Tips on Squirrel-Proofing with Pole Squirrel Baffles

I’ve had great success in squirrel-proofing my bird feeders by using pole squirrel baffles. A baffle is simply a block that the squirrel cannot get around.

There are two basic types of squirrel baffles: one that blocks from above (usually dome-shaped) and one that blocks from below and mounts on a pole (usually shaped like a lampshade or cylinder). Which one to use depends on your squirrel.

The most important thing in being successful with a squirrel baffle is to watch how the squirrels get onto your feeders. If the squirrel climbs down the wire of a hanging feeder, you need a dome baffle. If, on the other hand, the squirrel climbs up the pole holding a platform feeder, you need a lampshade or cylinder baffle. If you don’t know, you’ll end up getting the wrong baffle, and you’ll be disappointed at the results.

For squirrels that climb your pole, use a pole squirrel baffle like one of the following.

Lampshade Squirrel Baffle

We have platform bird feeders on poles, and we’ve used the lampshade squirrel baffle with great results. We’ve watched the squirrels start to climb up the poles, get to the lampshade baffle, and be, well, baffled! They try climb around it, but can’t. It works great! And you can get one fairly cheaply. Duncraft makes an fairly inexpensive lampshade squirrel baffle.

Cylindar Squirrel Baffle

We’ve also used a cylinder baffle with great results. The squirrel cannot climb around it. We did have one squirrel that was able to bypass it once, though. We knew because the lid of our feeder was off, but the squirrel was not able to recreate it. And we have a yard full of squirrels!

With the cylinder squirrel baffle, however, you have to remove to feeder to install it. But since it has a smaller radius than the lampshade squirrel baffle, it is less prone to, ah, droppings (which wash off in the rain, so no big deal either way). Both Duncraft and The Bird Shed make a version of the cylinder squirrel baffle.