Squirrel problem? Here's how to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder

Growing up in the suburban New York City area, surrounded by beech/oak forest, we sat in a wonderful place to enjoy the seasonal comings and goings of a wide variety of birds. And since my parents were avid gardeners, we were even better situated to enjoy the local bird populations. Feeding the birds, especially during winter, became an annual family ritual ... and a battle.

Throughout the year, we had cardinals and blue jays, grackles and starlings, chickadees, warblers, and a long host of what I later heard described as LBJs — little brown jobs. (I’m working on getting better at ID’ing those!) Indeed, one summer when I was about 10 years old, I read in the Audubon Encyclopedias sitting on the family room shelf that there was this bird called the ivory-billed woodpecker. Not bothering to read the details about habitat and, likely extinct status, I organized the neighborhood posse of other 10-year-olds and we spent the entire summer scouring the woods.

Guess how that turned out.

Meanwhile, my dad was embroiled in a multi-decade battle with the local suburban New York City squirrel population that had been reared in an atmosphere of lifelong vendettas and other cultural grudges. So, being the good, family-heritage-carrying son, I have spent a good deal of my adult life alternating between feeding/attracting birds, battling devious and relentless squirrels ... and a short few stints of just throwing in the towel. But I keep coming back for more.

And then a couple of years ago, a dear friend offered to let my wife Carolyn and I use her cabin in the Smoky Mountains for a fall stint. It is a lovely place, and the visit was a great tonic toward the end of a busy season. But one of the highlights of the trip was sitting on the deck and watching the birds devour the seed offered on two feeders. The species variety was amazing and there was nary a single squirrel.

I was dumbfounded. A little investigation revealed the seed cylinders were the type that have a hint of hot pepper oil (capsaicin) to help shoo away the would-be squirrel invaders. As it turns out, birds have far fewer taste buds compared to humans, and bird taste buds don’t process capsaicin the same way. They don’t feel the burn! I pulled out my phone on the spot and ordered a feeder and box of capsaicin-laced seed cylinders that were sitting on the front steps when we returned home from our trip.

The results in our Louisville garden were remarkable. Between the pepper-laced seed cylinders and a suet feeder, we had loads of woodpeckers, sparrows, chickadees, cardinals, and more. We also have a large American holly in the backyard that provides an annual boatload of fruits for the local robins, wax wings, and a host of others, and a few seed-producing perennials that provide for the finches and last remaining warblers. And the best part — no squirrel problem.

Now, being an obligate tinkerer, I thought to myself, “Why not just buy some seed and dust it with some cayenne pepper?" I got to work, picked up a couple of those feeders that suction cup to the window, and filled them up.

For about a week or two, I had glorious bird-watching from the living room couch. The two window feeders, doused with cayenne dust, each with a slightly different seed mix, attracted more birds, a wider species list, and perfect viewing. I even about-faced one of our home security system cameras to watch the birds up close. The camera is motion-activated so when it picks up motion, it saves a 15-second video clip. I can log in from anywhere and see who’s been on the feeder — a cardinal, a Carolina wren, a titmouse, etc.

All was right with the birding world.

Then one day, while pausing to sip my coffee at work, I pulled out my phone to see what was happening on the feeders. I opened the app, clicked on the camera link and ... that’s no bird! What the heck? Turns out, there’s at least one squirrel in my neighborhood that either has a very high pain tolerance or, quite possibly, is a biologically unanticipated hybrid between a house sparrow and a Kentucky squirrel!

So, what, you might ask, have I learned about attracting and enjoying birds in my home garden? Here’s my list:

A variety of seed type and feeders is essential

Variety is essential. Not just variety in the seed you put out for the birds, but a combination of feeders of different types, seeds of different types, and garden plants that offer annual crops of seed/fruit will yield the greatest results and the widest variety of birds.

Hot pepper oil can help keep squirrels from bird feeders

Hot pepper oil works, sometimes. I’ve not determined if my eventual failure (the purchased seed/pepper cylinders remain squirrel-free) with my seed/pepper mix is due to poor formulation, cheap/ineffective cayenne powder, or (and I always hate to admit that this is a possibility) that the people who’s job is to spend every day perfecting the seed/pepper concoction, actually know what they’re doing, or ... maybe there’s just one lone Louisville Highlands squirrel who has a tremendous pain threshold.

Remember, the battle can be half the fun. Sure, I hate it when a big, bushy-tailed squirrel plunks down in the middle of a freshly filled feeder, knocking most of the seed to the ground (is that his strategy?), but matching wits with this friendly foe keeps it interesting.

Not sure what that says about my own wit, but here we are.

Paul Cappiello is the executive director at Yew Dell Botanical Gardens, 6220 Old Lagrange Road, yewdellgardens.org.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Squirrel problem? Here's how to keep squirrels out of your bird feeder