Let’s all be honest with ourselves, bird feeders can be quite pricey, never mind the seed that we put in them. Nothing is more agitating than when you look out your window, hoping to see a bunch of colorful birds, only to see a nosey squirrel stealing the nuts and seeds that you spent the time to put out there.
There are many solutions to this, from home remedies to whole product lines that are meant to stop these pests in their tracks, all without harming them. After all, squirrels are alive too and we don’t want to risk causing them any harm whatsoever. Even if they are a bit on the annoying and pricey side to maintain.
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Kettle Moraine Bird Feeder Pole Set
Kettle Moraine is a frequent contender on these lists it seems. Their bird feeders are loved by the bird watching and feeding community, this one is no different. With its built-in squirrel baffler and overall elegant appearance, it is perfect for anyone’s backyard.
Its price isn’t too egregious either for its stainless steel, weatherproof exterior. Sitting at a mere $127 for two arms, it makes it perfect for any enthusiast who wishes to keep those pesky fuzz balls out of the bird feeder.
To top it off, it is extremely sturdy and easy to move should the time ever come that a better watching spot would be appreciated all while remaining bed proof within the soil you put it in.
What I also appreciate about this bird feeder is that you can buy versions with more arms for a bit extra, which allow for you to customize it more easily as well as entice more birds to come in for a nice meal.
In fact, this particular bird feeder can have up to a maximum of four arms. The three-arm rig sits at a comfortable $143 and the four-arm rig sits at $152 much more affordable than some of the other options.
Old Faithful Bird Feeder Pole and Hook
This bird feeder, made by Squirrel Stopper, is an absolute beauty. Not only is it easy to install, but it’s also easy on the eyes. Unlike most bird feeder poles, which are simple and stagnant metal rods sticking out the ground, this bird feeder makes what was once a stagnant appearance more like a masterful art piece.
What’s even better is that the arms are able to be used for a multitude of things, not just other bird feeders. Want to hang your beautiful flowers up for some sunshine? You can do that too.
Want to have the discreet solar panel to your lawn lights up high so it always gets some shine? Well, that can be accomplished here. Either way, this bird feeder pole, with a built-in squirrel baffler, is absolutely stunning and a creative boon. It’s also gentle on the wallet, at only $90. What a steal!
Birds Choice 3 Arm Pole Bird Feeder
Birds Choice is another company that I’ve seen making waves amongst the community of bird feeder enthusiasts. Their poles are very sturdy and also very good at keeping squirrels away. While not as attractive as Old Faithful, nor as versatile as Kettle Moraine, this bird feeder still is a rather pleasant one to own.
It is easy to set up and also very versatile to use. Its built-in squirrel baffler will keep squirrels far away from the birdseed stop it and unlike many of the other bird feeders, it’s easier to take apart and put together.
The other bird feeders are easy to move about, but this one trumps the others with the sheer ability to take one piece apart at a time without too much elbow grease. Overall, a great pole for beginners who aren’t planning for a lot of relocation. Although it is one of the more expensive poles at $160.
HF Green Absolute Two Sided Feeder With Windows
This bird feeder is a classic-looking one. It almost looks like a miniature house for the birds, and that’s something I can completely support. With its somewhat complex feeding method and a built-in baffler, this bird feeder is one that will definitely stop those squirrels.
However I can say that the aesthetics of the bird feeder may not be very pleasant to some, so it may not be suited to your backyard in specifics. What I can say is that to me at least, it is a very pleasant-looking feeder (I just wish it wasn’t green personally).
It also helps that this bird feeder comes with a removable pole, so if you want to change the baffler to something you believe to work better, then you absolutely can. This feeder is also relatively comfortable in price, sitting at a mere $85 which is very cheap indeed.
JCs Wildlife Fly-Thru Bird Feeder
This one is an interesting recommendation, to say the least. I haven’t really seen this specific feeder on many recommendations lists, but I think it’s a pretty good one, it’s easy to reach and refill all while being extremely difficult for squirrels to access and steal from.
While its price may be a bit much ($173) there are definitely other bird feeders that work worse and cost much more. What sets this bird feeder apart is simply how accessible it is. It’s very easy for anyone, short or tall, young or old, to reach and change out the feed.
This is what makes this bird feeder a very capable one, and one that I personally recommend to those who live alone and aren’t super knowledgeable of how to change out the feed. I will warn, though, that once it’s in the ground, it’s going to be very difficult to move, so choose your location carefully.
Before we choose the overall best bird feeder, we need to talk about the process of making a decision. Everyone is going to have different needs and preferences. What suits one person is not going to suit all people. So when deciding on which bird feeder is best for you, please don’t take my word for it and one that.
Maybe your dream bird feeder isn’t on here, and maybe there are other websites and brick and mortar stores that you can check before settling on the one or perhaps, your bird feeder is exactly what I recommend, who knows. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s fitted to your aesthetic, preferences, and how big of a squirrel problem you have.
One person might need a very bulky squirrel baffle, whereas some might just be able to get away with a greased bird feeder pole. It really is up to you. The first step to choosing the perfect one of anything is to understand the problem.
Why should I care about squirrels eating my bird feed? I love all animals, so shouldn’t squirrels be part of that?
Here’s a simple answer, it is expensive. Squirrels are huge rodents, and by huge I mean massive. You may not think so as you take a stroll on your morning walk, they are so commonplace that we have gotten used to them. But I promise you, they are big animals. This means they eat a lot.
