| If you're like many backyard birding enthusiasts, you | | | | such a good jumper, both vertically and horizontally, |
| often fill your bird feeders in the morning before | | | | pick a spot that is at least 12 feet away from the |
| leaving for work, only to return at the end of the | | | | nearest tree trunk, deck railing, and hammock stand. |
| day to find your bird feeders empty, seed spilled, or | | | | 3. Purchase some fishing line at a local sporting goods |
| worse: your bird feeder destroyed by chewing. The | | | | store. You can also use wire, but be sure to get |
| culprit? The Sciurus carolinensis, or common gray | | | | galvanized wire that won't rust when it gets wet. |
| squirrel. | | | | 4. Find four empty 2-liter soda bottles. You might |
| The gray squirrel is natural acrobat. He can jump 10 - | | | | want to rinse them out first so that you won't end |
| 12 feet sideways and leap 4 -5 feet straight up. He | | | | up attracting ants. |
| can shimmy up poles and walk along wires. This is | | | | 5. Cut a small hole in the bottom of each bottle, big |
| why so many birders are in a constant battle against | | | | enough for your line or wire to fit through. Discard |
| him. | | | | the caps of the bottles. |
| Many people purchase expensive squirrel-proof bird | | | | 6. Cut the length of wire or fishing line so that it will |
| feeders in an attempt to thwart the seed thief. But | | | | reach between the two trees. |
| there is an easier way. Fortunately, keeping the | | | | 7. Before you attach the wire to the trees, thread it |
| squirrel out of your bird feeders can be achieved | | | | through two bottles, your feeder, and the other two |
| inexpensively with some items you may have laying | | | | bottles. Then stretch and attach the wire so that the |
| around the house. | | | | lowest part of the bird feeder is at least five feet |
| Here's how: | | | | off the ground. |
| 1. Start with a hanging bird feeder. | | | | The only way the squirrel can reach your bird feeder |
| 2. Find an appropriate spot in your yard for the bird | | | | is to walk along the line. He'll have to step on a bottle |
| feeder where you can stretch a line between two | | | | to continue, but when he does, the bottle will rotate |
| trees or other structures. Since the gray squirrel is | | | | under his weight, dumping him onto the ground. |