Squirrels can hog all the seed at your bird feeders if you don’t take preventive steps. Here’s some tips to keep the furry bandits away and the seed reserved for your feathered guests.

1. Place bird feeders at least 12 feet or more from any surface the squirrel can jump from, such as a tree, shrub, or house.

2. If pole mounted, put your feeder at least 5 feet off the ground and place a baffle, such as our Stokes Select Wrap-Around Squirrel Baffle on the pole below the feeder.

3. If hung from a tree, make sure your feeder is 10 feet from the trunk, 5 feet off the ground and there is a large dome baffle above the feeder.

4. Use a squirrel-proof feeder in any situation where a squirrel could reach the feeder. Our Stokes Select Squirrel Proof Feeder has a cage surrounding a tube feeder that prevents a squirrel from reaching the bird seed. Small birds such as chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, cardinals and finches can fit through the openings in the cage and feed in peace.

5. Squirrels will entertain you and leave the feeders alone if you give them their own diversions placed away from bird feeders. Fill our Stokes Select Squirrel Lunch Box with Stokes Select Critter Snack food and watch them learn to lift the lid for their lunch break! Our Stokes Select Corn Cob Feeder and Tractor Cob Feeder hold ears of corn for squirrels to nibble.