How to keep squirrels off bird table
Bird tables can be made to keep all pests off while being made exclusively for wild birds, but it does take a bit of time to figure out.
How to keep squirrels off bird tables begins by attaching a specialist bird table style squirrel baffle to the stand, at the highest point made available. Revert to a tall bird table as squirrels can jump or reach over a baffle if given leverage. Be sure to cut off alternative routes by isolating the bird table in the garden.
It can be a bit of a shame investing in a brand new bird table, often a custom built wooden bird table that sits proudly in your back garden.
But this can soon turn to despair as your wild birds are unable to feed, as squirrels continue to arrive to feed off the bird table instead.
Don't be too disappointed as there's sure to be a quick or at little expense option for you to go down - with the cheapest solution involving a squirrel baffle.
If you don't know what a squirrel baffle is, it is a disk shape plastic sheet that is commonly mounted to a narrow post of the bird feeding station.
And while its very effective at stopping squirrels climbing up the post to reach the food, its designed differently to be made compatible with the large square post of a bird table.
Trial and error is guaranteed, but in time you'd find a sweet spot that deters squirrels, while never allowing other pests to get up and over the other side of platform.
If this squirrel baffle can't be bought, you can go down the route of making a wooden baffle yourself.
Baffles apply to being attached to traditional wooden bird tables on a post only, while a hanging or mounted style bird table may need a new solution.
What is more important on your part is cutting off all alternative routes on the bird table, as its not much good mounting a baffle if squirrels can reach the food by descending on the table, rather then climbing up.
Fix bird table compatible baffle
While bird tables promise to invite as many common garden birds as possible, that can in turn bring about unwanted pests.
Squirrels will see a bird table as easy pickings, thus will continue to work at accessing the food as long as its left out on the bird table feeding platform.
What is sure to be the best solution to keeping squirrels of a bird table, is indeed a basic squirrel baffle that is designed to be fixed to a wooden bird table - made with a square post as oppose to a narrow rounded one.
Baffles for bird feeding station posts are readily available, while being universally compatible for all brands.
Unfortunately that is not so for the chunky stand of a wooden bird table on a stand, as extra width is needed to cut into a square shape; or indeed it can be made so the squirrel baffle can be slot in-between the post and the feeding platform sitting on top.
Be sure to view what is available to you while focusing more on the baffle wrapping around the bird table stand with ease.
And there you have it, two types of squirrels baffle that would be compatible with a bird table, but you must be sure its made to fit your own.
Revert to tall bird table only
Of all the bird tables that you may have as part of your garden landscape, understand to keep squirrels off a bird table, only the type on a stand would work.
Squirrels are fully capable of accessing a roof bird table on a stand that is up to 6 feet tall, but it must be made hard for them as possible.
Know then the much shorter equivalent open bird table is only 4 or so feet tall, thus its easy for squirrels to not only climb up, even with a baffle attached - but squirrels may be capable of simply jumping up onto it off the ground.
Similarly, a bird table mounted to the wall is accessed as squirrels clamber up a wall, while a fence mounted location is easy to access for not only squirrels, but even natural bird predators such as cats.
Your only choice is to revert to a tall bird table on a stand, preferably with a roof but made compatible with a squirrel baffle.
This wooden bird table on a stand must not have mid range positioned open feeding platforms often included - as squirrels can use it as leverage to climb.
Its vital then the bird table stand that must be 5 or so feet tall, and is only a post with no other cuts of wood positioned in such a way, it can assist squirrels to reach the bird food sitting on top of the table.
Cut off alternative routes
Focus your attention on only using a bird table that is on a stand, with a bird feeding platform overhang naturally made to keep pests locked in below it.
While an alternative route for squirrels to take can exist on any type of bird table, I will say again to remove or buy a table with no smaller feeding platforms positioned half way up the bird table stand.
Similarly, the posts that support the bird feeding platform sitting on top of the table mustn't reach out to the edges, or else squirrels can use this as a bridge to reach the top of the platform.
To cut off alternative routes to the food is essential to stop squirrels in their tracks, but let's think about alternative routes off the bird table.
What that can refer to is indeed positioning a bird table far too close to the garden fence, as squirrels can instead reach or jump over to the bird table as they would with ease.
Where else you can go wrong is locating the bird table near an elevated area in the garden, thus the 5 feet tall bird table suddenly is reduced to 3 feet or so.
Squirrels can be good jumpers so a 3 feet tall bird table platform can be easy to reach.
Build barrier under platform
You'd need a bit of DIY skills for this solution but by building a barrier under the feeding platform can only be made available to wooden bird tables.
And here is how its done if you have ply or exterior grade wood made available.
Simply cut off sheets of wood the length and width of your bird table feeding platform; then begin to fix it on with screws to create a sort of box under the feeding platform.
What this box becomes is a DIY squirrel baffle, not attractive I grant you but its sure an effective way of keeping squirrels off your bird table.
Now when squirrels attempt to climb up the bird table stand, they will climb up and into the underside of the wooden box you created
Downside to this method is it won't work with a bird table that uses a feeding platform that is too small. Squirrels can reach over the barrier so it would assist them rather than deter them.
It needn't end there, because with a little creative thinking you can indeed build the barrier wider, so it is out of reach.
All this must be done so any rain water can still drain, but more importantly the perch surrounding the feeding platform can still be used for birds to perch while they feed.
To summarise
Its not overly difficult to keep squirrels off bird tables but it does need a little planning, with more expense probably needed on your part.
What you would need to do is first attach a bird table compatible squirrel baffle to the bird table stand, or indeed fix it higher up directly below the feeding platform.
Unlike the use of squirrel baffles for bird feeding stations, those suitable for bird tables are harder to buy as it must be made compatible.
Baffles can only mount to tall bird tables on a stand, but a normal baffle can be used to stop birds accessing a wall/fence, or a hanging bird table.
If you feel the bird table is continuously under attack by squirrels with easy success, you may need to revert to a more squirrel proof bird table.
What you can do is cut off alternative routes to where the feed is located on top of the feeding platform. It would involve making sure the support beams under the feeding platform can not be used as a bridge.
Similarly, squirrels can reach or indeed jump onto the bird table platform if its set near to an object within the garden, or its located near an elevated point.
If the bird table is near garden furniture then they would use it to climb over to the table.
Finally, you can build your own squirrel baffle to mount on the bird table stand; to maintain a more consistent bird table theme and colour scheme to the decor of your garden.
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