Out to my right...I so love living in the South

[Mira]

No, it's not ice on the pole, it's vaseline. Designed to keep the squirrel sliding down it as it tries to raid the feeder.

[Arkansas Granny]

1. Lol! I see that it's working.

Once a squirrel is determined to get to a feeder, it's almost impossible to keep them out. They'll figure a way to get there.

I have found, however, that smearing a little Vaseline on the hook where you suspend your hummingbird feeder will keep ants away. They don't like to walk over the greasy surface.

[alfredo]

2. Try a lithium grease.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. The Vaseline didn't work for my hummingbird feeder.

It was really a gruesome and disgusting thing to see, but the ants would try to plow through the Vaseline. The first ones would not get very far, and they would die in the goop. The next ones would use the dead ants as stepping stones and get a little farther. In no time, there was a literal ant highway to the feeder. I had to give up.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. It sounds like your ants are evolving. Beware!

[Curmudgeoness]

6. Well, they certainly are persistent.

But those smarts are scary.

[Mira]

7. Oh my. That's sad. Gives a new perspective to

"climbing over dead bodies". I thought only sociopathic humans did that

[Curmudgeoness]

9. Obviously ants are extremely motivated.

And selfless. Ick.

[NV Whino]

3. You forget that squirrels jump as well as climb

[Mira]

8. That feeder is 5' high off the bannister and then

if they miss the ground is about 20 feet down.
I read the book "Outwitting Squirrels". It's useless.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. Yes, it is useless to fight them.

I just feed them too. So, how did that bugger get to the feeder?

[Mira]

12. It jumped from the railing to the hanging cages for suet, they hang over the deck.

Clutching on to them he then jumped to the feeder, and took the chance to fall. Which he survives anyway. It's hopeless.

[Curmudgeoness]

14. Ah, but they are fun to watch.

That is one smart pest. They all are.

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. the only way to protect the feeders

is to hang them from the highest eave on the house.
The initial installation takes a ladder, and a brave soul, to put the hook and chain in place,
then the feeder hangs down to whatever level you can reach to replace the food, but high enough so the squirrels can't jump up.
Neighbor has one, about 30 feet long from her peaked eave, she can watch the birds outside a tall window.

I have not yet dared to ask Mr. dixie to mount a ladder.

[NV Whino]

16. I bet a squirrel wrote the book

[ohheckyeah]

11. We had to move our bird feeder

three times to get it far enough away from the tree for the squirrels to jump to it. We have a cone shaped thing on the pole so the squirrels can't climb up the pole.

We also put corn out for the squirrels because I enjoy watching them more than I do the birds.

They are smart little critters.

The Vaseline made me laugh.

[Mira]

13. I enjoy squirrels, too, except I don't like it when they feed and feed interminably and

the beautiful cardinals, my state bird and around here in abundance, have to wait and wait.
I cannot put out food for the squirrels, because it attracts rats.
Don't ask me how I know.

[Solly Mack]

15. Smart critter!

Love it!