Squirrels galore!

How do you make your bird feeders squirrel proof?

Each year we set out determined to win the battle coming up with ever more elaborate Heath Robinson constructions.

We fail. The squirrels tuck in.

Now I hear that the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds have hit on a scheme which they claim is foolproof.
And cheap.

You put chilli powder in the food. If you don't have that to hand then use curry powder or cayenne pepper.


Squirrels, they say, hate the taste and it doesn't harm birds.



Lloyd Scott, RSPB wildlife adviser, said: 'Using chilli powder to deter squirrels is a cheap, easy and effective solution.
'Squirrels can consume large amounts of peanuts and seeds and quite frequently destroy bird feeders in the process.
'Chilli powder will stop them helping themselves but it doesn't seem to have any effect on birds at all. This is much simpler than erecting barriers and trying to prevent access to feeders for squirrels - they are nimble, clever animals and will usually find a way in anyway.'


There are around three million grey squirrels in Britain. They were introduced from the U.S. in the 19th century and rapidly took over from the smaller and less aggressive native reds.
They are better than red squirrels at finding food and shelter, and they spread the squirrelpox virus which they are immune to, but which kills the reds.

They also damage trees and wipe out birds by robbing their nests. There is only an estimated 120,000 red squirrels left in the UK.

We have some further north in Scotland, I did see one once in our local woods.

Meanwhile I am off to buy some chilli powder.