Why You Should Hang An Empty Plastic Nursery Pot Around Your Bird Feeder

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Buying flowers, shrubs, and trees from a nursery or garden center is one option that helps make planting much easier. But like any convenience, these items come with the downside of waste in the form of plastic containers. Before you toss or recycle these items, though, you may be able to reuse them for other purposes in your yard. One way to repurpose an empty plastic nursery pot is to create a DIY baffle for your bird feeder to help keep squirrels and other pests away from the seed. This trick can work on its own or complement other squirrel-deterring methods.

Whatever your personal feelings about them, squirrels are admittedly smart rodents with exceptional memories. Once they have accessed bird feeders, chances are they will get the word out and you may find multiple squirrels stealing the food intended for your backyard songbirds. What's more, squirrels are persistent, so you will need to implement a variety of humane ways to keep critters out of your yard. This includes the use of a squirrel baffle. While you can purchase baffles at a garden center or bird supply store, you can easily make one yourself with an empty nursery pot. The idea here is to create a shield underneath the bird feeder with the dome-shaped plastic container, which is also reportedly too slippery for the squirrels to hold onto when they attempt to access feeders.

This type of makeshift squirrel baffle is just one of the creative ways you can use repurposed items to keep squirrels out of bird feeders. One caveat is that this method is only intended for bird feeders placed on poles. To get started, take an empty pot from a plant and make a hole in the center. While you can technically use any sharp tool to accomplish this, a drill offers the most safety and precision. Just be sure that you choose a drill bit with a sharper end and work through the plastic at a lower speed to avoid cracking the planter.

Then, take the bottom of the bird feeder pole and insert it into the pot. Make sure the empty pot is placed upside down — this will help create the rounded shape that can block squirrels and other critters from climbing them to access the bird feeder. Ideally, the pot should also be at least four to five feet off the ground so that squirrels cannot, in theory, jump over the baffle and to the feeder. As such, you will need to make sure the pole is tall enough to allow for this much space. You'll also want to add a hose clamp or other type of metal clamp to secure your DIY baffle in place. This is used in place of a clamp that normally comes with a store-bought baffle, and will help prevent the nursery pot from sliding down the pole.

In addition to a baffle, you should modify a bird feeder's surroundings to reduce accessibility for the squirrels. Consider removing nearby structures, such as birdbaths, that they might jump from. If they are using a more permanent structure to jump from, such as the side of your home, you may need to consider moving the feeder altogether. You may also consider buying a "squirrel-proof" feeder, such as the Metal Bird Seed Feeder with Bilateral Weight Activated Perches. While a squirrel might figure out the feeder eventually, these items may keep some of them away and complement the nursery pot baffle and other deterrents you put in place.

It's also important to keep the area as clean as possible by cleaning up any spilt bird seed by shoveling it from the ground at the end of each day. You should also consider removing feeders overnight and placing them in a garage, shed, or indoor bin. Not only will a cleaner feeding station help minimize your squirrel problem, but it is also less likely to attract other types of rodents that might visit overnight, such as mice and rats. Finally, if you happen to have an affinity for squirrels but are also aggravated by their feeding on bird seed, the reality is you cannot leave out separate food for rodents and expect them to not sneak in some bird food as well. While you might think that offering separate food may be the key to keeping squirrels out of bird feeders for good, there's a high chance this can create the opposite problem.