I saw 3 squirrels last summer wherein 1 had somehow made it onto an isolated feeder by dropping 20' from a tree. There were 2 other squirrels on the ground below it while it shoveled out seeds. That squirrel accomplished Mission Impossible and lives as a legend in those parts to this day.
That squirrel must have been plenty sore when he hit the feeder. My feeder is surrounded by mature elm trees,and I have never seen a squirrel drop any distance onto the feeder. They try to get up by climbing the feeder pole,but I have a squirrel baffle,and that stops them cold.
It shouldn’t tickle me so much to see the squirrels frustrated, but as a person that’s fed far more squirrels than birds over the years, I’m going to try to live with this personality flaw. Ingenious bird feeder Sir!
@@TheKomentor A crow is a fairly large bird and will have a body larger than a squirrel. AT 13:47 you can see what I think is a black bird (not a crow) and it appears to be too large to get into the holes. Ravens are even larger than crows. However, there are cardinals and other small birds that are enjoying the feeder. I think this is a reasonable trade off considering that there is no feeding of squirrels.
@@TheKomentor you can always do an open feeder for the bigger animals. If you feed crows you feed squirrels there isn't much way around it. This feeder supplies your smaller songbirds, I like to do a bar for the bigger critters and a seed feeder for the smaller ones
Chris you are a genius! First bird feeder I've ever felt like I can easily make that is worth my time and effort, because it actually works! Love this beautiful piece of art! Thank you:) BOP
Both of the designs are GREAT, but I really think I like your first design better! Of course the second is more refined and probably holds more food, but I'm a bird WATCHER first, so the first design lends itself more toward that to me. Thanks for sharing both of them!!
Thanks for that great feedback! I have a second design in mind for the first version, the one you like, that would use stainless steel instead of copper.
So much easier to add a glass bowl shaped like a ships rat guard that only costs a few bucks to the support pole below the feeder. Problem solved completely.
I saw the original squirrel-proof video when you first posted it and now I’ve seen the new iteration. It’s a marvelously improved design. If you added some glass to the bottom row of openings, that would block most of the excess seeds from reaching the outside wooden ledge. Adding the perches was a great touch. Continued success with your videos and clever inventions.
I was thinking the same thing when he first removed it. Then the squirrels would learn to actually leave it alone and not scare the birds away as often
@@BouncingTribbles I suppose it depends on whether you want squirrels to go away completely, or you just don't want them to hog all the seed and empty the feeder. My sense is that Chris, like me, isn't trying to make the squirrels leave completely but rather to just keep them from hogging it all. Good suggestion though for those that would rather the squirrels move along to someplace else. Personally, I enjoy watching the squirrels play and try to figure things out but I have no interest in giving them a never-ending buffet of seed. This solution is fantastic to that end. Well done!
@@ReitersBlock maybe your squirrels are nicer than ours. We don't have a feeder but the squirrels are always there, they don't need the encouragement. If anything they're the ones that drive the birds away. The cats are mostly out in the evening and at night
This has got to be the only true squirrel proof bird feeder I have ever seen. Chipmunks could still get in, though. 😊 Great job! It's beautiful looking, too.
@@jamee_maree Sure, it helps, but the video maker is solving old problems by creating new ones. These birds are lightweight, so redesigning the feeder to accommodate them is somewhat unnecessary. Instead, the feeder should utilize gravity and centrifugal force against squirrels and larger birds. Then, the feeder should have a slot that collects any flying seeds, so there's no way for squirrels to game the system by using it's weight.
It’s a great idea and it works very well. About three years ago I decided to make one, but I used PVC and the same adhesive you use. PVC is so much easier to cut. Only one side is PVC on my feeder. The rest is made of cedar. Opposite to the PVC side is clear plastic so the ends are cedar. So One long side is PVC, and the other long side is clear plastic. I did this to prevent the weather from blowing the seed out or from driving rain getting to the seed. You can’t keep all the rain out but my design works just fine. And the birds love it. Little birds can hop right in and the larger birds like Cardinals and Blue Jays can pop their head in and eat some seed as well, but no squirrels! And I will admit it was hilarious watching squirrels trying to get in and then giving up.
Chris- instead of unbolting to fill the feeder slip some flex tube through the the pipe. Ad a wide moth funnel at the top. Pour the seed in and that’s it. Let me know your thoughts
Leave one set of rings off the lower part of one end piece, except for one ring at each end. Then make the smaller tray, but without the underneath spacer sticking out the sides, and groove the base slightly so the tray just fits in and won't move when closed and in place, while blocking the gap with the missing rings. (Or you can silicone the missing rings to the tray so the end looks solid when closed.) Then you can just slide out the tray to clean and refill it.
Really love that design! Very unique and cool looking. I spent a few years building bird houses that looked like rustic cabins in miniature, as a hobby. Very time consuming, cutting every cedar shingle and glueing them one by one in a staggered pattern just as in proper roofing. Stained and sealed for weather, elaborate moldings and trim-work completed the illusion that the bird houses were actual full-size houses, just seen from a distance. I gave a few away to neighbors for Christmas and one of them said I should start selling these bird houses since they were so cool. A carpenter by trade, I was just building miniature cabins for birds and would rather give them away than sell them. Ever the “businessman”, my neighbor asked how much these bird houses were worth if I sold them? I asked, “To the birds? Zero dollars. To the people? Just a smile is all I want.” He pressed on, thinking somehow money could be made here? (I’m sure he wanted to be my promoter and take a cut of the fortune.) He asked, “How much did you spend on materials?” Good question. All I really bought in a store was glue, stain, varnish, and a few dowels here and there, so $50 dollars would last me a hundred birdhouse builds. He nodded excitedly. “Okay, how much time in labor for each one?” We sat and had a couple beers in my shop as I did the math. “Okay, since these are rustic cabin copies, I get most of my wood from fallen branches in the woods. I hike and stumble across a perfect fallen tree with a perfect natural knot hole in it, so let’s charge the customer my gas money and time, even though I’d do this for free. Then I’ll mill every branch to look like a log, mortise and tenon the joints to look authentic. Build miniature deck furniture that looks real and weathered, which takes far longer than building it full-size and brand new. Little details like moldings have to be carved and milled by hand and it takes hours. I’m not about to clock in my time for this and stick to a schedule. That’s when an art of love turns into actual “work”. So based on my labor at $45 dollars per hour and one of these birdhouses consuming 40 hours or so, I guess I’d price each birdhouse at $1800- to $2000 dollars.” He frowned, “Nobody’s gonna pay that much for a birdhouse!” I laughed, “Ya think? That’s why I give them away. It’s a labor of love my friend. A smile from receiving one of my works of art has no monetary value. It’s value is priceless to me.” His whole idea of this being a “business venture” was ludicrous from the start and I kept making these bird houses and giving them away, each one being cooler than the last one. Pretty soon, I was getting more into detail like carving a banjo out of wood and leaning it against the front porch wall as if this cabin was still inhabited by humans. Birds wouldn’t notice or care but people liked the touches like miniature tools laying around and signs above the entry hole saying, “Room for rent”. Lots of people were so impressed with the detail that they wouldn’t put them outside for the birds and in the weather, but instead hang them from the ceiling or put them on a shelf in the living room as art. I guess that’s what I was hoping for all along. Sorry for the long story, I really like your squirrel-resistant bird feeder here. Very open to the birds and frustrating for the squirrels who’d definitely steal all the birdseed given the chance. Did you ever wonder what you could sell these for? Or did you just have fun creating it and solving a problem. I’m sure my old neighbor would be interested in you starting a business for no good reason. Ignore him and have fun. Great channel. Just subscribed.
