How to Keep Squirrels Away from Bird Feeders (2025)

Squirrels: Are they? Just mice with better PR? Be aware that this material is not safe reading for squirrel lovers, or even squirrel advocates. In my opinion, squirrels are worse than mice, they are smarter, more devious and more destructive. I’ve had them nest in my chimney, chew holes in my eaves to get into my walls, and destroy multiple bird feeders. I even chewed through one entire 4×2 piece of wood pergola to get to the grease block.

With the popularity of smart bird feeders, it’s even more important to learn ways to keep them out of your garden, lest you turn your investment into a pile of chewed-up plastic bits. To make matters worse, if you live on the West Coast like me, you’re probably dealing with the eastern gray squirrel, a non-native and invasive species that competes for resources with native species like western gray squirrels. What’s a backyard bird enthusiast to do?

Lucky for you, I’ve been feeding birds for nearly 25 years in three different states, been testing smart feeders for the past year, and have almost daily battles with furry neighborhood enemies. You’ve tried everything and figured out what works, and what doesn’t, so you can maintain your sanity.

For more bird-related work, check out our guides to the best smart bird feeders, best binoculars, and best gifts for bird lovers.

The golden rule (5-7-9).

Photo: Kat Merck

Onlyfly

Bird feeder pole stand

First, there’s a tried-and-true way to thwart squirrels, and it’s free and harmless. Experts refer to it as the 5-7-9 rule: Keep your feeder at least 5 feet off the ground, and 7 feet away from structures like houses, trees, or fences; And within 9 feet of anything overhead they can jump from, such as a tree branch or roof. This usually means placing your feeder on a pole with a baffle (I use the set above), or hanging it from a long shepherd’s hook.

If you’re in the market for a bird feeder, especially a smart feeder, it’s essential that you have the option of hanging or mounting on a pole, because if you can only mount it to a fence or tree, you’re essentially rolling out a welcome mat for the squirrels. (All of the smart feeders I recommend, including the Birdfy and Bird Buddy, include pole mounts.) If you want to go the extra mile, you can also lubricate your pole with Crisco, which doesn’t last as long but is good for an entertaining day or two.

Note that if your smart feeder doesn’t have a solar panel attached to charge the battery, you probably won’t be able to mount it on the pole with the feeder without some jury rigging, so I recommend choosing a model with a built-in solar roof or no solar panel at all.