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Squirrels and chipmunks are regulars at many backyard birdfeeders. Their antics may be cute, but they scare away birds, can consume huge quantities of expensive bird seed, and will often make off with entire seed balls or suet cakes. These furry rodents are smart, too. Given time, they will eventually gain access to virtually any desired target. The trick is to keep them guessing!
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Sharen in Elyria, OH, found a way to keep squirrels out of suet:
The squirrels got so they were pretty predictable and came around the same time each day. Even putting my dogs out to chase them off failed. They just waited and returned, especially to the suet.
I don't know exactly where, but I had read that squirrels do not like the hot pepper suet. So, I bought one and put it out. The first few times, the squirrels were angry. How did I know? They were knocking over one particular plant that sat on the deck. This happened repeatedly to the same plant, so I knew it was a reaction to the hot pepper suet.
Now, when I am home, I put out the regular suet because I have found that the majority of the birds prefer this over the other. Then, when I'm not home, I will replace it with the one the squirrels don't like. This way, we are able to continue feeding the birds, yet keep the pesky little guys away.
Last updated: 7/19/19
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