@@activatedcharcoal, Thank you. My old neighbor was a flea market guy and took one of the birdhouses I made for him, to the flea market to sell along with all the other crap he tried to sell. He was one of those guys who had no appreciation or respect for a gift, but try to sell it for money. He wasn’t poor, he was just lame and greedy. He came back and said he sold my gift to him for $500 dollars. I told him he got ripped off. He frowned, “But I got it for free and made $500 bucks!” Yeah, he never understood. Take care and be safe my friend.
Wow Sean! That is a labor of love! And, sounds like wonderful works of art. Maybe you'll be the next Van Gogh? Either way, awesome story! It really tells a lot about someone's character who gets more satisfaction out of hiking, building, & making people smile than thinking about the money aspect of it. 👍♥️
@@Woodstock271 - wow. Some ppl really don’t understand. I make felt embroidery stockings by hand. Mats cost $25-30 (I buy a kit) but it takes me like 2 months to do them. My first and most intricate one I did took 3 months. I did a mermaid and her entire tail was sequin embroidery with the fin being all bead embroidery. Her tail alone took 3 weeks lol. I gave it to my sister. It was customized to have her name on the stocking and my artist signature. It is priceless to me and thankfully to her. I’m glad I get to see it when I visit. I hope to one day make my own felt embroidery creations without a kit but I currently have kids so I don’t have that much time. But I’m compelled to sew (if I don’t sew or crochet, I get depressed) so I use the kits. There’s still a bit of personal flourish on how you embroider and piece the pattern together so I still feel like I’m using my artistic eye even if it is a kit. Just wanted to say thanks for the story and sorry about your neighbor that sold your art that was a gift. My mom sold stuff at a flea market as well but she would never sell one of kind pieces. She kept that kind of stuff for herself.
Hi Chris! I love your new design. I also like how the squirrels can get a small snack every once in a while. You know, because you buy it, bird seed is darn expensive!! They'd eat it all if you let 'em. Still, they are my favorite animal. They're just so smart. Just like you.
One tiny improvement: Make the basin inside even smaller but add a wooden sitting rail on the glass. Put a box inside (no top or bottom, just four sides). Leave a small (about 0.3-07 in) gap at the bottom (use screws in the corners or wood to create the gap or cut out low arches). The box should be about two inches smaller than the basin. You can then fill the box with seeds. The seeds will spill out through the gaps. This way, the birds can't sit in the food and spoil it with their wastes.
Thanks for that tip, I’m for ever having to clean ours out because of the larger birds but that gives me an idea of adding the water dispenser as well for the smaller birds. The best part is the Indian miner birds won’t fit through the rings so this will stop them from cleaning out the bird feeder as well. 15 years ago there were non in our area now there are almost 50 in this area alone. 50 plus years ago some idiot released them down in Melbourne and now the can be found almost to the Top-end of Australia.
Yes you can easily! Just leave your garage door up about 2 1/2" to 3" inches and lay a pile of seed on the floor in the garage . The squirrels will enter and not the birds. Of course doing this brings on another whole set of problems with the squirrels inside your garage. This is why people try to keep them at bay since they do chew everything and can cause a lot of damage to wiring and to your house. You may have missed it but they are able to get some seeds. Just go to 11:57 in the video where I show that.
So fun to see! Love the ring design and functionality! I suppose it may not rain as much there as it does here, but I would like the bottom be mesh or something so moisture cant accumulate. Having a gravity feeder type jar or something to hang from the ceiling would be nice, too.
a possible issue with mesh the squirrel thinking it is an opening and sinking their teeth in it and getting stuck, I saw something like this happening before
@@MrTStat just make the hole a hole squirrels cant fit their head in, or you just raise the food tray with a bottom mesh so its still in squirrel proof wall while being open to circulation
That was a very satisfying video to watch! Well done! I really loved the squirrel in a jar at the start. It was fun to watch just how determined they can be.
Chris, I have been enjoying your posts for years now. Thank you for sharing your fun projects. All the camera angles make for interesting footage. I’m a HD hardware associate. Thanks for the plug! 😊
This is so cool. Every time I think I have the squirrels beat, they find a way to get to the bird feed. I may have to try this as a summer craft project. Thx so much for sharing.
Very clever and so unique looking too, I love it. I finally hung my feeders on fishing line attached to either end of my garden, looked like they were just floating in the air, 6 feet from the ground. Finally stopped the squirrels getting to them 😊
Wow, clever! How and what did you secure it to in the walls? It sounds interesting but I wonder how it will fare in our heavy snowy Canadian winters and wind storms.
@@p_roduct9211 Hi, I just attached the fishing line to either side of my high fence with a small metal hook at both ends. The ends were around 12 feet apart, then I just hung the 4 feeders on and secured them with cable ties so they couldn't move. I'm in Scotland and we get pretty harsh winters and plenty of snow. They survive just fine throughout the gales and storms ☺️👍
This video is just too adorable ...the wildlife part I mean. The construction of this feeder is wonderful. I want to make one similar now. Thanks for sharing!
I watched your construction of the squirrel proof box with excitement and admiration. Wonder if you would sell one of those boxes since there's no way I could build something like that at my age (81 year old retiree). Thank you. Madeleine
+1 .. Subscribed. .. I'll follow suit building the bird feeder with the two neighbor kids; 10yo & 8yo. .. Many thanks for the details & the vision. .. A great project ! Cheers, Vail, Colorado
I love it ! Driving the squirrels, NUTZ is a great laugh ! Those tree rats ! Excellent idea and I enjoy your humor and photography. Thank you. * New subscriber and fan ! Meema Frances from Florida.
Having seen several commercial 'squirrel proof' bird feeders that don't work, this is certainly a good design and can be made fairly easily at home. I think one improvement I might made would be to have the top angled roof hinged, with a pin to keep it in place. Then have a small hatch under that to allow refilling the feeder without taking the bolts out. One alternative to the glass tray would be using one of the glass food storage containers if one doesn't have a glass shop close by. Or any other dish really provided the size was correct. Overall great idea and video!
The base of the tray keeps everything centred. You can use another glass tray if you can find the perfect size but you'll find that making it is pretty straight forward and you get the size you want right away.
@@dothedo3667 The only issue that I can think of is that silicone bonds much less well to most plastics than to glass, especially in wet conditions. (There's silicone that's intended for use in wet conditions, such as being used for an aquarium.) It's probably not a big deal since there's not going to be much force on the pieces, but a tray made of plastic would be rather less durable.
Improvement tip: recess the tray “like an in-ground Pool” inside of the feeder with enough clearance so the squirrel cannot reach in and grab spill over seeds. Amazing design! Thank you for the great ideas.
I'm thinking a chicken wire deck at the top of the tray would allow the seeds to fall through and the squirrel might not be able to get them anymore, as long as the bottom row of entry holes was eliminated, or made very small to allow Blue Jays to still get some seeds. The deck would be removable to clean out the seeds in there.
@@captainwho1 I don't think the purpose is to totally deny the squirrels of seeds, but rather to stop them from shoveling it dry in a couple of days, which this one does quite well it seems.
Well I give the squirrel an A for effort. You've done a great job. I've managed to keep squirrels from getting in my feeders by using small feeders on a greased pole. I love this idea though. Be great near a window.
What an amazing idea! I wish I would have thought of this when I built mine on my channel. Mine is just a simple bird house made from a cedar fence picket. Keep up the great work and keep building cool unique things like this!
