Expert advice How to stop squirrels dining out

Experts offer tips on how to prevent squirrels from stealing food meant for the birds, to HANNAH STEPHENSON

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A squirrel on a bird feeder. Pictures: Alamy/PA

(Alamy/PA)

T'S a huge frustration when bird-lovers have filled up their feeders, only to see grey squirrels snaffling all the seeds and fatballs with ease.

Over the years, people have tried many tactics to outwit these agile visitors, such as applying cooking oil or petroleum jelly to poles and over baffles (the guards which look like upside-down bowls secured to poles) in the hope that the squirrels will slide off before they get to the bird food.

There are more than 2.5 million squirrels in the UK, according to government figures. So what else can we do to deter them?

There are loads on the market, many of which house the food within cages which are too small for squirrels and larger birds like magpies and pigeons to access.

Some are better than others, so make sure you buy one with a tight lid, because squirrels have been known to gain access to the food by prising off the lid with their teeth and claws and literally climbing inside the tubular feeder inside.

There are also weighted feeders, which close when anything heavy like a squirrel lands on them, but again, make sure that it's not possible for the squirrel to access the feeder without actually resting on it.

If there are nearby branches or bushy shrubs on which the squirrel can perch, lean over or dangle from to get to the food in a weighted feeder, you may have to reposition it.