Squirrel proofing 101

Squirrel proofing comes down to two numbers and one principle. A gray squirrel jumps about four feet vertically and eight feet horizontally, so exclusion means putting a barrier outside both distances. Everything else — feeders, treatments, devices — compensates for geometry you could not achieve.

Start with what the animal can do

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System publishes the two figures that decide every decision on this site: gray squirrels jump up to 4 feet vertically and twice that distance horizontally. It also recommends keeping trees and overhanging branches at least 8 feet from buildings and feeders.

Once you know those, most advice in this category sorts itself into things that respect them and things that do not.

The four fights, and where each is covered

The three barriers, and what each excludes

1. A baffle blocks a climb up a pole or post. It is the cheapest permanent fix in the category and it depends entirely on placement. Which type fits your mount.
2. A cage blocks access by size, whether that is a cage around a feeder tube or a mesh cover over a bed. It is the most reliable mechanism because there is nothing to calibrate. Caged feeders and plant cages.
3. A weight mechanism closes a feeder under load. It excludes gray squirrels and, tuned correctly, nuisance birds — and it does not exclude anything light. Weight-activated feeders.

The compensations, for when geometry is unavailable

Plenty of yards cannot produce ten feet of clear air. A courtyard, a balcony, a garden under mature trees. In those cases you are not going to exclude by distance and you should stop trying:

• Capsaicin seed treatment removes the reward. Cole's publishes 1.5 oz per 5 lb of seed. Squirrel repellents.
• A spinning feeder works wherever it hangs, at the cost of a battery. Spinning feeders.
• A cage on the feeder or over the bed, which is indifferent to how the animal arrived.
• Seed choice — safflower and nyjer attract squirrels far less than sunflower and corn.

What we do not recommend, and why

Greasing poles harms wildlife: grease on fur and feathers destroys insulation and waterproofing. Trapping and relocation is regulated differently in every state, frequently kills the animal, and leaves a territory that is reoccupied within weeks. Poison is indiscriminate and kills pets and non-target species.

None of that is squeamishness. Exclusion works, it is permanent, and it costs less. There is no scenario in a garden where the cruel options are also the effective ones.

Squirrels in a building are a different problem

Everything on this site is about gardens. An animal inside a roof, soffit or attic is a structural and legal matter — there may be young present, and sealing an entry with an animal inside is both cruel and expensive. That is a job for a licensed wildlife control operator, and the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management is a better starting point than any retailer.

The short version

Measure ten feet. Move the pole if you can. Baffle at four to five feet. Cage the beds. Treat the seed only where the geometry is impossible. And stop buying the next product until you have done the free part first.