Ready to go.......

[Walker570]

Well almost. Just need to give them a spray over with green and brown paint.

Based these on the model show on here earlier for attracting grey tree rats so they can be shot. Found out that  suitable sized plastic flower pot makes an ideal container inside for the peanuts.  I'll have these all set up next week and hopefully they will become very useful in late Jan/Feb and March.

All scrap material including the hinges from old doors and things and ally offcuts.  Wire grill on the bottom to let the water/rubbish fall through.

[mel b3]

i made four of these around three years ago , i was so full of hope that they would be fantastic squirrel attractors , but so far , not a single nut has been touched lol.

[old'un]

Do they work like this one?

 

Edited December 27, 2017 by old'un

[mel b3]

7 minutes ago, old'un said:

so how do they get at the nuts?

in theory , squirrels being what they are , they will lift the lid and take a look , this has never happened with mine though  .  ive always meant to drill a 1" hole in the front of each feeder , but never gotten around to it.

[old'un]

Hi Mel

Perhaps the squirrels in the West Midlands are a bit smarter,  put one of these out and I guarantee you will get squirrels on them.

 

[Walker570]

Can but try. I intend putting peanut butter just under the front of the lid and a few pea nuts on the landing board, although the blue tits will soon have them sorted.  Might be an idea to drill some one inch holes in the front with some heavy gauge netting stopping any entry but they would smell the aroma. Might try one like that and see the result.

That smart fancy feeder, does the landing board lift the lid in some way?  That might also be an idea.

 

Edited December 27, 2017 by Walker570

[Fisheruk]

They certainly work for me. Really never found a need to drill holes. Least number of opportunities for Squirrels to start chewing the better.

As far as Squirrels using them I am reminded of the saying my dad had when teaching me to fish. “You don’t need expensive equipment to catch fish, you just need to be where the fish are”. Think the same applies to Squirrels.

Let  us know how they work!

PS I started fishing with a garden cane, bent pin tied to a length of heavy duty linen thread and a piece of bacon rind, sitting on the end of a sewer pipe. Use to pull out eels like there was no tomorrow. 

[scotslad]

Did u make them with exterior ply??

Must admit I've only ever made them with real timber (usually 6" boards 18mm I think, so all timber at the rigt widt u just have to cut the legths), even with ext ply u might find it splitting if water gets down between the layers.

Also are ur lids made of tin? Never seen that before I dunno if that may put squirrel of being cold and shiny?? But it might not but u do often see them sitting on top of lid or scurrying/climbing over the lid. Mibee be intresting to see if the lids do make a difference (sorry to critise but not a fan of ply outside it does some to split apart easily, )

I also wouldn't bother painting them, it won't make any odds to the sqirrels unless u want them more camouflaged for urself

 

1 adaptation I've done with my feeders is to use a piece of thin rubber/conveyor belting for a hinge for the lid but have it the whole width of feeder and right onto the top edge, basically to stop water running downthe face and past the lid into the feeder and getting the peanuts/feed damp

I also made my 1st ones with a timber front as I never had any Perspex, but a clear perpex front is right handy for seeing how full they are, but mibee not so handy if ur shooing close to it.

I also bent some thin metal to 90 degrees (or use thin angle iron) so Perspex front can slide in/out for easy cleaning 

[Walker570]

The material is plastic faced chip board from some old kitchen units. A couple of coats of paint will help waterproof and as you say camo from prying eyes.  The bottom is open with just a grill to allow rubbish/rain water to go straight through. The peanuts are in a container/plastic flower pot. The lid is ally and so nice and light for the rat to lift up. All in all dirt cheap and some of the screws were second hand.  If they don't work, nothing lost.  Having seen squirrels climbing all over various types of pheasant feeders, including 50 gall drums, I don't believe bare metal bothers them much.  However appreciate your input

[scotslad]

No probs, sorry to be negative.

Mibee with the chip board if u put something over the top cut/grain to stop water getting into it (a small length of 2x1 or ever more chipboard with grain facing oppisate direction)

Aye if the peanuts are in a inside container it should solve any moisture/rotting issues.

 

I wouldn't worry about the lid weight too much esp if ur dealing with greys, I have slightly oversized lids on mine with 18mm timber and the reds can lift them up no probs.

 

The other way I've adapted mine from the normal plans is I secure a slightly bigger board to the tree (without damaging the tree, use those tree tie things with the square holes) and then screw my feeder on to that backing board, it makes it easier to take feeder down for washing/disinfecting . U just buzz it off with a battery drill rather than faff about taking whole thig of the tree

Dunno wot they advise for he greys, but if u have reds and greys its quite important to disinfect ur feeders often in case the greys contaminate it with squirrel pox and the reds then catch it.

[Mice!]

hadn't seen this, the feeders fisheruk has made with the metal lids are getting hammered at the moment, glass jar inside with the nuts in and there getting emptied every three days or so.

I would say if your not getting squirrels on your feeders then there finding other food easier elsewhere, make it easy for them to feed build up confidence then they will lift the lids.

[Fisheruk]

I moved to using metal lids to stop the Squirrels destroying the timber ones.

my earlier ones had timber lids but I had to screw Galv band to the edges to stop them being chewed.

My first metal lids were made by cutting the bottoms out of non stick fry pans which had lost their non stick.

Both reds and greys can easily lift the lids, but have never seen a bird even try.