdeenshire, as long as greys do not colonise them.
| Where | Squirrel situation |
|---|---|
| Border with Cumbria | Where the first Scottish squirrelpox cases were reported, in 2005 |
| South Scotland | Both species present; squirrelpox is a major challenge and the virus has kept spreading in places |
| Central Lowlands | Control work aims to stop greys and the virus spreading north; reds are thriving north of the Highland Line |
| Argyll and Tayside | The northern edge of the grey squirrel range |
| Aberdeen City | An isolated grey population that the project aims to eradicate |
| Highlands and parts of Tayside, Argyll, Moray and Aberdeenshire | Red squirrels only; the virus is unlikely to spread here while greys stay out |
The Scottish Wildlife Trust's Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels project has run targeted grey squirrel control since 2009. It is working to eradicate the isolated grey population in and around Aberdeen City, to stop greys and the virus spreading north from the Central Lowlands, and to support volunteer groups in South Scotland, and it asks the public to report squirrel sightings. There are 18 red squirrel stronghold forests across Scotland, plus Arran, managed with reds as a priority.
Greys also compete with reds for food and living space, and a feeder that keeps feeding greys gives them a reason to stay. So if you garden in or near an area where red squirrels survive, a feeder that keeps greys away is a small contribution to the effort to protect them. Elsewhere, it mainly saves seed. Red squirrels have the highest level of protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, so make sure of the species before taking any action against a squirrel.
Common questions
Do squirrel-proof bird feeders stop grey squirrels completely?
Not completely. Squirrels cannot be kept out of a garden, but wire-caged feeders, metal-cased feeders and a cone on a smooth pole make raiding much harder. Birds may visit caged feeders less often.
Does a baffle go above or below the feeder?
Below, on a smooth pole, to stop squirrels climbing up from the ground. A baffle does nothing against a squirrel that jumps onto the feeder from a branch, fence or shed roof, so the feeder also has to sit far enough from anything a squirrel can jump from.
Do chilli or other repellents work?
Adding a little chilli to bird food is a Scottish Wildlife Trust suggestion: birds do not mind it and squirrels dislike the burning sensation. Other repellent substances and scaring devices are likely to give no more than short-term protection, so use any of them as an extra on top of a physical barrier.
Can I just put up with the greys?
In much of the Central Belt and the south, that is a personal choice about seed and cost. In or near the Highlands, or the parts of Aberdeenshire, Argyll, Tayside and Moray that still have red squirrels, keeping greys off feeders is part of keeping squirrelpox away from reds.
Can squirrels chew through plastic feeders?
Yes. Squirrels can quite easily bite through plastic, which is why wire is used for permanent squirrel-proofing and why a metal casing holds up better than thin plastic.
Sources
Show the 6 sources
- RHS: Grey squirrels: Squirrel-proof feeders with a stout wire cage and fewer bird visits, squirrels biting through plastic, repellents and scaring devices giving short-term protection only, not being able to stop squirrels entering a garden, and the red squirrel having the highest level of protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act
- NatureScot: New squirrelpox research released today: Squirrelpox carried without symptoms by greys and severe in reds, first Scottish cases in 2005 along the border with Cumbria, grey range reaching Argyll and Tayside with an isolated Aberdeenshire population, the virus being unlikely to spread through red-only areas, and the 18 stronghold sites plus Arran
- Scottish Wildlife Trust: Grey squirrel: Grey squirrels being about 30cm long with a 20cm tail and weighing 600g, frequent feeder visitors, their agility, climbing and washing-line tightrope walking, and chilli in bird food
- Scottish Wildlife Trust: Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels project: Squirrelpox lethal to reds but not greys, grey control since 2009, the Aberdeen City grey population, holding greys back in the Central Lowlands, and South Scotland volunteer groups
- Gardeners' World: Best bird feeders: Metal-cased and caged feeders, weight-activated hatches, siting away from jumping points and at eye level or a little above
- RSPB Shop: Squirrel guard pole mounted cone: A cone fitted to a feeder pole to stop squirrels climbing up, and keeping feeders far enough from nearby objects that squirrels cannot reach or jump across