I have been trying for years to keep my squirrels out of my feed. They drive me crazy. I am going to try to replicate this if this works I’m telling you you have just made my day you’ve made my world. Thank you so much for showing this video.
That is absolutely genius, there is nothing more satisfying than watching these fluffy rats struggling to steal some food!! And it also works against the big bully birds too!
@@thomasherzog86Cris notap is struggling to feed songbirds. ThierryC2373 doesn't get to choose what he enjoys or what he hates any anymore than you get to choose. It may be important to note here that no squirrels were injured or even scared in this video. Squirrels don't struggle for survival like songbirds. Feeding squirrels [all they want] just makes more dependent squirrels, kind of like how welfare just makes more angry demanding dependent humans. It's not rocket science here
Where I live, it's not the cute fluffy-tailed tree squirrels, it's the nasty ground squirrels that are basically the same as plague rats: According to the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources department: “Ground squirrels are associated with the spread of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rat bite fever, tularemia, Chagas’ disease, adiospiromycosis, and encephalomyocarditis. Notably, they can serve as reservoirs for sylvatic (bubonic) plague, a highly infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis…People and their pets can get plague if they visit or live in areas where ground squirrels or other rodents are infected.” I trap and drown the nasty things, or shoot them. I have livestock and pets I don't want infected with any of those diseases (or me either). I actually coexist peacefully with the 4-5 species of rattlesnakes that live on my property. They eat lots of vermin, and as long as I don't bother them, they don't bother me. Would the same people who think this is cruel to squirrels enjoy seeing their bird feeders overrun by rats? I don't think so!
@@thomasherzog86 Especially squirrels, I used to have bird feeders but these little bastards where emptying them in half a day, wasting most of the seeds on the ground I paid for the birds to enjoy. I stopped feeding wildlife, it was too expensive and not enjoyable in the end. That was in Florida, squirrels and grackle birds are just a nuisance to bird feeders, they empty them on the floor in minutes while chasing all other birds. Now, I 'm in Connecticut and I enjoy all the wildlife without the feeders, except the hummingbird feeder. Birds eat all the insects around my house and squirrels are scarse, thanks to bobcats, coyotes, foxes and eagles. Gray squirrels are better off doing what they do best: foraging on trees to regenerate the forests by planting seeds everywhere.
They are actually able to get some seeds. You may have missed that part at 11:57 in the video. Just click 11:57 in this comment and it will take you right to the clip!
Great, simple design ! Modern & retro at the same time. Looks like something out of Dwell magazine. Nice job. I saw a front security door made out of various sized rounds. It was attractive & secure without appearing intimidating.
I love this. I have a bunch of copper pipe left ocer from renovations. It should keep out the Magpie's too, maybe. Lol. This would be a great project with my 5 year old granddaughter. She would love to build it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me ❤❤❤
Bird feeders are excellent for squirrel hunting. Used my Grandmas bird feeder, my buds and I ate squirrel almost every day. Plus it was fun for grandma, birds are beautiful.
As always, brilliant beautiful work. When it comes time to refill it, I wouldn't bother taking it apart. I would fill a paper towel tube up with the seeds and slide it through the holes.
Yet again, your exceptional functional designs are beautifully showcased with your excellent camera work, and stellar editing skills. Is there anything you CAN'T do??? 😁
I personally would have added hinges to the feeder (on the bottom) for ease of refilling. Drill one hole for the bolt and a wing nut to secure it. Great build, I just might have to make this one!
@@erndub I thought the same thing; however, I think you would want to clean it when refilling as the seed shells and poop would lead to very unsanitary conditions and spread disease amongst our friends.
This is amazing and deceptively easy to build! Thank you so much for making this video. When I saw the picture I almost didn’t click on it because I imagine needing a plasma cutter, welder and $1000 worth of other tools lol.
Pretty cool bird feeder, and a great idea! I would have used plexiglass for the seed container instead of glass though, and slightly taller on the edges. Other than that....nice job! :)
This is such a GREAT creation!!! You are my hero! So sick of squirrels and Blackbirds/Grackles stealing all the songbirds food! This is a game changer for sure! 👏🏻🙌🏻
Splendid video. I do not have the skills to create (or even replicate) such a work of functional art. I have wrestled with the squirrel problem (even posted a couple of videos here) but was eventually "defeated" by the persistent, agile and ingenious little buggers. Gold finches by coming in groups, feasting and staying became a bit of a tedious sight despite their beauty. I'll content myself in vacariously enjoying Chris' success and well-made videos.
I enjoyed. I have a "natural" wooded area behind my house. There are many "tree rats". Your build is more than I would attempt but I would love to have one. I particularly like the camera that you used that recognizes "pets". When I bought this house there was a feeder dish on a pole for birds, but it had a large dome mounted on the pole beneath the plate. The squirrels would try endlessly to get to the bird food. They couldn't defeat the dome and would try dropping down from above which almost never worked. I love that you let them get so very close only to be frustrated.
Marvelous ingenuity. Are usually try to put some seeds out that aren’t in a feeder for the squirrels and other critters. It takes the pressure off the feeder as well. Well done.
Alternative idea: Use a seed mix with capsaicin added. Then the squirrels wont want to eat it. But the birds cant taste the spicy oils so they still eat it.
This is what I do but shockingly it seems to be hit or miss. I use the bricks, and I’m not sure if some companies just spray capsaicin on the outside, if some use more than others or if it’s rendered ineffective/ washed off by the rain by some seed bricks we find the squirrels still climbing all over routinely and others they leave alone completely.
Awesome design, I may just have to make this. Curious about the sizing for my area, while we do have gray squirrels, we also have douglas squirrels, which are much smaller and far more tenacious. I might have to go down a bit on the pipe diameter, would be nice if it kept out the jays as well.
Very clever. However I'd use a plastic bin lid or a rustproof metal as both a roof and the base place so it's water proof and damage proof. The wood usage is prettier but must be changed from time to time. Excellent idea over all. Congratulations Chris !
Chris, I hold the theory that if the critters can't get to the bird feeder they can't take the bird's food. My feeder hangs from the end of a fiberglass rod about 5 feet long. The rod is angled up about 45 deg. I bought a length of PVC pipe the just slips over the fiberglass rod and cut the PVC in 4" lengths and placed them over the full length of the fiberglass rod. This creates a series of rollers that squirrels, chipmonks and other animals cannot navigate.
Awesome, I love the new squirrel proof feeder! I already built the first one you posted several years ago and it’s held up perfectly over the years. I might need to build this one as well. I wonder how well the galvanized pipe will hold up over the years?
It's been up since March in a bit of snow and a lot of rain and there is no signs of rust anywhere. Seems to be doing quite well. I thought it might rust but that in itself would give it another cool look too if it did.
Chain link fences can (and do) last decades, all those are is galvanized steel just like this. I agree it's a very nice feeder and one that doesn't take much in the way of tools to build
Or just a can of spray galvanised paint, I found some here in Australia after the guys who put up my solar panels were using it on every hole they made in my roof before bolting down the rails for the panel.
Nice design 👍 You also could have eliminated the first row of tubes which I would think could help in keeping the squirrel's from getting their paws from getting in.
After having squirrels damage 2 Wifi-enabled BirdBuddy bird feeders and chew through the wire connecting them to their solar roofs, I might see if I can build this and just put the BirdBuddy camera inside or perhaps use this technique to build a squirrel proof enclosure for the bird buddy feeder. Love it!
