Protect Your Bird Feeder From Squirrels With The Help Of The 5-7-9 Rule

You might call that seed-filled object in your yard a bird feeder, but to a squirrel, it's a squirrel feeder, especially if squirrels can reach it without too much trouble. And "too much trouble" isn't even a concept to squirrels; they'll go to great lengths to get the snacks they spot dangling somewhere in your yard a la Mark Rober's backyard squirrel maze/ninja warrior series on YouTube. If you'd rather the birds enjoy the food you put out for them squirrel-free, a simple 5-7-9 rule makes it easy to figure out where to hang your bird feeders so that the squirrels don't run off with the spoils. 

The 5-7-9 rule refers to the number of feet squirrels can jump vertically, horizontally, and from above, respectively. If you keep your feeders outside of the 5-7-9 zone, squirrels are far less likely to access those snack-worthy seeds. They'll still be hungry, though, so consider this DIY method to satisfy squirrels while keeping them off your bird feeders.

A bird feeder is one of the things attracting raccoons to your yard, too, and the 5-7-9 rule will make it much more difficult for them to reach the actual feeder as well, since raccoons don't really jump vertically, and only 3 or 4 feet horizontally. They're likely to still come around for any spilled seeds, however, so clean under your feeder daily to deter them from considering your yard a dining stop.

Whatever type of bird feeder you use (with the exception of a ground-based feeder), incorporating the 5-7-9 rule will help ensure the birds are the only ones with A-list access. A squirrel has a serious vertical jump for its size, able to leap about 5 feet straight up even without a running start. This means that even if you upgrade to a shepherd's hook to hang multiple bird feeders at once, the lowest part of the lowest feeder still needs to be more than 5 feet off the ground or a squirrel could likely cling to it. Since squirrels are excellent climbers, make sure whatever you're attaching the feeder to, or hanging it from, is something they couldn't normally climb, such as the aforementioned shepherd's hook. A feeder hanging from a tree branch is practically an invitation to many climbing animals, squirrels included, as it's somewhat easy to access horizontally or from above. 

Squirrels can also clear about 7 feet horizontally, so if your feeder is within 7 feet from a porch railing, fence, or anything they can climb, it's fair game for squirrel feeding. Find a spot more than 7 feet away from objects and surfaces a squirrel may launch itself from. Also keep in mind that nearby trees, the garage or shed roof, and even utility poles are also launch zones that could propel a squirrel into the snack zone. It's easy for a squirrel to launch itself 9 feet from above and land adjacent to your bird feeders like Tom Cruise (flying squirrels, of course, can launch themselves even farther). If you have room to position a feeder beyond the 5-7-9 zone, you'll improve your chances of squirrel-free success with every foot.