Squirrels and Other Raiders

Author: Terrie Murray
Published on: Jan 12, 2001

Whether it's squirrels, grackles, starlings, house sparrows, raccoons, deer, rabbits or even bears, all of us have had problems with unwelcome raiders getting to our feeders and making off with the seed we intended for someone else. Squirrels are the biggest problem for most backyard feeders, but raccoons can also be a destructive nuisance. Even birds like starlings and house sparrows can be so aggressive that they'll bully the smaller birds right out of your feeders.

One of the things that backyard bird feeders have had to come to terms with is that when you create a habitat in your backyard that is welcoming to birds, you're also going to create a habitat that is welcoming to other creatures, like squirrels, raccoons, snakes, and hawks. It is true that squirrels and raccoons chew up feeders and can consume pounds of food in a sitting. But as we learn more about the birds that come to our feeders, we can't help but learn about and appreciate in some measure the other wildlife that we're attracting. This is an area of strong controversy among those who feed birds, some of whom shoot squirrels and others of whom have created entire backyard wildlife sanctuaries. It is also an area of strong controversy among bird feeding and wildlife experts, some of whom support eliminating backyard feeding entirely in order to avoid creating an un-natural situation for the birds and wildlife attracted.

I propose a position of compromise. What might be considered a good or bad visitor changes from day to day, and from yard to yard. I am not saying that if you love cardinals and hate squirrels that you shouldn't be allowed to baffle your feeders so that the squirrels can't get to the food you intend for the cardinals. I'm also not saying that you should allow the raccoons free rein with your suet. What I am suggesting is that before you trap or shoot the raiders or predators that might be visiting your yard, take the time to thoughtfully consider whether there is a way that you can create an environment of peaceful co-existence and welcome for diversity of life that can appear in your backyard. Consider offering the squirrels or raccoons a feeder of their own, with dried corn cobs or whole-kernel corn, peanuts, sliced fruit or bread, on low feeders placed well away from your bird feeders. There are a number of squirrel and wildlife feeders available and bird and wildlife supply centers. Try one or more, and keep them filled. In the meantime, keep your birdfeeders protected from raiders by using baffles and mounting the feeders on poles.

You are in control of the environment in your yard, and by using that control wisely you have an opportunity to create a habitat welcoming to birds and wildlife of all kinds. In your yard, as with your larger life, make your choices based on wisdom, kindness and a desire to never stop learning, rather than with prejudice based on what you consider "good" or "bad."

If you do choose to trap and move, or trap and kill, or simply kill, the raiders in your yard, please check local laws first. In some communities it is illegal to trap and move wildlife, and some communities (where rabies and distemper are at epidemic levels) require that if a raccoon is trapped, the law requires that it be killed. In those communities, relocation is not an option. Make an informed choice, not one based on an emotional response to your latest feeder getting chewed to pieces.

Next week we'll look at some specific things you can do to keep squirrels (and other raiders) off of your bird feeders.