I have quite a selection of birds coming to my feeders. It is my daily routine. Watching them all feed, and in the meantime a relaxation and meditative state. Nice.
suggestion: Sell this amazing idea! Nine times outta 10, there are MANY bird lovers who can't make these feeder's, but LOVE your idea & they'd be willing to pay you! Next suggestion: with those rings at the bottom that allowed the squirrel to put his arm in, just use wood at that point then start your rings higher... that way you can still use the wider tray👍😉 FANTASTIC IDEA! If i had all your tools, heck! I'd sell'em🤣
Way cool. This may be a repeat but would making the round pieces longer and harder for squirrels to reach through improve it? Maybe just eliminate the bottom row with a solid piece might have the same result. I imagine birds could still deal with it.
Lengthening the pipes would increase the total weight. This was the perfect length for the silicone and for weight. I wanted it to be as open looking as possible so blocking the bottom row was not an option.
@@chrisnotap Cover the bottom row with plexiglass or screen with wide openings? I think some of that is used for stucco. Maybe you can still get your viewing that way.
So the larger birds like the doves, bluejays, and crows or ravens that we saw towards the end - are they able to get inside or no? Great solution BTW - this is really an idea you could have mass produced and sell at scale I would think! Also - it does seem like water might accumulate in the glass tray - it would be good to have a way for excess water to drain out to prevent the seed from rotting. Here in Texas we get strong storms so the roof won't be enough...
Doves eat from the ground. Jays and Crows are aggressive. Seems Chris' target here are small songbirds. You can always put seed on the ground for doves and other larger birds.
I need to make something for my beloved ravens and scrub jays that keep the ground squirrels out. I think I'll try something like this. Ravens have long beaks and necks so it could work. I've been friends with my raven family for @ 8 years. I give them meat and peanuts, they bring me gifts of small tools, keys, machine parts and lots and lots of metal washers that I use around the ranch. Best of all, they are the best warning system! They alert me if a strange car is within a mile of my home (I'm off-grid in mountain wilderness). Last month they frantically cawed for me to come outside, I grabbed my bullhorn while yelling at my son to grab the rifle. We ran outside just in time to see a mountain lion dragging one of our goats away. My son fired the rifle while I chased it, screaming through my bullhorn. The cat dropped my goat, ran away and our goat recovered. Our beautiful bird friends saved her life!
It looks great. In my garden there are no squirrels. However, when do have a birdfeeder (aimed for songbirds) it is generally empties within a day by Jackdaws. So far they outsmart me with just about every trick I can think of.
I think I'm going to give this a try. Squirrels or Racoons empty my feeder in a day. I think I would attach one of the small sides to a piano hinge so that it drops down, rather than unscrew the whole thing. Some type of latch at the top to keep it closed. That way I could remove the tray from the side to wash it and refill it. Great job, Chris.
I don't know if this is raccoon proof. The bolt and nut is very easy to remove to clean out the tray and refill it. That being said, it's all about experimenting to built a better mouse trap!! Go for it!
![fellow fellow - พรุ่งนี้ไม่มีใครรู้ feat. INK WARUNTORN [OFFICIAL MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QP6JyjYx_W0/mqdefault.jpg)
I saw 3 squirrels last summer wherein 1 had somehow made it onto an isolated feeder by dropping 20' from a tree. There were 2 other squirrels on the ground below it while it shoveled out seeds. That squirrel accomplished Mission Impossible and lives as a legend in those parts to this day.
Lol! That's crazy!!
Squirrels, uh, find a way.
That squirrel must have been plenty sore when he hit the feeder. My feeder is surrounded by mature elm trees,and I have never seen a squirrel drop any distance onto the feeder. They try to get up by climbing the feeder pole,but I have a squirrel baffle,and that stops them cold.
*Nothing* surprises me with those scoundrels!
Omg this is so funny 😂 what a legend!!
It shouldn’t tickle me so much to see the squirrels frustrated, but as a person that’s fed far more squirrels than birds over the years, I’m going to try to live with this personality flaw. Ingenious bird feeder Sir!
Are bigger birds like crows able to get the feed? Or is it that this is only for small birds?
@@TheKomentor A crow is a fairly large bird and will have a body larger than a squirrel. AT 13:47 you can see what I think is a black bird (not a crow) and it appears to be too large to get into the holes. Ravens are even larger than crows.
However, there are cardinals and other small birds that are enjoying the feeder. I think this is a reasonable trade off considering that there is no feeding of squirrels.
@@TheKomentor you can always do an open feeder for the bigger animals. If you feed crows you feed squirrels there isn't much way around it. This feeder supplies your smaller songbirds, I like to do a bar for the bigger critters and a seed feeder for the smaller ones
@@michaellynch1132 and if course you can always have a diverse collection of feeders
Chris you are a genius! First bird feeder I've ever felt like I can easily make that is worth my time and effort, because it actually works! Love this beautiful piece of art! Thank you:)
BOP
This is far simpler and more elegant than Mark Rober's attempt. Well done, sir!
Both of the designs are GREAT, but I really think I like your first design better! Of course the second is more refined and probably holds more food, but I'm a bird WATCHER first, so the first design lends itself more toward that to me. Thanks for sharing both of them!!
Thanks for that great feedback! I have a second design in mind for the first version, the one you like, that would use stainless steel instead of copper.
@@chrisnotap Can't wait to see it!
And because of you, the squirrels grow longer arms now! 🤣
It's called evolution.
So much easier to add a glass bowl shaped like a ships rat guard that only costs a few bucks to the support pole below the feeder. Problem solved completely.
Only if the feeder is placed far enough away from anything they can jump from or drop onto from.
And thumbs!
If you make them and sell them I’ll BUY THEM FROM U…..
This feeder is brilliant!!! Loved watching the squirrels trying to get in and lived seeing the birds enjoying the seed. Thank you for sharing 😊
It is indeed brilliant! Such a fabulous and ingenious idea.
LIVID, not LIVED. English is your second language?
@@mjremy2605 I believe it was a typo, they meant "loved". Is English not your first language?
I saw the original squirrel-proof video when you first posted it and now I’ve seen the new iteration. It’s a marvelously improved design. If you added some glass to the bottom row of openings, that would block most of the excess seeds from reaching the outside wooden ledge. Adding the perches was a great touch. Continued success with your videos and clever inventions.
I was thinking the same thing when he first removed it. Then the squirrels would learn to actually leave it alone and not scare the birds away as often
@@BouncingTribbles I suppose it depends on whether you want squirrels to go away completely, or you just don't want them to hog all the seed and empty the feeder. My sense is that Chris, like me, isn't trying to make the squirrels leave completely but rather to just keep them from hogging it all. Good suggestion though for those that would rather the squirrels move along to someplace else. Personally, I enjoy watching the squirrels play and try to figure things out but I have no interest in giving them a never-ending buffet of seed. This solution is fantastic to that end. Well done!
@@ReitersBlock maybe your squirrels are nicer than ours. We don't have a feeder but the squirrels are always there, they don't need the encouragement. If anything they're the ones that drive the birds away. The cats are mostly out in the evening and at night
This has got to be the only true squirrel proof bird feeder I have ever seen. Chipmunks could still get in, though. 😊 Great job! It's beautiful looking, too.
true. but now birds poo inside. so you need to revision 2. it is out there. i can think about couple options so you can maybe more.
Chipmunks tend to stay on the ground, they don't climb as much as squirrels. On the other hand a red squirrel might fit, they are smaller.
@@cubertmiso would some kind of mesh (or heck tulle is even cheaper) keep out the poop? I haven’t made one yet so figured I’d ask
@@jamee_maree Sure, it helps, but the video maker is solving old problems by creating new ones. These birds are lightweight, so redesigning the feeder to accommodate them is somewhat unnecessary. Instead, the feeder should utilize gravity and centrifugal force against squirrels and larger birds.
