I'm working on another design!! I will be using stainless steel rods horizontally instead of the circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
Great design; highly practical; Excellent construction presentation -- good camera views; good lighting, good angles; good editing and pacing; No extraneous chatter -- VERY WELL DONE! Thank you!
Quit being so mean to squirrels ,they need to eat too,how would you like people to prevent birds eating and make squirrels feeders, animals are all God's creations ,you need to be kind to all God's creations.
Your design also keeps the seeds from falling down to the ground, therefore not attracting rats (which has prevented me from having a bird feeder). My wife may also approve the design from the aesthetic viewpoint. Thanks so much! LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Yes, my bird feeders attract rats also. So I hang them in the back yard away from the house. You are just going to attract rodents and other nefarious creatures if you feed birds. It is just the way it is. Every creature wants to eat -- it is what nature is. I do not worry about it. I have never had rats get in the house. They get in the garage (mine is detached from the house by 20 - 30 feet distance). I fixed that problem by putting the cat in the garage at night. She loves it! And she has left the 'prey' at the side door to show me she is doing her job. After 'hunting' all night, she is a lot calmer when I bring her into the house during the day. We used to have a problem with her being destructive. She just needed an outlet -- now she has one and I don't see near as many signs of rats now. People forget that even domestic animals have natural instincts and they are their happiest when they can indulge in those instincts.
COMPLETED AND IT REALLY WORKS!!! I did some additional "engineering" so I could hang mine on our porch. It has been fun watching the squirrels try to get to the bird food with no luck. But...... Ugh, Ugh, Ugh......After all my work, I went out to the feeder this morning just to find that almost all the bird seed was gone with a lot of it on the ground. Knowing that it was impossible for a squirrel to do it, and highly unlikely for a bird to get that much seed out, I looked at a movement on the ground to see the answer, a chipmunk. I give up. I've decided just to go ahead and feed the little guy. Besides, he's cute. (Now that I feed him in the morning, he leaves the feeder alone.) This was a fun project. I'm on to my next one, a squirrel proof Cardinal feeder. Thanks Chris
I'm working on another design. I will be using possibly stainless steel rods horizontally instead of the circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
@@amw1118 here's an idea. Use the seat belt material to form a couple of triangles that the glass feeder can fit inside, making sure to "glue" it to the glass. Then, you could just hang the triangles with the feeder inside from a branch or hooks screwed in to the eaves of your house
I absolutely love this design. I originally found this video several years ago and followed your instruction on building one for myself. I’m happy to say that’s it’s been in use for 3 years now and it’s held up extremely well over our New England winters. My bluebirds absolutely love using it although I had to help a couple of them out because they didn’t seem to remember how they entered the feeder. The squirrels don’t even bother with this feeder any longer.
That's great! My feeder is still going strong. Been up for over 6 years now. I have another squirrel proof feeder planned to hopefully build this spring using sheet stainless steel. Stay tuned.
I'm working on another design. I will be using stainless steel rods horizontally instead of copper circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
Absolutely love this design! It not only keeps the squirrels out, but also the wind and rain... and all the seeds they drop to the ground while rummaging through it.
That is The most beautiful and functional bird feeder I've ever seen! I love the design and you could watch the birds get their food. It probably is somewhat weatherproof as well, unless the rain is going horizontal that is.. But wow, really, what a beautiful bird feeder! I'm really glad I did subscribe "back then" =D
My only complaint is the Glass bottom, but I can see why he used it. Easy to silicone. But glass is generally bad as platform in colder climates. Since I doubt that glass is an expensive kind *shrug* But that is just my opinion. Not like it effects the performance of it. Looks elegant, for sure.
@@LincolnSP150 and squirrels can chew through it very easily! Their teeth are REALLY strong and they seem to spend all their energy chewing through anything to get the food inside! Since their unorthodox introduction to the UK many years ago, the American Grey Squirrel is considered VERMIN. They are a blight on the landscape due to their prolific numbers but mostly due to them decimating our beloved Red Squirrel population! They strip bark from trees and steal any (and all) food available... unless it's protected by something like @chrisnotap's design! They're not a protected species here - if injured, they are humanly destroyed by a Vet... not killed just because of their colour or their destructive, thieving ways! They might look cute, but I hate them with a passion, in case you hadn't realised, lol, there's just too many of them in my garden!
