Bird Feeder Baffle Thwarts Raccoons and Squirrels
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
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This video is about how our DIY Bird Feeder Baffles Raccoons and Squirrels. Made from easily obtained materials for about $20. We include a trail cam video demonstration of a raccoon foiled in the act.
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I built a stovepipe baffle for my bird feeder pole and the raccoon just jumped up on it, wrapped around it with his body, shimmied up the baffle, and then proceeded to sit on top of it. Then he simply pulled over the feeders with his arms and went to town on the seed.
Wow!! Another strong and determined raccoon! Thanks for sharing that. Please let us know if you find something that does work better for you.
Nice video, thanks for sharing, great idea. I've been dealing with raccoons after my bluebird house and also tried using a similar idea but with a bucket and PVC and galvanized pipe. The video I showed was called, "How to save bluebird eggs with this!" The best to your endeavors.
Thanks for that and the testimonial! Best to you as well!
Nice t-shirt, Rifleman - Appleseed project, all the way!
Instead of tape around the pipe install 4 self tapping screws around the cap,makes it easier to remove,just mark the pipe and the cap with a vertical line from a marker,that way you can align the lines then put the screws back in the same spot
We actually did this and it works like a charm. Thanks for your comment!!!
Will that pipe work for squirrels and chipmonks?
Yes We have many squirrels and a few chipmunks that have apparently been foiled.
Thanks for asking and sorry for the delayed reply.
Chipmunks? yes. Gray squirrels? yes. Black squirrels? I have one that found a way up the 4 inch pipe. I have it on video
Great idea's, great video, thanks for sharing. May I make a suggestion instead of using tape to hold the drain pipe to the cap, use 3 (three) or 4 (four) small sheet-metal screws. Or any small screw that has what I'll call a washer type head. Approx. 3/16" in. Dia. Head, by approx. 3/16" in. Length. Screw Dia. 1/8" in. They give a little extra surface area pressure.
Thanks for sharing that great tip, Stanwood! Will definitely apply that in future.
What about snakes?
4” seems a bit too small and I’m thinking snakes could grip the pvc much easier than something like thin metal duct.
If you have any experience with results on snakes I would appreciate it. Good video👍
Great point! The original design we copied used galvanized stovepipe, I think a 4 foot section. Thanks for watching!
Watched this video about a year ago & basically followed it step by step and it works!! I have watched squirrel after squirrel attempt to get to my bird feeders & they just get as far as inside the 4" pvc pipe! I glued the 4" cap onto the 4" pipe is the only thing I did differently. I thank you for the video & my birds thank you.
Excellent. Always great to hear how well this works. Plus a bit of entertainment to boot. Thanks!!!
How long did it take for that thing to fill up with hornets?
Never had that issue and we've built 4 of them going back to three (or four) years ago. Not to say it cannot happen-just hasn't occurred here. Cheers!
Very good! PVC takes paint nicely too.
Thanks, and good point, Jamie! We should paint it green to better blend in!
Good vid. We need that done like TODAY. Nice cam! What kind is it? Temp, time, date, good night vision. COOL!!!
We use a Rexing Trail cam (2018 model) Very good on energy consumption-batteries last longer than other brands we've used. So sorry for the delayed reply- we'll cover comments better in the future.
Good vid, I like the plastic idea better that the metal.
Not as noisy in the wind and no rusting from the weather.
Might use sched #40 to hang multiple brackets though
Great idea!! Sorry we missed seeing your comment. Did you end up doing this, Jean?
@@GardensAllSite my feeder system is 35 ft. Wide.
7 assorted feeders hang from a wire stretched across the back yard.
Baffles ( plastic bottles ) at each end deter all varmints.
@@jeanvaljohn3921 Wow! That sounds like an awesome feeder! So the plastic bottles don't deter the birds, but do deter the furry critters...?
@@GardensAllSite correct, the nine bottles near the ends, rotate on the wire if crawled on.
And they are slippery.