Then, the feeder should have a slot that collects any flying seeds, so there's no way for squirrels to game the system by using it's weight.
Great idea! Made one with a hinged door in back for refilling the tray and camera access. Squirrels are stymied, birds are happy!
That’s great! I’d love to see a snap! You can send it to chrisnotap@gmail.com
I saw the photos you sent me! That's a great addition to fill the seed tray.
EXCELLENT camera work! Really creative, and that design is also fantastic. Great video, thanks for sharing
It’s a great idea and it works very well. About three years ago I decided to make one, but I used PVC and the same adhesive you use. PVC is so much easier to cut. Only one side is PVC on my feeder. The rest is made of cedar. Opposite to the PVC side is clear plastic so the ends are cedar. So One long side is PVC, and the other long side is clear plastic. I did this to prevent the weather from blowing the seed out or from driving rain getting to the seed. You can’t keep all the rain out but my design works just fine. And the birds love it. Little birds can hop right in and the larger birds like Cardinals and Blue Jays can pop their head in and eat some seed as well, but no squirrels! And I will admit it was hilarious watching squirrels trying to get in and then giving up.
I made my first one with ABS pipe and they chewed through it in a week!
@@chrisnotap Wow you must have mutant squirrels. Mine is still standing strong.
But my PVC pieces are 1 INCH long.
What ID of PVC did you use? Cardinals could get inside of his.
@@captainwho1 In Three years I’ve only seen one cardinal get in. And it got out just fine. I used 1 1/4 Inch PVC
I used PVC pipe in mine, and the squirrels chewed through it in a few days.
Chris- instead of unbolting to fill the feeder slip some flex tube through the the pipe. Ad a wide moth funnel at the top. Pour the seed in and that’s it. Let me know your thoughts
rain?
@@stevenbryant4718 The tube isn't attached. It's inserted for filling, then removed.
For some fillings that idea would work. But the tray would need to be emptied regularly otherwise it would overflow with empty shells.
Leave one set of rings off the lower part of one end piece, except for one ring at each end. Then make the smaller tray, but without the underneath spacer sticking out the sides, and groove the base slightly so the tray just fits in and won't move when closed and in place, while blocking the gap with the missing rings. (Or you can silicone the missing rings to the tray so the end looks solid when closed.) Then you can just slide out the tray to clean and refill it.
@@jpolowin0 like a beer bong
From someone who is used to squirrels being an absolute nuisance to anything bird related I have, your invention is the greatest thing ever!
you have to admire the determination of Squirrels.
he’s hungry. nature is wild.
You mean the ability that allows them to climb trees LOL
They just haven't called the Team of Squirrel engineers yet to this problem
Sometimes I think squirrels don't really want the food, they want to beat the challenge and they truly enjoy annoying humans.
Really love that design! Very unique and cool looking.
I spent a few years building bird houses that looked like rustic cabins in miniature, as a hobby. Very time consuming, cutting every cedar shingle and glueing them one by one in a staggered pattern just as in proper roofing. Stained and sealed for weather, elaborate moldings and trim-work completed the illusion that the bird houses were actual full-size houses, just seen from a distance.
I gave a few away to neighbors for Christmas and one of them said I should start selling these bird houses since they were so cool.
A carpenter by trade, I was just building miniature cabins for birds and would rather give them away than sell them.
Ever the “businessman”, my neighbor asked how much these bird houses were worth if I sold them?
I asked, “To the birds? Zero dollars. To the people? Just a smile is all I want.”
He pressed on, thinking somehow money could be made here? (I’m sure he wanted to be my promoter and take a cut of the fortune.)
He asked, “How much did you spend on materials?” Good question. All I really bought in a store was glue, stain, varnish, and a few dowels here and there, so $50 dollars would last me a hundred birdhouse builds. He nodded excitedly. “Okay, how much time in labor for each one?” We sat and had a couple beers in my shop as I did the math.
“Okay, since these are rustic cabin copies, I get most of my wood from fallen branches in the woods. I hike and stumble across a perfect fallen tree with a perfect natural knot hole in it, so let’s charge the customer my gas money and time, even though I’d do this for free. Then I’ll mill every branch to look like a log, mortise and tenon the joints to look authentic. Build miniature deck furniture that looks real and weathered, which takes far longer than building it full-size and brand new. Little details like moldings have to be carved and milled by hand and it takes hours. I’m not about to clock in my time for this and stick to a schedule. That’s when an art of love turns into actual “work”. So based on my labor at $45 dollars per hour and one of these birdhouses consuming 40 hours or so, I guess I’d price each birdhouse at $1800- to $2000 dollars.”
He frowned, “Nobody’s gonna pay that much for a birdhouse!”
I laughed, “Ya think? That’s why I give them away. It’s a labor of love my friend. A smile from receiving one of my works of art has no monetary value. It’s value is priceless to me.”
His whole idea of this being a “business venture” was ludicrous from the start and I kept making these bird houses and giving them away, each one being cooler than the last one.
Pretty soon, I was getting more into detail like carving a banjo out of wood and leaning it against the front porch wall as if this cabin was still inhabited by humans. Birds wouldn’t notice or care but people liked the touches like miniature tools laying around and signs above the entry hole saying, “Room for rent”. Lots of people were so impressed with the detail that they wouldn’t put them outside for the birds and in the weather, but instead hang them from the ceiling or put them on a shelf in the living room as art.
I guess that’s what I was hoping for all along.
Sorry for the long story, I really like your squirrel-resistant bird feeder here. Very open to the birds and frustrating for the squirrels who’d definitely steal all the birdseed given the chance. Did you ever wonder what you could sell these for? Or did you just have fun creating it and solving a problem. I’m sure my old neighbor would be interested in you starting a business for no good reason.
Ignore him and have fun. Great channel. Just subscribed.
This story was delightful!
@@activatedcharcoal, Thank you. My old neighbor was a flea market guy and took one of the birdhouses I made for him, to the flea market to sell along with all the other crap he tried to sell. He was one of those guys who had no appreciation or respect for a gift, but try to sell it for money. He wasn’t poor, he was just lame and greedy.
He came back and said he sold my gift to him for $500 dollars. I told him he got ripped off. He frowned, “But I got it for free and made $500 bucks!”
Yeah, he never understood.
Take care and be safe my friend.
Wow Sean! That is a labor of love! And, sounds like wonderful works of art. Maybe you'll be the next Van Gogh? Either way, awesome story! It really tells a lot about someone's character who gets more satisfaction out of hiking, building, & making people smile than thinking about the money aspect of it. 👍♥️
I think we would all love to see some photos. Your birdhouses sound absolutely amazing!
@@Woodstock271 - wow. Some ppl really don’t understand.
I make felt embroidery stockings by hand. Mats cost $25-30 (I buy a kit) but it takes me like 2 months to do them. My first and most intricate one I did took 3 months. I did a mermaid and her entire tail was sequin embroidery with the fin being all bead embroidery. Her tail alone took 3 weeks lol.
I gave it to my sister. It was customized to have her name on the stocking and my artist signature. It is priceless to me and thankfully to her. I’m glad I get to see it when I visit.
I hope to one day make my own felt embroidery creations without a kit but I currently have kids so I don’t have that much time. But I’m compelled to sew (if I don’t sew or crochet, I get depressed) so I use the kits. There’s still a bit of personal flourish on how you embroider and piece the pattern together so I still feel like I’m using my artistic eye even if it is a kit.
Just wanted to say thanks for the story and sorry about your neighbor that sold your art that was a gift. My mom sold stuff at a flea market as well but she would never sell one of kind pieces. She kept that kind of stuff for herself.
