Start With Position, Not the Feeder

Most squirrel problems are really positioning problems. A grey squirrel can leap roughly two metres across a gap and clear about a metre and a half upwards from a standing start, and it will happily drop from a branch above onto a feeder you thought was out of reach. Before you spend a penny on new kit, look at your garden the way a squirrel would.

As a rule of thumb, hang feeders at least two metres from anything a squirrel can launch from: fence panels, tree branches, shed roofs, walls, rotary washing lines, bin lids. If a branch overhangs the feeder, it is not safe — they will simply drop onto it from directly above. Aim for a clear air gap of about two metres all round and a height of 1.8 metres or more above the ground.

Poles, Baffles and the Launch Pad Rule

The most reliable setup for most gardens is a smooth metal pole with a cone baffle fitted roughly a metre up, wide enough to stop a squirrel reaching around it. Look for a baffle at least 45cm across; narrower ones are simply a challenge. If you want to hang feeders from a wire, run it between two fixed points well away from any structure and fit baffles on both ends, or the squirrel will tightrope along the wire.

Resist the temptation to grease a pole. It does not work for long, it collects grit and dirt, and it can damage birds' feathers. The same goes for smearing chilli or vaseline on feeders — messy, short-lived and unkind to the very visitors you want.

Finally, tidy your own launch pads. Wheelie bins, compost heaps, log stores and shed roofs are all convenient stepping stones. Move what you can, and keep the area beneath the feeder clear of clutter.

Pick a Genuinely Squirrel-Proof Design

• Weight-activated feeders. These close their ports when something heavy lands on them. A grey squirrel weighs around 500g; most small garden birds are between 15g and 40g, so the trigger can be set to shut out the squirrel without troubling a blue tit.
• Caged or guard feeders. An outer mesh cage with gaps of about four to five centimetres lets tits, finches and sparrows through but keeps squirrels out — and slows rats considerably. They also deter larger birds such as pigeons.
• Metal, not plastic. Squirrels will chew straight through plastic ports and mesh in a single sitting. Powder-coated steel lasts.
• Avoid open trays and flat bird tables. They offer no obstacle at all and broadcast seed onto the ground below, which brings us neatly to rats.

Rats: The Real Problem Is What Falls Below

Rats are seldom interested in shinning up a baffled pole. They are interested in the debris beneath it. Deal with the ground and you deal with the rats.

• Switch to a no-mess mix — sunflower hearts, nyjer, suet pellets — that leaves little husk and scatter behind.
• Fit a seed catcher tray under hanging feeders to catch what spills.
• Brush up under the feeder each evening. It takes two minutes and makes an enormous difference.
• Do not leave food out overnight. Rats are largely nocturnal. Bring feeders in, or empty them into a sealed container before dusk.
• Avoid bread, kitchen scraps, loose peanuts and mixed corn scattered on the ground.
• Store seed in a metal bin with a tight lid, not a sack in the shed.
• Cut back long grass, clear timber piles, and make sure compost bins are properly secured.

If you do get a persistent rat, the kindest and most effective step is to stop feeding entirely for a fortnight. Without a reliable supply, it will move on. If it stays, it is worth asking your local pest control service for advice.

Cleanliness, Water and a Simple Weekly Routine

Damp, clumped and mouldy food attracts rodents and spreads disease among birds. Wash feeders every one to two weeks in hot soapy water, rinse thoroughly and let them dry completely before refilling. Move the feeding station a metre or so every few weeks so droppings and husks do not build up in one spot.

Offer water in a bird bath kept well away from the feeders, and refresh it often. Crowded, soggy ground under a feeder is exactly the environment you are trying to avoid.

If the Squirrels Still Won't Budge

Be patient and combine defences: a baffled pole plus a caged feeder plus two metres of clear space will defeat almost every grey squirrel. Trapping and relocating is not an option in the UK, as releasing a grey squirrel is an offence, so exclusion is the way forward.

Remember that not every bird uses a hanging feeder. Robins, dunnocks and blackbirds are ground feeders, and they deserve a share. A small tray of food put out in the morning and cleared away by afternoon gives them their turn without ringing the dinner bell for rats. Get that rhythm right — food out, food gone, ground swept — and your garden will stay busy with birds and uninteresting to everything else.