That is a very beautiful, functional and extremely easy to clean design - all the elements I look for in a product. I’ll be saving this for some day in the future to build one. 🙏🏻🥰
Genius! Finally one that works! Awesome design. Loved near the end where squirrel gets really determined and he still loses! Wish I had one...brilliant.
Looks very nice and easy to make. Over 3k comments, I couldn't read them all. So, this may have been posted already. The only suggestion I can make is to use some sort of bumper, silicone bead, rubber, cloth, wood, etc. on the edge of the bottom glass. This would lessen the likelihood breakage of the opening panel in the event of an accidental drop.
A simple solution is to mount the feeder on a high pole. At the base of the feeder suspend a sleeve from springs that fits around the support pole. As the squirrel climbs the pole and grabs the sleeve, he'll slide back down to ground level, then the springs will retract the sleeve. Combine this with you new design and the birds could keep feeding without ever being bothered by a squirrel. Plus you get to watch squirrels ride the firepole.
Squirrel would figure that out in 2mins. What's to stop him just going over the sleeve or climbing the springs? Might as well just use a wide based feeder. They'll still jump to the thing but at least it's not needlessly complicated.
We are not far off entering Winter in Manchester, England and I want to make a squirrel proof bird feeder so this is definitely in my saved list. I bought a bird feeding station in Spring and loved watching the Blue and Great Tits, Robins, Nuthatches and Goldfinches to name but a few but my God the squirrels are little demons lol. They take the lions share and wreak havoc. They wrecked the squirrel proof hanging bird feeder so I gave up for a while but I've got a few things in mind, this is one of them. Thanks Chris, fab invention 😊
Absolutely the best as well as functional and beautiful bird feeder design I have ever seen coming from one that has gone nuts fighting squirrels. I noticed in you comment reply that 11/2" is large enough for cardinals? Could 11/2 " PVC pipe also be used? Copper is very costly here. Your design is very attractive and will look good in any environment, city as well as in the country.
Thanks so much for that!! You could use pvc pipe but there is a good chance they will just chew through it to get to the seeds. That's why I chose to use copper.
Hey yes ., thank you, 'never gave that a thought. You just convinced me. BTW did you mention in your earlier replies that the 11/2' is large enough for Cardinals ?
Yes, I have had cardinals go in it. It took them weeks before they ventured in ( 8 weeks). They seem to not be able to figure out how to go in a hole probably because they are open nesters.
Thanks for your reply, about 8 weeks huh. Wow, yes i realize they are open nesters , well I'll give it try anyway and keep up with some of the feeders I am using now, however the squirrels and doves are driving me batty, even the 'hotpepper' is not keeping the squirrels at bay, but I saw that squirrel catcher and that one seems to make a lot of sense, and have it on my 'to build ' list. That leaves the doves to content with. Anyway thanks for listening.
I'm working on another design. I will be using possibly stainless steel rods horizontally instead of the circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
Boy... wow... that squirrel was really wanting to get what it could see and really trying to do so !!!! Glad the design foiled it !!!! And what a nice design !!!! ♥
@Anonymous I live about 15 min outside of a metropolitan area, they don't dump them all at once but yeah, theres about 30 strays that got dumped this summer
Sadly the only real option is to call hopefully a no-kill shelter, but if not available, its better for all to euthanize stray cats. The damage they do to the ecosystems they do not have any natural place in is devastating. On average they're estimated to kill 3 billion songbirds a year in the US alone. Hope you can research and find a rescue or animal control to help.
@@mrs.h2725 that’s the sad truth of it. My wife works as an animal control officer and she has to put down roughly 700 animals every year. Roughly 60% of those are cats; stray, feral, or otherwise. If people actually watched over their animals, these creatures wouldn’t have to be destroyed. If only people were more responsible.