Hi Chris! I love your new design. I also like how the squirrels can get a small snack every once in a while. You know, because you buy it, bird seed is darn expensive!! They'd eat it all if you let 'em. Still, they are my favorite animal. They're just so smart. Just like you.
One tiny improvement: Make the basin inside even smaller but add a wooden sitting rail on the glass. Put a box inside (no top or bottom, just four sides). Leave a small (about 0.3-07 in) gap at the bottom (use screws in the corners or wood to create the gap or cut out low arches). The box should be about two inches smaller than the basin. You can then fill the box with seeds. The seeds will spill out through the gaps. This way, the birds can't sit in the food and spoil it with their wastes.
He could just sit another bird feeder inside of it, just a mason jar or two like they use for chickens.
Thanks for that tip, I’m for ever having to clean ours out because of the larger birds but that gives me an idea of adding the water dispenser as well for the smaller birds. The best part is the Indian miner birds won’t fit through the rings so this will stop them from cleaning out the bird feeder as well.
15 years ago there were non in our area now there are almost 50 in this area alone. 50 plus years ago some idiot released them down in Melbourne and now the can be found almost to the Top-end of Australia.
I’ve had platform feeders for nearly 10 years now and there has never been any bird poop in them.
If they do poop where they are eat or sleep they are not going to mind it.
Unless confined. Most animals do not poop where they eat or sleep.
Why don't you build one and show us since you have so many ideas?😁
LOL.. Have to give the Squirrel top marks for trying. Excellent idea...
Now we need a bird proof squirrel feeder 🙂
Yes you can easily! Just leave your garage door up about 2 1/2" to 3" inches and lay a pile of seed on the floor in the garage . The squirrels will enter and not the birds. Of course doing this brings on another whole set of problems with the squirrels inside your garage. This is why people try to keep them at bay since they do chew everything and can cause a lot of damage to wiring and to your house. You may have missed it but they are able to get some seeds. Just go to 11:57 in the video where I show that.
There are cheap squirrel feeder houses. There's a heavy lid on top which the squirrel can lift but not birds. I have one, it's really nice.
So fun to see! Love the ring design and functionality! I suppose it may not rain as much there as it does here, but I would like the bottom be mesh or something so moisture cant accumulate. Having a gravity feeder type jar or something to hang from the ceiling would be nice, too.
a possible issue with mesh the squirrel thinking it is an opening and sinking their teeth in it and getting stuck, I saw something like this happening before
@@MrTStat just make the hole a hole squirrels cant fit their head in, or you just raise the food tray with a bottom mesh so its still in squirrel proof wall while being open to circulation
That was a very satisfying video to watch! Well done! I really loved the squirrel in a jar at the start. It was fun to watch just how determined they can be.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice. What a blessing to have such skills. I really enjoyed the video. I love bird watching . Di you have hummingbirds, too?
this is the best bird feeder I have ever seen; very good that you have also made sure that there are no sharp edges.
Yes, thanks
Bird perches were a nice touch, really made it looks like a public area for birds.
Chris, I have been enjoying your posts for years now. Thank you for sharing your fun projects. All the camera angles make for interesting footage. I’m a HD hardware associate. Thanks for the plug! 😊
Good old Home Depot!!
Awww, Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal are so precious!
This is so cool. Every time I think I have the squirrels beat, they find a way to get to the bird feed. I may have to try this as a summer craft project. Thx so much for sharing.
Absolutely gorgeous and brilliant, love it.
Thank you so much!
Very clever and so unique looking too, I love it.
I finally hung my feeders on fishing line attached to either end of my garden, looked like they were just floating in the air, 6 feet from the ground. Finally stopped the squirrels getting to them 😊
Wow, clever! How and what did you secure it to in the walls? It sounds interesting but I wonder how it will fare in our heavy snowy Canadian winters and wind storms.
@@p_roduct9211 Hi, I just attached the fishing line to either side of my high fence with a small metal hook at both ends. The ends were around 12 feet apart, then I just hung the 4 feeders on and secured them with cable ties so they couldn't move.
I'm in Scotland and we get pretty harsh winters and plenty of snow. They survive just fine throughout the gales and storms ☺️👍
@@Carol...... I still can't visualize
This video is just too adorable ...the wildlife part I mean. The construction of this feeder is wonderful. I want to make one similar now. Thanks for sharing!
You can do it!
Really great video, love how you present the products and steps. Genius design
The spinning camera when cutting the long pipe made me LOL 😂
I watched your construction of the squirrel proof box with excitement and admiration. Wonder if you would sell one of those boxes since there's no way I could build something like that at my age (81 year old retiree). Thank you. Madeleine
+1 .. Subscribed. .. I'll follow suit building the bird feeder with the two neighbor kids; 10yo & 8yo. .. Many thanks for the details & the vision. .. A great project !
Cheers, Vail, Colorado
I love it ! Driving the squirrels, NUTZ is a great laugh ! Those tree rats ! Excellent idea and I enjoy your humor and photography. Thank you.
* New subscriber and fan !
Meema Frances from Florida.
Having seen several commercial 'squirrel proof' bird feeders that don't work, this is certainly a good design and can be made fairly easily at home. I think one improvement I might made would be to have the top angled roof hinged, with a pin to keep it in place. Then have a small hatch under that to allow refilling the feeder without taking the bolts out. One alternative to the glass tray would be using one of the glass food storage containers if one doesn't have a glass shop close by. Or any other dish really provided the size was correct. Overall great idea and video!
The base of the tray keeps everything centred. You can use another glass tray if you can find the perfect size but you'll find that making it is pretty straight forward and you get the size you want right away.
Is there any reason you wouldn't be able to use acrylic/plexiglass or something instead of glass?
@@dothedo3667 The only issue that I can think of is that silicone bonds much less well to most plastics than to glass, especially in wet conditions. (There's silicone that's intended for use in wet conditions, such as being used for an aquarium.) It's probably not a big deal since there's not going to be much force on the pieces, but a tray made of plastic would be rather less durable.
PERFECT. Also keeps larger birds that wipe out seed like Jays and Grackles at bay. thanks for posting. 😊
😮Really? I live in Jamaica 🇯🇲 and my big ROOSTER gobbles up ALL THE BIRD FOOD! Do u think I could try this? ( Dumb question, maybe)
Improvement tip: recess the tray “like an in-ground Pool” inside of the feeder with enough clearance so the squirrel cannot reach in and grab spill over seeds. Amazing design! Thank you for the great ideas.
I'm thinking a chicken wire deck at the top of the tray would allow the seeds to fall through and the squirrel might not be able to get them anymore, as long as the bottom row of entry holes was eliminated, or made very small to allow Blue Jays to still get some seeds. The deck would be removable to clean out the seeds in there.
@@captainwho1 I don't think the purpose is to totally deny the squirrels of seeds, but rather to stop them from shoveling it dry in a couple of days, which this one does quite well it seems.
LOVE YOUR DESIGNS! Even the Squirrels don't go completely hungry AND large birds are generally OUTTA LUCK! KUDOS & APPLAUSE!
I love birds and squirrels, but like for them to eat out of there own areas! Thank you for sharing this. It's really neat!
lmao, the squirrel sticking his face into the hole and grabbing seeds with his tongue had me rolling
Awesome design! It really reduces the gluttony of the squirrels...😄
Well I give the squirrel an A for effort. You've done a great job. I've managed to keep squirrels from getting in my feeders by using small feeders on a greased pole. I love this idea though. Be great near a window.
