[Tweeters] Repelling rats and squirrels

[LMarkoff via Tweeters]

Hello Carolyn,

 

I don’t know what you mean by “round baffle”, but if you have never used a can baffle, you might try one.  I’ve used can baffles for more than 30 years, on both metal poles and 4X4 wooden posts, and have never had a squirrel, rat, or raccoon get past them.  I’ve seen them climb the metal poles, get stopped by the baffle, then disappointed, they slide down the pole like a fireman in an old-time silent movie.  You have to make sure to place your set up out in the open, away from anything above or below that those clever rodents could use to launch from though. 

 

You can buy can baffles, but you can also make them.  I have made can baffles for 4X4 posts several times, using a piece of duct pipe and a duct pipe reducer.  I used sheet metal screws to join the duct pipe and reducer together, resulting in a baffle.  Then I slid it over the post and secured it to the post by driving longer screws through the top of the reducer, into the post.  Then I stuffed the gaps between the top of the reducer and the post with coarse steel wool to block them.  Rodents won’t chew through coarse steel wool.  

 

Here’s a video of my set up, when I lived in Oregon.  https://www.flickr.com/gp/canyoneagle/yf489y

 

Duct pipe and reducers come in several sizes.  Here’s an example, as well as the coarse steel wool: 

 

https://www.lowes.com/pd/IMPERIAL-8-in-x-24-in-Galvanized-Steel-Round-Duct-Pipe/50257193

https://www.lowes.com/pd/IMPERIAL-8-in-dia-x-6-in-dia-Duct-Reducer/1000230237

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Homax-3-25-in-x-4-in-Coarse-Steel-Wool/3878799

 

If you would rather buy a can baffle for a 4X4 post instead of making one, here is one source:

 

https://wildbirdhabitatstore.com/product/erva-4x4-post-squirrel-baffle/

 

I have lived with Eastern Gray Squirrels in Virginia, Fox and Rock Squirrels in Texas, and Western Gray Squirrels and Fox Squirrels in both Oregon and California.  So far, none of them have made it past a can baffle.  

 

I guess I am in the minority because I also feed squirrels.  I use can baffles on the bird feeders, but also have several feeders that allow the squirrels access.  Perhaps by feeding the squirrels they aren’t desperate enough to try to get to the bird feeders?  I don’t know, but I like squirrels and enjoy watching them, they are really neat critters.

 

One last thought, you could try stuffing your existing baffle with steel wool, where it attaches to the post.

 

Hope some of this info is helpful to you, best wishes, 

 

Lori Markoff

Citrus Heights, CA

 

From: Tweeters <tweeters-bounces at mailman11.u.washington.edu> On Behalf Of Carolyn Heberlein via Tweeters
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2024 4:50 PM
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu; tweeters-request at mailman11.u.washington.edu
Subject: [Tweeters] Repelling rats and squirrels

 

My squirrel baffles do not prevent rats from crawling up the post to my tray bird feeder.

They slide up under the attachment to the post. Round baffle and square post. I just stopped putting seeds in it for a while.

 

 

Carolyn Finder Heberlein / Nana, Fremont Neighborhood, Seattle, Washington

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