I love the design. This also will prevent larger birds, like Jays from eating all the good seed, which is an issue I have. I do have one question for anyone using this design. What is your experience with rain. I have often had issues with rain getting into bird feeders and spoiling the seed to the point the birds won't touch it. Since this is a shelf, with no apparent drainage, if water gets into the feeder I would imagine there would be a lot of spoiled seed. Let me know. I also saw many comments as to whether assembled feeders are for sale. I did not see any responses. If the creator is not selling them, is there anyone else? I'm not trying to cause any issues just curious if people are able to obtain similar units for sale, since not everyone is a handyman.
A squirrel sized grabber would do the trick! Much easier than a squirrel sized leaf blower to blow the seeds out the other side LOL Love this design. Beautiful, functional and entertaining.
This is the most awesome bird feeder I’ve ever seen! We had a feeder when we lived in California, squirrels weren’t the biggest problem, our problem was the jays!
I enjoyed the video, then did notice it was six years old, so excited to see that you’re coming out with a new video in a day or so. By far the best squirrel proof design I’ve seen, very interested to know if you’ve had the same success against raccoons, who love to perch, and use their long arms which could easily fit through your holes. It’s always something. LMK. Thanks Chris
I would suggest adding some F21 to the mix.... its a car car wax you could apply to the glass. No real reason other than the fun of watching the grey bandit sliding off the sides. :)
Chipmunks are pretty small and most likely would be able to get through the holes. Have a trailer out near Belleville area and there are probably more chipmunks trying to get into the feeders than squirrels. Where i live though there aren't many chipmunks so it depends on area.
It's my experience that squirrels actually eat the food I put out and birds toss most of it on the ground. Also, here in the PNW, we have Douglas squirrels that are about 1/4 size. They can fit through those holes at a gallop. But that IS a lovely feeder. It even looks nice just sitting there glinting in the sun.
You haven't seen the ones where the owners electrify the feeders. The birds can eat freely without harm but the squirrels get a shocking surprise. It doesn't harm them but it let's them know they are not welcome. What if they do come back? They get more of the same!
That feeder won't prevent baby squirrels from getting to the birdseed. My design works on all squirrels large and small, and it didn't cost me anything. Not sure I can adequately describe it here, but I will try....I took a black tree nursery style plastic pot (about 1-1/2 to 2 gallon capacity), drilled a hole in the middle of the base a bit smaller than the pole so it stays in place when it is slid up the pole. I removed the stabilizer bar on the bottom of my shepherd's hook pole and slid the pot up so it hangs like a bell when the pole is upright. Any lip should be removed from the mouth of the pot so the squirrels have nothing to grab onto. The squirrel will climb the pole till it's inside the pot. When it can't see it's destination, it climbs back down the pole till it can see it again. It continues the cycle till it gets tired and gives up. If the pot has drain holes for water, they must be covered else the squirrel will chew a hole big enough to squeeze through. You could also use an old Home Depot style 5 gallon bucket or plastic mop bucket, just make sure the lip is cut off so the squirrel has nothing to grab onto when it jumps. This deterrent won't work if the squirrel can jump from a tree branch or building onto the feeder. I live in the country, it may not be pretty, but this method has been flawless for 3 years.
no way, there are plenty of flaws with this design. Most of them will be obvious with time. Also don't count out the squirrels too fast. They are learners and will eventually crack this. Usually people think there just needs to be one more improvment to the design and it'll be squirrel proof. But guess who will get the last word, the squirrels. They will destroy it and if not they'll show the path to even smarter and more destructive animals like racoons.
ha, squirrel must have been mad. Nice job. I used to have bird feeders in the back yard and the squirrels would take all of the food that was for the birds.