What an amazing idea! I wish I would have thought of this when I built mine on my channel. Mine is just a simple bird house made from a cedar fence picket. Keep up the great work and keep building cool unique things like this!
I have been trying for years to keep my squirrels out of my feed. They drive me crazy. I am going to try to replicate this if this works I’m telling you you have just made my day you’ve made my world. Thank you so much for showing this video.
That is absolutely genius, there is nothing more satisfying than watching these fluffy rats struggling to steal some food!! And it also works against the big bully birds too!
enjoying to see others struggle, huh? im sure you are a great human being.
@@thomasherzog86Cris notap is struggling to feed songbirds.
ThierryC2373 doesn't get to choose what he enjoys or what he hates any anymore than you get to choose.
It may be important to note here that no squirrels were injured or even scared in this video. Squirrels don't struggle for survival like songbirds. Feeding squirrels [all they want] just makes more dependent squirrels, kind of like how welfare just makes more angry demanding dependent humans. It's not rocket science here
Where I live, it's not the cute fluffy-tailed tree squirrels, it's the nasty ground squirrels that are basically the same as plague rats:
According to the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources department:
“Ground squirrels are associated with the spread of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rat bite fever, tularemia, Chagas’ disease, adiospiromycosis, and encephalomyocarditis. Notably, they can serve as reservoirs for sylvatic (bubonic) plague, a highly infectious disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis…People and their pets can get plague if they visit or live in areas where ground squirrels or other rodents are infected.”
I trap and drown the nasty things, or shoot them. I have livestock and pets I don't want infected with any of those diseases (or me either).
I actually coexist peacefully with the 4-5 species of rattlesnakes that live on my property. They eat lots of vermin, and as long as I don't bother them, they don't bother me.
Would the same people who think this is cruel to squirrels enjoy seeing their bird feeders overrun by rats? I don't think so!
@@LazyIRanch Some people are nihilists toward humans only.
@@thomasherzog86 Especially squirrels, I used to have bird feeders but these little bastards where emptying them in half a day, wasting most of the seeds on the ground I paid for the birds to enjoy. I stopped feeding wildlife, it was too expensive and not enjoyable in the end. That was in Florida, squirrels and grackle birds are just a nuisance to bird feeders, they empty them on the floor in minutes while chasing all other birds. Now, I 'm in Connecticut and I enjoy all the wildlife without the feeders, except the hummingbird feeder. Birds eat all the insects around my house and squirrels are scarse, thanks to bobcats, coyotes, foxes and eagles. Gray squirrels are better off doing what they do best: foraging on trees to regenerate the forests by planting seeds everywhere.
Beautiful design, and so functional too!
Oh god, the squirrels are going to evolve long arms. They're going to be looking like Michael Phelps out there, diving for seeds. 😂
They are actually able to get some seeds. You may have missed that part at 11:57 in the video. Just click 11:57 in this comment and it will take you right to the clip!
Great, simple design ! Modern & retro at the same time. Looks like something out of Dwell magazine. Nice job.
I saw a front security door made out of various sized rounds. It was attractive & secure without appearing intimidating.
Thanks for that!
I love this. I have a bunch of copper pipe left ocer from renovations. It should keep out the Magpie's too, maybe. Lol. This would be a great project with my 5 year old granddaughter. She would love to build it. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me ❤❤❤
Bird feeders are excellent for squirrel hunting. Used my Grandmas bird feeder, my buds and I ate squirrel almost every day. Plus it was fun for grandma, birds are beautiful.
As always, brilliant beautiful work.
When it comes time to refill it, I wouldn't bother taking it apart. I would fill a paper towel tube up with the seeds and slide it through the holes.
That's not a bad idea! It is real easy though to take the 2 bolts out and lift off the top. Easy to clean and easy to fill!
@@chrisnotap Just don't let the squirrels see you do it. Once they get the idea to do something _under_ the platform, you've lost the battle.
i was thinking of a 1" diameter tube with a funnel mouth to save opening it, but similar idea...
It really needs to be cleaned when you refill it to stop the spread of disease, so I wouldn't skip that.
@@graceb1949 Makes sense.
Yet again, your exceptional functional designs are beautifully showcased with your excellent camera work, and stellar editing skills. Is there anything you CAN'T do??? 😁
I personally would have added hinges to the feeder (on the bottom) for ease of refilling. Drill one hole for the bolt and a wing nut to secure it. Great build, I just might have to make this one!
Why don't you build one and show us!
Thanks I was going to add a fitted lid that flipped up but a hinge at the bottom is a better idea😹😹
why not just fill it with a wide necked funnel?
I was thinking the same thing.
@@erndub
I thought the same thing; however, I think you would want to clean it when refilling as the seed shells and poop would lead to very unsanitary conditions and spread disease amongst our friends.
Thank you for your design! I will add this to my bird house collection this summer!
Great design. I would never have thought to just glue it together with silicone. Good idea.
Thank you! Cheers!
This is amazing and deceptively easy to build! Thank you so much for making this video. When I saw the picture I almost didn’t click on it because I imagine needing a plasma cutter, welder and $1000 worth of other tools lol.
Glad you liked it!
I'm sure those things would help, but it is nice that he's made a design that doesn't require that.
Pretty cool bird feeder, and a great idea! I would have used plexiglass for the seed container instead of glass though, and slightly taller on the edges. Other than that....nice job! :)
Silicone does not stick to plexiglass. With glass it is cheaper and can be disassembled to make changes with the silicone.
poor squirrel just traying to survive too 😢
@@jansmith3158 Bushy tailed rats - they always survive...
@@will_doherty You can literally toss one out of a plane and it won't die. Squirrels are one of the toughest animals out there to kill.
@@jansmith3158 They are greedy gluttons who clearly show their relation to rats. They eat everything and the birds get nothing.
Pretty great that the squirrels clean everything up.
I use the same drafting brush in my shop too! Great little clean up tool. I’m making this project, ready for the spring hopefully.
That's a top-notch DIY project if I've ever seen one! Good job!
12:02 I love the sportsmanship here. It's good that the squirrels get SOMETHING for their time.
This is such a GREAT creation!!! You are my hero! So sick of squirrels and Blackbirds/Grackles stealing all the songbirds food! This is a game changer for sure! 👏🏻🙌🏻
Splendid video. I do not have the skills to create (or even replicate) such a work of functional art. I have wrestled with the squirrel problem (even posted a couple of videos here) but was eventually "defeated" by the persistent, agile and ingenious little buggers. Gold finches by coming in groups, feasting and staying became a bit of a tedious sight despite their beauty. I'll content myself in vacariously enjoying Chris' success and well-made videos.
Well done. I love the footage of the frustrated PITA squirrel. Thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed. I have a "natural" wooded area behind my house. There are many "tree rats". Your build is more than I would attempt but I would love to have one. I particularly like the camera that you used that recognizes "pets". When I bought this house there was a feeder dish on a pole for birds, but it had a large dome mounted on the pole beneath the plate. The squirrels would try endlessly to get to the bird food. They couldn't defeat the dome and would try dropping down from above which almost never worked. I love that you let them get so very close only to be frustrated.
your builds are always so thoughtful
Thanks for that!
Thank you for sharing your designs. Great video editing, and it has an ASMR touch to it, too. Beautiful!
Thank you too!
Marvelous ingenuity. Are usually try to put some seeds out that aren’t in a feeder for the squirrels and other critters. It takes the pressure off the feeder as well. Well done.
Talk about going around in circles. Lol. Nice video. I’ll have to make one
It is the Master design. TY Chris.
