How to Squirrel-Proof a Bird Feeder Plus More Great Reader Tips

Recently, I had the occasion to shop for a bird feeder for a dear friend. I learned quickly that squirrels are nuts about bird feeders and can outsmart just about any design or effort to keep them out of the birds’ food. For me, that begs the question:

Why aren’t there “squirrel feeders” so squirrels can have their own filling stations and stop tormenting the birds? I’m sure if there’s an answer to that, I’ll be hearing from my readers very soon.

In the meantime, enjoy today’s first tip from EC reader Marge, who discovered a cheap, albeit effective, way to deal with thieving squirrels in her yard.

Squirrel-proof

After watching squirrels hanging upside down on my bird feeders—sometimes one on each side of the roof—I finally found the solution: a jar of Vaseline. I put on a rubber glove and then smeared the pole from top to bottom with the Vaseline. In no time at all, I watched as one squirrel tried to climb the pole, but jumped off because it was too slippery. So far none have been able to overcome Vaseline while I am enjoying many different birds at the feeder. Marge

Catch mice like magic

I have another use for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. I bought a new one and stored it under my kitchen sink. The next day I reached for it and something had been eating it. Pieces of white torn up sponge were around. A mouse, I thought. So I got out some handy mouse traps.

As I was about to use peanut butter for bait, I suddenly thought, “If he likes the Mr. Clean Dry Erase Sponge so much…” So I cut off a piece and used it to bait the trap (so much less messy than sticky peanut butter). This morning there he was in the trap, having gone for it. Who would have imagined? Sharon

Ornament storage container

I reuse the plastic fresh apple containers from Costco to store my Christmas ornaments. The clear plastic containers stack nicely and are rigid enough to protect delicate ornaments. Plus I can easily see what’s inside each container. Marianne

Slick closet rod

Use a piece of waxed paper to run across your clothes rods. This will make the hangers slide more easily when searching through your clothes. I do it every six months and don’t feel I have to “work out” just to slide the hangers when viewing my clothes. If the rod in your closet has a sagging point don’t do this until you fix that, since all the hangers will slide to the lowest point. I learned this tip when working in a bridal shop since the gowns were so heavy to push along the rod. The wax paper trick made them slide like butter. Lea

The teriyaki stretch

I’m a single mom of three kids. They love to eat out and they love teriyaki but at almost $8 per person it really adds up. More annoying are the leftovers that never seem to get eaten. So now I just order two meals, requesting extra meat which only runs about $1-2 for each meal. Then I add some fruit or extra vegetables to make the meals stretch farther. The kids are happy and my so is my budget. Tobi

Furniture switcheroo

I counsel young folks moving into an apartment to outfit its insides with patio/outdoor furniture. When they buy a house, they can move the old furniture outside and purchase new inside stuff. Judy

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