Durable Bird Proof Squirrel Feeder - If You Can't Beat Them, Feed Them

We have a number of friendly squirrels who will come right up to our back door or jump up on our deck furniture to stare in the window. We decided a feeder would be nice to have during the winter so we don't let the heat out when we feed them and for times when we're away and unable to feed them at all. As I write this we've had the feeder for a bit under a week and it's been hilarious watching the squirrels explore it. Some of them figured it out quickly, while others still don't get it. They all immediately figured out that the little metal house contains peanuts, but some of them couldn't figure out how to get into it. They've peered in the window, climbed up on top, nosed around....today I saw one squirrel climb all the way inside, get a peanut, then climb back out with his meal. (We use unsalted peanuts with no shells. We do not use whole peanuts in the shell because of the mess it makes. We used to give them that type, and they love them, but we got tired of sweeping up peanut shells all the time and I imagine our neighbors didn't much appreciate finding peanut shells on their decks either. We live in a townhouse, so the squirrels are always running back and forth.) I have the feeder on our deck underneath the table and I can routinely hear the lid clanking open and shut when I work in the home office on the same side of the house. If I'm in a room on the front side I do not hear the lid. That's a bit reassuring because I wondered whether the neighbors would quickly get annoyed by the metal clank all the time. Still, be prepared for some noise if you buy this feeder. Squirrels don't move around much at night so you shouldn't expect problems with the lid keeping you awake, but you can expect fairly frequent noise from the lid slamming shut during the day.The other feeder we considered was the wooden one with the glass jar, but I decided on this one instead because I figured it would be a more durable design at withstanding bad weather.Either way, this is great fun to watch.By the way, the merchant shipped very quickly. The package came a week earlier than estimated.Review updated in late December 2013 to add: After a little over a month, the feeder is still in excellent condition. One of the squirrels who can't seem to figure out how to use it routinely starts scrabbling at the lid as if he can wear a hole in it or something. But no matter how much he scratches, his claws have not scratched nor damaged the paint in any way. This feeder is very well-built. The one change we've made was to put some foam-rubber insulating tape on the underside of the lid just because some mornings the clanking sound started to bug us a bit. I will have to keep a close eye on it to make sure none of our rodent friends eat the tape!Updated again on March 2, 2014: I replaced the foam tape last week due to it starting to fall off from squirrels bumping it when raising the lid. Feeder is still in excellent shape. There are a few scuff marks on the lid from squirrel teeth. Some of them persist in trying to use their mouths to raise the lid, which of course doesn't work because it drops back down when they let go. I will have to keep an eye on it to see if those marks rust, but I don't expect that to happen anytime soon. When I replaced the tape I also cleaned the feeder inside and out. Being able to remove the "windows" is a big help in this respect because you can scrub those separately. Some of the squirrels try to remain inside the feeder, especially on snowy days, and so I don't doubt the inside can get a bit unsanitary. Cleaning it was quite easy, though (using an old sponge we were ready to throw away!). You just lift the lid and scrub.Updated in January 2015: Last week I saw some movement outside on our deck near our squirrel feeder at night. Since squirrels don't move around much at night, I looked outside to see what was there and found a raccoon stealing peanuts. I chased it away and our feeder now comes inside at night (we put it on top of some paper towels for sanitary reasons).

We got this because the Jays and crows were stealing all the squirrel's food. This worked. It only took a couple hours for all our squirrels to learn how to use this. They give us dirty looks because it is kind of a hassle for them but they are getting fed more now. Out of our usual gang there is only one pretty young boy that can't seem to figure it out and you can tell he is frustrated. Not giving in to him - no matter how cute he is - he has to learn like the others. Would recommend this over the wood feeders which they chew.

Well made and attractive, it is easy to put up and I like that it hangs on a bracket so it's easy to take down to clean. Also, the lipped platform in front (with drain holes) is great for offering grapes and other treats.The smaller squirrel has trouble lifting the lid to grab a nut, especially if the level is low, but she seems to be doing better and sometimes just climbs in.Three times more expensive than the wood one I had that lasted barely a year, but this looks like it will last a decade and saves $$$ in nuts not stolen by jays.

This product is easy to install and as the title says, is very durable. It may take a while before the squirrels figure out how to lift the roof lid to get to the shelled unsalted peanuts or any other type of squirrel food.For about two weeks, they would smell the food, come up to the roof lid but be too timid to go inside to get the nuts. I taped a chop stick in the corner to raise the lid about an inch and a half and that did the trick.

Very sturdy, and looks good, but the lack of sufficient drain holes allows water to accumulate in the bottom, turning the bottom half inch or so of peanuts (what I feed the squirrels) to turn into a solid mass that attracts flies. I was forced to remove the feeder every other week and disassemble to clean out that mass.I "fixed" this by creating a standoff with a cut to size perforated stainless sheet and nylon sleeves with bolts and nuts so water can drain through. If they replaced the solid floor with a perforated sheet so water could sufficiently drain, I would give this 5 stars.

At first I thought this feeder was a bit expensive but got it anyway since I wanted something that’ll last longer than wood or plastic feeders.Was surprised when I saw how high quality and solidly built it was. I’m sure it’ll last years longer than plastic or wood feeders that don’t weather storms well. It’s worth the price and made in the USA. It’s roomy so there’s space for lots of nuts.The installation was insanely easy. Just screw the hanging plate onto the tree and then hang the feeder on the plate. I have a redwood with semi-soft bark so I cut some of it away and used longer screws to attach the plate directly onto the tree body.Took my squirrel Lil Sploot a few hours to figure it out but now she’s a pro. I propped up the lid on the first day to show her how it works.

Love these for my squirrels!

The media could not be loaded. The only squirrel/peanut feeder I will now use or purchase. I got tired of feeding the blue jays and other birds that could climb into my other feeder, so I bought this one for several reasons:1) It's made of metal so it's indestructible, even in harsh winter weather.2) It saves money by not blowing through so many peanuts feeding the birds. They have their own feeders!!3) It looks nice.My new favorite sound is the gentle clanging of the lid as they help themselves to the peanuts. There is a space between the lid and the box so their cute, little hands (lol) won't get smashed if the lid drops on them. Also, the lid is light enough that my newest, squirrel babies can even open. I love the video of him just climbing completely it it!! I wish I had saved my money and bought this before I bought two with the large jar that attaches to the wood base. Also, two screws into the tree or a post and you've got it hung.