Alternative idea: Use a seed mix with capsaicin added. Then the squirrels wont want to eat it. But the birds cant taste the spicy oils so they still eat it.
This is what I do but shockingly it seems to be hit or miss. I use the bricks, and I’m not sure if some companies just spray capsaicin on the outside, if some use more than others or if it’s rendered ineffective/ washed off by the rain by some seed bricks we find the squirrels still climbing all over routinely and others they leave alone completely.
I like the addition of the smaller tray. It seems like it will make it easier to refill, preventing the seeds from getting under the frame.
Somebody go tell Mark Rober!
that was a good solution to the squirrel problem, well done sir, well done.
Thanks!!
Good thinking! Looks like you out-smarted that squirrel.
Now I want a bird feeder.
Awesome design, I may just have to make this. Curious about the sizing for my area, while we do have gray squirrels, we also have douglas squirrels, which are much smaller and far more tenacious. I might have to go down a bit on the pipe diameter, would be nice if it kept out the jays as well.
I would have the same question, we have a bunch of aggressive red squirrels in the area, and I think it could squeeze through those holes
You'll just have to do the same experiments he did at the beginning of the video.@@nickp.4995
Best part about this amazing feeder: Not a single piece of plastic was used!! 👏🤘👍
Yeah!The glue...
Very clever. However I'd use a plastic bin lid or a rustproof metal as both a roof and the base place so it's water proof and damage proof. The wood usage is prettier but must be changed from time to time. Excellent idea over all. Congratulations Chris !
Try to use as little plastic as you can if you decide to make one. Squirrels love to chew and will make short work of anything soft like plastic.
Chris, I hold the theory that if the critters can't get to the bird feeder they can't take the bird's food. My feeder hangs from the end of a fiberglass rod about 5 feet long. The rod is angled up about 45 deg. I bought a length of PVC pipe the just slips over the fiberglass rod and cut the PVC in 4" lengths and placed them over the full length of the fiberglass rod. This creates a series of rollers that squirrels, chipmonks and other animals cannot navigate.
That's a neat idea!
Mark Rober made 3 versions of Backyard Squirrel Mazes to feed birds and only birds.
Awesome, I love the new squirrel proof feeder! I already built the first one you posted several years ago and it’s held up perfectly over the years. I might need to build this one as well. I wonder how well the galvanized pipe will hold up over the years?
It's been up since March in a bit of snow and a lot of rain and there is no signs of rust anywhere. Seems to be doing quite well. I thought it might rust but that in itself would give it another cool look too if it did.
Chain link fences can (and do) last decades, all those are is galvanized steel just like this. I agree it's a very nice feeder and one that doesn't take much in the way of tools to build
a bit of rust from non-galvanized pipe would give it a more natural look.
I’m sure you could do a lacquer finish over the rings to help slow any rust, or just hit them with a coat of rust reformer and then grey
Or just a can of spray galvanised paint, I found some here in Australia after the guys who put up my solar panels were using it on every hole they made in my roof before bolting down the rails for the panel.
Nice design 👍
You also could have eliminated the first row of tubes which I would think could help in keeping the squirrel's from getting their paws from getting in.
Great shot of the Cardinal coming in for a landing
After having squirrels damage 2 Wifi-enabled BirdBuddy bird feeders and chew through the wire connecting them to their solar roofs, I might see if I can build this and just put the BirdBuddy camera inside or perhaps use this technique to build a squirrel proof enclosure for the bird buddy feeder. Love it!
At last someone has outsmarted the squirrels !
The kissing cardinals are my favorite. 😊
You're actually the first to mention that!!
I have quite a selection of birds coming to my feeders.
It is my daily routine. Watching them all feed, and in the meantime a relaxation and meditative state. Nice.
suggestion: Sell this amazing idea! Nine times outta 10, there are MANY bird lovers who can't make these feeder's, but LOVE your idea & they'd be willing to pay you! Next suggestion: with those rings at the bottom that allowed the squirrel to put his arm in, just use wood at that point then start your rings higher... that way you can still use the wider tray👍😉
FANTASTIC IDEA! If i had all your tools, heck! I'd sell'em🤣
nice to see the squirrel actually working for the seeds
instead of chowing the whole tray like they do
Way cool. This may be a repeat but would making the round pieces longer and harder for squirrels to reach through improve it? Maybe just eliminate the bottom row with a solid piece might have the same result. I imagine birds could still deal with it.
Lengthening the pipes would increase the total weight. This was the perfect length for the silicone and for weight. I wanted it to be as open looking as possible so blocking the bottom row was not an option.
@@chrisnotap Cover the bottom row with plexiglass or screen with wide openings? I think some of that is used for stucco. Maybe you can still get your viewing that way.
So the larger birds like the doves, bluejays, and crows or ravens that we saw towards the end - are they able to get inside or no? Great solution BTW - this is really an idea you could have mass produced and sell at scale I would think!
Also - it does seem like water might accumulate in the glass tray - it would be good to have a way for excess water to drain out to prevent the seed from rotting. Here in Texas we get strong storms so the roof won't be enough...
Doves eat from the ground. Jays and Crows are aggressive. Seems Chris' target here are small songbirds. You can always put seed on the ground for doves and other larger birds.
I need to make something for my beloved ravens and scrub jays that keep the ground squirrels out. I think I'll try something like this. Ravens have long beaks and necks so it could work.
I've been friends with my raven family for @ 8 years. I give them meat and peanuts, they bring me gifts of small tools, keys, machine parts and lots and lots of metal washers that I use around the ranch.
Best of all, they are the best warning system! They alert me if a strange car is within a mile of my home (I'm off-grid in mountain wilderness). Last month they frantically cawed for me to come outside, I grabbed my bullhorn while yelling at my son to grab the rifle. We ran outside just in time to see a mountain lion dragging one of our goats away. My son fired the rifle while I chased it, screaming through my bullhorn. The cat dropped my goat, ran away and our goat recovered. Our beautiful bird friends saved her life!
@@LazyIRanchGreat post. Sounds like a great place to live. I'm also in the country, and away from crowds. God has been good to us.
Nephew lives in GEORGETOWN
Its only a matter of time til the squirrel removes the bolts.
Lol! Yes! That will make a great update video!!
"So I decided to make a smaller tray"......... Me, I would've just electrified the feeder to deal with that squirrel.
I bet this could be done with canning lids as well. Saving this one for my newly created "Outside Projects" folder.
I LOVE THIS. A great marriage of form and function. Well played Sir
Thank you kindly!
But can you make a bird proof squirrel feeder?
Yes! Just leave your garage door up about 3 inches and pace a small pile of seeds inside your garage. The squirrels will enter and not birds.
🤣🤣🤣
It looks great.
In my garden there are no squirrels. However, when do have a birdfeeder (aimed for songbirds) it is generally empties within a day by Jackdaws. So far they outsmart me with just about every trick I can think of.
This is great, compassionate and great design. Did you see the male cardinal feeding his mate?
I think I'm going to give this a try. Squirrels or Racoons empty my feeder in a day. I think I would attach one of the small sides to a piano hinge so that it drops down, rather than unscrew the whole thing. Some type of latch at the top to keep it closed. That way I could remove the tray from the side to wash it and refill it. Great job, Chris.
I don't know if this is raccoon proof. The bolt and nut is very easy to remove to clean out the tray and refill it. That being said, it's all about experimenting to built a better mouse trap!! Go for it!
Lol. The squirrels hand was soo cute!!! Teaching it not to be greedy!!! What an awesome workmanship!! Beautiful!
Not only is it effective but it is also beautiful!!! Thank you
Glad you like it!