The birds land on the feeders or the ground underneath.
what i did with my Brid feeders poles an all , i got barbwire rapped around the pole or someone i know other house rapped around rose cane branches he cuts down from his roses off & on ..none of the Animals like sharp pokee things would never Bother ur yard again
I seem to have possums, or should I say I was told that I had possums due to the mess they made in the dirt. I hung up 2 cage feeders with suet last week. The first was too low and the squirrels got it. The second was MUCH higher at a minimum of 11 feet but anchored to my privacy fence. Woke up one morning and they (whatever animal) managed to get a hold of the feeder, get feeder off of the hook, get feeder open and ate the suet. Do you think this would work with possums? Could also be a raccoon, not sure because I didn’t actually see it happen. We have all kinds of creatures in the little patch of wood behind our fence. Oh! Also, I don’t have a trail cam or I’d be using it 🤣
Hey Michelle!
Yes! This should definitely work. Racoons are quite adept with their "hands", so chances are good that's what ate your suet.
We've observed this PVC system foiling raccoons first hand as well as via trail cam.
Since you're at the edge of the woods, it's likely that you have both, possums and racoons, and it sounds like the incidents you mention above are two different creatures.
Opossums will dig for grubs in soft dirt, which can actually be a good thing if they're not destroying plants.
@@GardensAllSite thank you for your reply 😬
Doesn’t work in Texas. Guess I can’t send a picture.
Oh bless your heart.. now to figure out how to use this with my existing multi feeder pole station. I’ve already set a tpost next to the pole for stability.. fighting squirrels and raccoons here in the woods., once they find you.. it’s over. I’ve tried spikes around the pole and 2 different squirrel baffles, the 19 inch cone ones are up and useless as I speak. Thanks so much for your easy to understand very informative video using items I can easily obtain.. we’ll see how I can make this work for my situation. Thanks
You are so kind to share your thoughts. We wish you the best of outcomes in foiling the critters. Please, keep us informed.
Hey Garden Al, New friend here. We had problems with Rockey climbing our 4x4 post baffle setup. Do you suppose that the 4x4 helped the climbing ease?
Yes. The key is to cover the post with something "slick" like PVC pipe or metal stove pipe. They are very capable of climbing whatever is rough and/or what they can sink their claws into. Good Luck!
Hmmm.. Would it be just easier and cheaper to use the 4" pipe as the main post instead of making that elaborate setup??
Sure might work to simplify. I do like to over engineer a bit. :-) You could embed the 4" pipe into the ground and then attach a hanger with screws. Thanks for the idea, Bilbo!
But my pole is 4x4 square Woden🙁
Patricia
If you wanted to keep your pole, you might try placing a 4 ft length of 6' diameter stove pipe around your 4 x 4. Just a quick something I'd try myself. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for posting this. I appreciate the engineering/design ideas.
Cheers!
Great idea, nice video, thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed it.
How long of the pipe should stop raccoon to go over?
Just approximating-a four foot pipe should do it-especially if elevate a foot or so above the ground. Thanks for asking!
I'm skeptical. I have a raccoon that defeated my torpedo-style baffle by just wrapping its legs around it and shimmying up the baffle. Then just parked himself on top and helped himself to the feeders. This was a baffle on a spring that moves up and down and sideways. This looks too narrow. The animal can easily wrap its legs around it. Not all raccoons might figure it out, but the one in my yard is determined.
Yes it could be you have some smart ones that can "monkey up the pole" One fix for that is liberally applying Vaseline to the outside. They will likely get that this is more trouble than it's worth. Just a thought. Cheers!
@@GardensAllSite
The Center for Wildlife says there are many ways to deter squirrels from climbing feeders, however, Vaseline and other lubricants can harm the animals. “Please do not coat your bird feeders in Vaseline, oil, butter, or anything like that.
As mentioned I greased the pole and that worked.
Nice design. My problem isn't raccoons,but large grey squirrels. I had a feeder mounted on a 5/8" pole,and of course,the squirrels shimmied up the pole,and were in the feeder in no time. I bought a squirrel baffle,but the greys gripped the pole below the baffle with their hind feet,and easily hopped over the baffle. I fixed that by mounting a 2" piece of PVC pipe,about 18" long, under the baffle. They couldn't get a grip on the PVC,and that stopped them leaping over the baffle. I have seen greys spending almost an hour trying to beat it,but so far,it has held up fine.
Great description and info. Sometimes Vaseline will slow them down even more ;-) Cheers!
