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If you have a bird feeder, you know how it feels to learn that a raccoon has taken away all the seeds meant for the birds. Raccoons can be a great problem for your backyard bird feeders as they are easily attracted to food sources. There are many ways to keep these mammals from entering your backyard.
However, the best way is to get a raccoon proof bird feeder to save your birds’ seeds. In this article, we talk about everything you should know about raccoon-resistant bird feeders. We also try to learn how to make DIY racoon proof bird feeders.
Raccoon Proof Bird Feeders – A Complete Guide
Racoon proof bird feeders are designed in a special way to keep raccoons away from the bird seeds. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit different requirements. Some of the best feeders available in the market are effective at deterring unwanted wildlife including raccoons and come at reasonable prices.
Dome Feeders
An excellent choice for raccoon-resistant bird feeders, this brand offers feeders with plastic domes on the top to prevent any animal from accessing the seeds.
Caged Feeders
Available from multiple brands, this type of feeders resemble birdcage and make sure no creature bigger than a bird can get inside to the seeds. These feeders make it really easy to refill as the feeder plops in and out without any hassle.
Window Feeders
Working like PVC conduit, window feeders would get the raccoon slip down and miss the seeds. These bird feeders are designed in such a way that a small animal that can fly can only get to the seeds. They come in attractive designs.
Brome Squirrel Busters
This brand offers a lot of models effective against animals larger than a bird. It is a weight-sensitive feeder that closes the doors when it senses a bigger animal thereby keeping the racoons away from seeds.
How To Build A Raccoon Proof Bird Feeder?
There are many ways to make your bird feeder raccoon proof. The most common method is to install a baffle on the pole. This would stop these climbers from getting to the food by climbing the pole of the feeder. You can get a baffle that suits the shape and size of your feeder pole to make the feeder raccoon-resistant.
Another way to build a bird feeder that keeps raccoons away is by wrapping a metal around the feeder pole. While raccoons are expert tree climbers, they can’t climb up a smooth metal. If you have a pole or tree they are climbing, you can consider wrapping it in some metal sheet.
An effective way to keep raccoons away is to build bird feeders that they can’t use. Some of the best styles of raccoon proof bird feeders are:
Weight-Sensitive Feeders
Though a raccoon’s weight varies, it is somewhere between 10-30 pounds. On the other hand, the average size of birds coming to the feeder is just a few ounces.
You can make feeders that are sensitive to weight, they have perches which close when too much weight is put on them. This would make sure all the birds can feed peacefully but raccoons don’t get access to food.
Caged Bird Feeders
This type of feeders works on a simple idea. A metal cage is wrapped around the bird feeder so that only small birds can get into it. Caged bird feeders would not allow a raccoon to get access to food no matter how hard it tries.
Raccoon Baffle For Bird Feeder – What You Should Know?
A raccoon baffle stops raccoons and squirrels from climbing to the feeder. It is a small tube or plate wrapped around a bird feeder pole to keep raccoons from getting to the seeds. The baffle should be able to withstand repeated attempts to enter the feeder. This means it has to be made up of a durable material like metal to last long.
When choosing a raccoon baffle for bird feeder, it should be noted that the lowest part of the feeder is higher than the top of the baffle. If this condition is fulfilled, it works with reliability to keep the raccoons away. If your baffle is not metallic, animals can chew it into pieces.
There are different two main types of baffles available in the market – torpedo and wrap around. Torpedo baffles are like unbroken cylinders which can be mounted by sliding onto a straight pole. On the other hand, a wrap around baffle wraps around the pole of the bird feeder and can be installed easily when the feeder is in place.
The most important consideration for raccoon baffles is that the bottom should be higher than a few inches otherwise raccoons can jump and catch its edge and pull themselves. The ground around the bird feeder should be levelled with no overhanging objects within 20 feet radius.
DIY Raccoon Proof Bird Feeder
It is easy to make a raccoon-resistant bird feeder by installing a bird baffle or locking it down. You can also use some conventional methods like using motion-light, talk radio or spices around the bird feeder to scare raccoons. You can get a raccoon proof bird feeder in budget by making your own safe and effective baffle at home. The materials required are easy to find and there is no much effort involved.
You can use a galvanized pipe that makes it difficult for the raccoons to get in. Draw some triangles along the circumference of the pipe such that their tips are at the top. Next, cut the pipe to reduce its size so that it fits the feeder. Use the snips to cut out the triangles to get a crown shape at the end of the pipe. Once it is cut, you can drill holes to threat the wire through.
With the use of a sharpie, draw a straight line in the middle through the triangles to make sure the baffle hangs evenly. Then, drill holes through the center of all the smaller triangles formed. Then, you can wrap the baffle around the feeder and close the tabs. You end up getting a cone shape after which you can thread a picture wire through the holes. Next, hook the baffle up to the feeder by wrapping the wire. You get a great DIY raccoon proof bird feeder that prevents other animals as well from getting into the bird seeds.
