Squirrel – Feeding at Hummingbird Feeder

Q: I guess the squirrels needed to have a drink to wash down the seeds from my bird feeders. Now, they are tipping the hummingbird feeders and drinking them. They pop the “yellow” flowers out of one feeder and tilt. The fluid then spills into the waiting mouth.

The other one, seems to be easier as they leave those flowers and drink. They can empty a feeder in less than a day. Is this normal or is this the beginning of the squirrels taking over the universe?

A: Daryl Pulis, www.MrsGreenThumb.com, says:

“Squirrels are incredibly intelligent rodents. Once one squirrel learns a trick, it will teach it to others. You could try a commercial squirrel repellent, but I think you’d be better in the long run to hang the feeders in a way that the animals can’t get to them.

“Using a feeder that doesn’t have “flowers”, which are unnecessary anyway and often attract yellow jackets, can slow them down, but they’re likely to chew them up in their effort to satisfy their sweet tooth.

“Since it’s high summer now and the hummers can get enough nectar from flower sources, I’d remove the feeders for a while as you’re figuring out a better, squirrel proof way to hang them. You can also provide drinking water in a pan away from the feeders and see whether the squirrels are just thirsty.”