How to Make an Awesome Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder!
Squirrels love bird seed and if they get into your bird feeder they will empty it in a day! It becomes too expensive! The gears started turning and got me thinking about how I could build a diy bird feeder that only birds could enter but still be a nice addition to look at in the garden.
Have a look at how I built this copper and glass squirrel proof bird feeder in detail in this short video. And it has footage of the little rascals trying to get into it!!
....and here's an UPDATE video on some improvements I've made to this squirrel proof bird feeder.
Here's how to attract birds to a feeder.
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Thanks for your interest in my bird feeder and thanks for watching!
First I cut some salvaged 1.5" copper pipe into 3/4" lengths with a pipe cutter I borrowed from my son Kyle.
Using all purpose silicone I attached all of the copper pieces together and wiped off the excess as I went.
I created 2 pyramid shapes.
Once the silicone is cured they are very strong.
You Tube is a great teacher and I taught myself how to cut glass. I salvaged some glass from some old windows for zero cost.
I used the same silicone to adhere the 2 pyramid shapes to the glass base. The green tape makes it easier to align and prevent any silicone that oozes out.
Seat belt material from any vehicle is low cost from the wreckers. Seat belts in cars are meant to take abuse from the sun so it works perfectly as a hinge on the glass.
Now silicone one side of the pyramid only and place the hinged glass over it. Once dry, the other side can be opened to fill with bird seed.
After silicone has cured, it is easy to clean up with a razor blade scraper to tidy it up.
I drilled a 1.5" hole to accept the pole it would sit on.
I then screwed it to a piece of 3/4" ply and siliconed it to the bottom of the glass using 4 coins as spacers until the silicone dried. (I wanted a small amount of space in case water got in there to allow it to dry)
A piece of coat hanger was easy to bend to make a latch. The squirrels do not even go near it since the glass is too slippery for them to navigate.
I've tried a few perches but the best perch I've made has been a piece of scrap 3/4 wood with a slot cut into it. I just used silicone to attach it. Very sturdy.
In my UPDATE video, I used ABS pipe rings to attach a perch but it did not work well at all. This perch is the better of the 2.
Here it is mounted and ready for seed! Watch the video to see the whole build and how the squirrels react to it, they just can't get into it! Watch how some smaller birds will go right inside the feeder to get the seed! All the materials you'll need will be in the description of the video.
For more interesting builds just search "Chris Notap" or visit my you tube channel and subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrnCSQJB4c1_rOKJRzSZemg?view_as=public
Comments
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You are a genius! I love squirrels, they are so cute, but I really like how you outwitted them. I have no need of a bird feeder, as I live in an apartment but if I did, this is what I would have. It looks good and it works. I liked watching in the video how the birds so easily got in and out. It was so funny to see how the young ones just stood beside Mama, and waited for her to put the food in their mouths. Thanks for making my day happier.
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Folks, Plexiglass or acrylic will NOT work instead of glass to keep squirrels out! - our last 'squirrel-proof' feeder kept the rascals out of the feeding ports because the weight of squirrels slid the port covers closed, so they chewed thru the bottom and got the seed to spill out that way!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Is this placed in the shade? As a stained glass artist, I know that glass gets extremely hot in the Sun. The birds would fry.
do chipmunks get into the feeder??
Can the glass be substituted with plexiglas? And will PVC pipe work or will squirrels gnaw through it?