The Slinky Hack That'll Send Squirrels Running From Your Bird Feeder

Birds spend their lives actively hunting for food, including the seeds of matured sunflowers and berries that grow on bushes. That said, there's nothing more inviting to a bird than a feeder full of seeds and nuts. That is unless squirrels have gotten there first and raided it until it was empty. Like birds, squirrels spend a lot of time searching for food and eat much of the same things that their feathered companions do. Squirrels' diets mainly consist of nuts, berries, seeds, and insects, most of which make up the main ingredients in bird feed, so it's no surprise that they're attracted to bird feeders. Fortunately, there is a foolproof, do-it-yourself hack that will ensure that these uninvited visitors stay far away, allowing your bird guests to stick around and enjoy a free meal. Simply string a Slinky through the bird feeder's post to create a barrier that deters squirrels from climbing up it and reaching the food.

While birds can fly to an elevated feeder, squirrels rely on scaling up a post or pole to reach it. A Slinky covering the post blocks the squirrel from being able to grab onto the post itself. Instead, if they attempt to climb the Slinky, the squirrel's weight and gravity will send it back down to the ground.

There are many different kinds of bird feeders, and it's crucial that the one you are working with is freestanding on a post. Because of its design, this hack will not work for feeders that are attached to fences or the side of your home. To initiate this hack, you'll need a Slinky and a pair of zip ties, two items that you may already have somewhere in your home. If you don't have them at your disposal, both are relatively cheap and easy to find in stores. You can go to the toy section of any store and purchase a Slinky, we recommend the metal Original Slinky Walking Spring Toy, for less than $5. A bag of zip ties is also less than $5 at Home Depot and you'll have most of the pack left over for future projects. 

When you have all of the required items, simply wrap the Slinky around the bird feeder post, and secure one of the ends of it at the top of the post with zip ties. Now, instead of simply scaling the post and reaching the feeder, squirrels will instead weigh down the slinky and return to the grass below. With this hack in place, you'll spend a lot less time chasing off squirrels and a lot more time enjoying the presence of different birds stopping by for a quick snack.