I mean we’ve seen how much a human eats, it is nothing to scoff at. So obviously you understand the correlation that larger equates to more food in most cases. A squirrel also goes through hibernation, so they are most certainly going to eat as much as they can when they can.
Expert Tip: If you wish to feed squirrels, consider getting a squirrel feeder instead and the much larger (and cheaper) feed that comes with it, over the more expensive and finer birdseed.
A squirrel will eat anything, bird seed doesn’t need to be one of them. To add to this, squirrels can also do just fine finding their own food.
Okay so now that I know the why, how do I go about stopping squirrels from climbing my bird feeder poles?
There are a few ways you can do this. The first is by simply getting a squirrel-proof bird feeder pole or other feeder types. It’ll keep them off fairly effectively, and most poles have been specifically crafted to keep the smart and rather well-off rodents from reaching the seed.
But if you don’t like how a buffer looks there are some less effective methods that could work too. I know some people who have simply put a bit of grease on their pole. The squirrel will attempt to climb up and simply slide down. However they are very smart creatures, so don’t bank on the fact that they won’t come up with a different solution.
As such it’s just better to get a buffer and make sure your bird feeder is away from places where they can leap over to reach the seed.
Alright but if squirrels are so smart, then how do I know I have the best pole? Will I have to compromise on other things?
Well, there is a number of factors you can consider when buying. I have my own, and you will too. For me, a bird feeder must be able to keep squirrels off of it as well as look nice for those who may want to watch with me. There’s nothing wrong with spending a little extra to ensure that your bird feeder is perfect for you.
When looking for a bird feeder look for a strong metal. I prefer stainless steel as it is easy to clean and extremely durable, but for your neck of the woods, this may not be preferable. Stainless steel can still deform due to specific weather conditions, so you need to keep that in mind since your bird feeder will be outside.
That is unless this is for an aviary. Which if it is first off, lucky you second off, you probably won’t need a squirrel defense system to even worry about. The next thing you need to consider is how it looks in your yard. I have a very specific aesthetic, one that can be described as Halloween on Overdrive.
Everything I own matches this aesthetic. From cups that look like skulls to a bed that looks straight out of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. In this way, it took me a while to find a bird feeder I could customize to match this aesthetic, but once I did I was more than pleased to see the birds feasting upon my grotesque piece of art.
Expert Tip: Don’t get a bird feeder if you don’t like how it looks, you will be seeing it all the time.
Another thing you should consider is a spill. There will, inevitably, be a bit of spill as the birds eat the seed. So try to find a feeder that won’t spill all that much. If you’re as cost-savvy as I am, you’ll want to save pennies on the dime.
So make sure your bird feeder is perfect for things like that so you can minimize your refill as best as possible. The last thing you want is for 50% of your seed to wind up on the ground anyways. If that was going to happen, you were best off just getting a $15 shepherd’s hook-style bird feeder instead of one of these fancy ones.
What if I find a bird feeder that I really like the look of but it doesn’t come with any squirrel proofing?
Why you can squirrel proof it yourself? Many companies sell just the bafflers, but there are also many home remedies for how to prevent squirrels from getting in. You have to remember bird feeders have been around for quite a long time, and pests have always been a concern.
So I promise it won’t be hard for you to figure it out. There are articles upon articles talking about this one topic, after all, all you need to do is look.
Now that we have all of that squared away, allow us to finally decide, based on my own personal opinion, what the best feeder is, I personally really like the Old Faithful Birdfeeder Pole and Hook. The versatility of this bird feeder blows me away in every sense of the word.
Between its absolutely gorgeous style and its ability to be used for a multitude of uses, overall I just genuinely enjoy it. However, it seems that many more enjoy it just the same. Often this bird feeder sells out so don’t get discouraged.
If it ever does sell out on our good friend Amazon, and you can’t find it anywhere else, then I have a second-best for you.
The Kettle Moraine Bird Feeder Pole Set is my second choice. For me personally, it isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as Old Faithful, but that’s just because I enjoy complex designs and the more extravagant things (as I said earlier, skull cups). In this way, the Kettle Moraine is a bit too mundane for me, but maybe for you, it’s a perfect fit.
They both repel squirrels just as well, and if Old Faithful is out of stock, well Kettle Moraine will do you justice, I promise! The two bird feeders are very close in my mind, so maybe they will be close in your mind too, or at least. I hope they are.
In third place is the Birds Choice 3 Arm Pole Bird Feeder. Third place for its three arms. No, that’s not actually the reason why it’s in third place. If it were then I’d be a pretty bad person to ask. The real reason why this bird feeder is in third place is simply because of the fact that it doesn’t have the aesthetic versatility of Kettle Moraine and Old Faithful.
So while it’s not an awful showing, none of these are really, it just isn’t one that I would personally choose to put in my backyard.
In fourth place is HF Green Absolute Two Sided Feeder With Windows. What I like about this feeder is that it’s capable of preventing as many spills and its squirrel protection mechanisms are twofold. However, the problem I have, once again, is that it’s not as attractive as the other feeders.
JCs Wildlife Flv Thru Bird Feeder is in fourth place for the same reason just it doesn’t have as complex of a prevention measure, and that just puts it off for me. What I’m trying to say is that really all of these bird feeders work just as well to keep the squirrels at bay, you just need to decide which one looks the best for you.
And if you find a bird feeder you really like that’s not on this list, go for it! Nobody is stopping you. It’s your yard, make it how you want it.
Overall there are many bird feeders you can pick, and I wish you the best of luck picking your perfect one. Thank you so much for reading. See you next time!
