Most often when we think of animal care, we’re looking for traditional pet supplies, like food or medication. How many of us, then, consider what it takes to care for birds that visit our back yard feeders?

There are hundreds of squirrel proof bird feeders, but do any of them actually work? Squirrels are intelligent, acrobatic, capable of leaping distances of almost 12 feet and intent on eating your lovingly placed bird seed - making them a challenging nemesis to keep out of your backyard bird feeder.

Squirrels don’t simply eat the seed at a feeder, they also dissuade birds from perching there and can cause major damage to the feeder because of their weight and aggressive feeding. So, if you’re tired of watching squirrels take over your backyard bird oasis, keep reading for an overview of some of the best squirrel proof bird feeders available today.

The Squirrel Buster Plus

The Squirrel Buster Plus is a basic, tubular feeder with a circular bird perch at its base. When a squirrel jumps on it, the squirrel’s weight causes the perch to sink down, therefore closing access to the feeding holes. For a day or two, the squirrels will sit there and try to figure out the device, but eventually leave for better feeding grounds.

Suet Sandwich Woodpecker Feeder

If you love listening to and watching woodpeckers, then the Suet Sandwich is the perfect solution to keep your winged friends well fed and the squirrels out. The feeder works by encasing two slices of suet beef fat between two pieces of fake bark. Because the woodpecker is long-tongued, they’re able to access the tasty treat, but the squirrels are kept out. It retails for around $35.

Bird Feeders by Droll Yankees

The Droll Yankees line of bird feeders first came out in 2000. Basically, the perch is motorized and starts to spin when a squirrel sits on it. The idea is that the squirrel will go flying. The battery requires recharging every eight to twelve weeks. For the past two years, the company’s line of squirrel-tipping feeders has been extended to also include models with weight-activated, collapsible perches or trays. These models start at $79 and go up to $119.

Buy a Squirrel Feeder

Probably your best defense against squirrel invaders is to simply give in and feed them too. Try buying block bird seed, which is heavily condensed into a compressed block, and placing it on the ground. Instead of putting in all that work too conquer your feeder, your squirrels will likely be content to nibble away at ground level.

Build it Yourself

Instructables, a popular how-to website, has step-by-step instructions, including pictures, on how to put together your very own squirrel proof bird feeders for less than $10. By relying on lightweight cable ties as perches, this ingenious design makes it impossible for squirrels to steal your bird seed.

You can find the project, along with pictures, right here - instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-Flexi-Perch-Squirrel-proof-birdfe/?ALLSTEPS.