Will that size pipe stop squirrels
4" and UP. Cheers!
Do you have a link to show how it works?
This video is embedded here www.gardensall.com/best-hummingbird-feeders/
Sorry for the delayed reply. Thanks for asking!
you problem solver you.
:-)
Use a sheet metal screw to connect the cap to the tube!
You and Stanwood Dave both had the same brilliant idea, AngeliqueKaga! THANKS!
I use 5” x 60” vent pipe.
Great choice! Lighter weight as well. Best of luck!
I'm going to try, thank you
YAY. Hope it works out for you. Please write in to let us know. Cheers!
I used 4 or 5 foot shiny aluminum dryer vent wrapped around a bird feeder post. I can tell the squirrels just ran up the vent pipe for the bird seed, and then this summer it ran up again for the hummingbird food, it just tipped the feeder and drank!!!!
I even greased the dryer vent, then I put vasceline on it. It didn't work. Help.
We've yet to see either raccoon, oppossum or squirrel make it up our baffle. You might want to try the PVC (drain pipe-not the Schedule 40). Good luck!
Key items:
1. The pipe you use MUST be smooth and rigid. If you use those bendy type dryer vent it will not work.
2. The diameter of the pipe must be at least 4 inches but I used 5 just to be sure.
3. The top of the baffle must be higher than the critter trying to climb it can jump. Otherwise it will be able to grab the top and pull itself up.
I'm also not sure what you mean by wrapped around the post. The baffle needs to be over the feeder post and suspended above the ground to work best.
Next time turn your phone horizontal. Makes the video a lot nicer and easier to watch.
THANKS, Mr. C! We'll do our best. It's always a challenge on topics that have a lot of vertical visual to them, but you're right, we're all more used to tracking left to right than up and down on videos!
This didn’t work. My raccoon climbed this by wrapping his arms around the 4-inch drain pipe. I think 5-inch metal pipe might work.
Hey Dan! Oh wow! Sorry that didn't work for you. That was one strong and determined racoon! Have you tried the metal pipe yet?
@@GardensAllSite I tried a 5-inch metal duct. Before I snapped it together, he climbed up no problem by grasping the open edges. I (loosely) snapped it together and also added some WD-40. No problems since.
Is there a reason you recorded this video in portrait mode instead of landscape ?
Most of the screen is black for me.
Hey Bill... Sorry about that! Two reasons:
1. Because the subject was vertical, and
2. It was before we knew better... that most people prefer horizontal screen even for vertical topics! :-)
Thanks for watching. We'll do better in future videos. Meanwhile, please let us know if you have any questions.
Really wished this was filmed in landscape mode, not portrait. Missing 2/3 of the scene made it impossible to watch and gave up after a few seconds. Try again
Sorry about that. We'll do our best to minimize the vertical in the future. Thanks for checking in!
Quit feeding the birds!
University studies, eg Cornell, have observed the impact of feeding wild birds. "We found that species that use bird feeders the most tended to be doing just as well as, or better than, species that use feeders more sporadically." Please, refer to the full article here: Analysis: Do Bird Feeders Help or Hurt Birds? www.allaboutbirds.org/news/analysis-do-bird-feeders-help-or-hurt-birds/
I don't know, but one wise person said sugar water deprives the hummingbirds of the real food they need.
We also had some concern-but further research showed the birds are not exclusive nectar junkies (The Hummingbird Society supports appropriate use of sugar water feeders hummingbirdsociety.org/feeding-hummingbirds/). Plus, hummers consume other foods like insects and spiders. Of course. as an alternative to nectar feeders, you can also grow bushes and flowers that attract and feed them. Cheers!
I us nectar in mine
Thanks for the informative video.
And to those commentators that ONLY complained about the vertical video. Can you do me a favor and link me the part of the video where you couldn't see what he was talking about on that VERTICAL post and baffle that would have been covered with a HORIZONTAL video.
Suggestion to creator. I generally find it easier to watch video in landscape, especially on YT where most video is horizontal. May I suggest you consider that for future videos. And thank you again for the effort.
Hey Komainu! Thank you for your kind comment and yes... definitely switching to mostly horizontal! 😊👍🏼