LESLIE: Priscilla in Massachusetts is on the line and while we all love birdhouses, guess who else likes them? Squirrels. Let’s help her keep squirrels out of birdhouses. What can we do for you today?
PRISCILLA: They’ve chewed away at the holes of it so that they actually have made it – the holes bigger. And because of that, the birds are not going in there because the squirrel can go in there. So I’ve already tried PVC piping, because I figured that’s something I can put in there – insert it just in the hole – and it’s not too big, kind of narrow. But I can’t find one that fits.
TOM: OK. Most of the solutions for bird feeders or birdhouses are really in two categories. One, they make it rather unpleasant impossible squirrels to get in, with things like cones or plastic bottles or slippery pipes or ducts or Slinkies or things like that that slide around and make a lot of noise.
PRISCILLA: Oh, yeah.
TOM: Or simply move it completely away from where squirrels can get to it. So, for example, if you were to string a wire between two trees and not have overhanging branches above, that would be a way to keep squirrels out of birdhouses.
PRISCILLA: Could I have – do you know of something I can insert in the hole, though?
TOM: Right. But if you insert it in the hole, the squirrels are still going to hang out in that birdhouse and they might try to chew their way in via another area.
PRISCILLA: Right.
TOM: So that’s why I’m saying that I would not focus on reinforcing the birdhouse as much as I would focus on moving it to an area that’s less likely to be attacked by squirrels.
I have found that cones are extremely expensive so I get a piece of metal heating duct from any hardware store, it comes in various sizes and if your tree is not too big around, you can cut into lengths of about 18 inches, wrap it around the tree and attach with screws. The squirrels, cats, racoons ect cannot climb the metal.
If you make the hole size anywhere from 1 1/2″ to 2″ you can get a plastic desk grommet from Home Depot and put it in the opening. They are made from hard plastic so it is hard for the squirrels to chew. I use them in all the birdhouses I make. Just a thought….