Posted on 12/22/2016 4:53:45 PM PST by metmom
OWENSBORO, Ky., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A Kentucky woman who struggled to keep squirrels from raiding her bird feeder came up with a simple but effective solution -- a Slinky.
Jan Siems Catron posted a video to Facebook showing a squirrel attempting to climb the bird feeder in her yard, but falling back to the ground when it reaches the section covered by the coiled-wire children's toy.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
She shines with her own kind of light.
I came up with a solution once that worked pretty well.
Mr. mm hung the bird feeder from a branch with pretty heavy gauge wire and those suckers would just grab the wire with their front paws and slide down it and land on top of the feeder and just about empty it.
So I took a clear, 2 liter soda bottle and cut the bottom off it and threaded the wire up through the top and it hung down over the bird feeder.
Well, sure enough a tree rat comes along, slides down as usual and I hear this loud TWANG and I look outside the bird feeder is swinging back and forth and the squirrel is nonchalantly sitting on the ground eating some seed as if nothing happened.
They never did figure out how to get past it as far as I remember. Probably siliconing the wire on occasion would have helped as they would not be able to slow down their progress on the wire.
I wish I could see how she anchored the slinky at the top
I was wondering that myself.
She looks at you once in a day And what's wrong is alright
She looks at you once in a day, it’s all wrong, it’s all right.
Brilliant!
When I saw to caption to your post, my first thought was, how did she get Obama to climb that pole.
The squirrel’s reaction is, “what the...!”
Anyone have a solution for keeping them from chewing through screens on a screened in porch? They do it to get in and climb into the soffits to build nests when it’s nesting time. My handyman asked why I just didn’t leave the door open for them and they wouldn’t have to chew through the screens. I didn’t think much of that idea. LOL He has repaired and repaired the holes in the screen and the colder it gets, the more they’ll be inclined to start up again. He has cut and put sturdier screen over at least 3/4 of the soffit and needs to finish it. They are such a menace and so destructive. Any ideas on how to get rid of them? Against the law to shoot them here but it sure is tempting!
I was cleaning GD's toy corner and found several old slinkeys. Fun time ahead.
This squirrel will keep trying. He will eventually figure out that he can compress the Slinky upward by continuing to climb. When he gets even with the feeder he will jump onto it. Problem solved.
Squirrels can launch themselves over some amazing distances to get to a supply of bird seed.
I spent last Spring and Summer battling squirrels to keep them off my wife's feeder array.
I eventually won by trial and error and observation. It takes as much tenacity as they apply to the problem.
What a great idea! Wonder if it would work if you have a hanging feeder like we do. Probably not, the whole gravity thing and all.
I can't find the original, but here's a start:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EnDwkclDcA
There is a pet proof screen that works very well at not snagging after cats climb it, and not ripping when dogs try to get through it. Maybe it would work for squirrels.
—I hung about 3’ of the splittable dryer vent tube over the iron rod holding up the feeder—keeps both squirrels and chipmunks away-—
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