Lol this is so awesome, I'd build that just to watch the tormented squirrels keep falling Off it lol awesome idea you should spray some WD-40 on the outside glass so the squirrel slides off faster
That’s when you scale up the dimensions of the holes for larger birds, but then you run the risk of squirrels which is what this feeder was designed to keep out in the first place
My best method for squirrels giving a local teen a pellet gun ,they basically drove the squirrels over here to extinction,and I give them 10$ a squirrel
I'm loving it. I love on a 2nd level apartment and put seeds and Unsalted peanuts on a camping 🏕plate. I have bluebirds, wrens,Cardinals, sometimes Blue Jay's come grub. Tbere are 2 squirrels that try to get freebies. I have to sit inside and watch the birds to chase off the greedy squirrels. This is awesome thx
Chris Notap Sometimes, a great idea can't be ignored. People battle these furry little critters all the time. That alone is worthy a product that halfway works, but your Squirrel Thwarting bird feeder seems to have done the trick with flying colors. Again, that can't be ignored. Invest in yourself!
Chris Notap Sell enough to make that investment. I am thinking national sales after that. You need Kickstarter also. Get some good funding that way. Then become ultimately wealthy from the ever sought after squirrel free bird feeder. It is like the Holy Grail of feeders. Good luck, I hope you make it big. I believe this is one of those Million dollar ideas.
What a wonderful idea. Good job. Two questions: 1] What about PCV, rather than copper pipe? (Easier to work, and possibly easier to find.) 2] What about plexiglass, rather than window glass? (Aside from being easier to work/shape, I’m also thinking about safety here; for example if the feeder were to get dropped, for example during cleaning or installation.)
if you want to really piss it off, I'd suggest an oil down or some kind of spray, however the fluid would need a viscosity so it's not so runny but low enough that it doesn't provide friction for the squirrel to keep from sliding off.
Very ingenious. Unfortunately bigger birds like blue jays are screwed but it’s great to see little birds slip on in there. And more the feeder is beautiful design. You should consider selling them on Etsy. Custom order. I would definitely buy one. Nice job.
I'm working on another design. I will be using possibly stainless steel rods horizontally instead of the circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
That’s off Chris I’ve been watching your videos for an hour now and love are you design and manufacture your feeder I really appreciate its attributes, I might have a go at making one 👍
I think you can draw (or carve) a grid pattern on the glass to prevent them from crashing into it, birds' eyesight do make them harder to reconize transparent materials
He did put sticks in for them to land on. Birds are actually fairly intelligent when it comes to finding chow and they can see edible stuff from far away.
That was cool! 😎 You even got some good footage of the birds. It looked liked there was a mama feeding her babies and whatever that black and white speckled bird with a touch of red on its head was, he sure was pretty. ♥️
Look at the size of the feeder. The shipping box would have to be larger, of course. Plus, it is mostly glass which means it is fragile so it would have to be well padded. Therefore, you would be talking about a large heavy shipping container and your final costs would be astronomical. Instead, how about hiring a local crafts person to make one for you?
That is absolutely excellent, I am more than impressed! Did you see the expression on the squirrel's face? I hate squirrels, that have caused havoc with my environmental tree planting efforts killing many of my saplings. The look on his face made my day. Do not know if you have seen the excellent Mark Rober squirrel assort course thing but you should do and like wise he should see your movie. I will build one of those when I have some time. Many thanks Peter G Watts
I'm working on another design!! I will be using stainless steel rods horizontally instead of the circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
why don't you just shoot all the squirrels with airgun ?
You would just need a size smaller than the average squirrel head. It's the one part that can't compress, like cats.
Nice bird variety
Thanks Chris
Do you sell these? If so I would LOVE to buy one! Please let me know, thanks 🙂
Great design; highly practical; Excellent construction presentation -- good camera views; good lighting, good angles; good editing and pacing; No extraneous chatter -- VERY WELL DONE! Thank you!
That is great feed back! Thanks for that.
Very well said. I completely agree and enjoy all of @chrisnotap's presentations.
And no annoying music. Thanks mate,enjoyed watching.
Quit being so mean to squirrels ,they need to eat too,how would you like people to prevent birds eating and make squirrels feeders, animals are all God's creations ,you need to be kind to all God's creations.
@@aliciavasquez7281 are you serious or sarcastic? Lol..
Your design also keeps the seeds from falling down to the ground, therefore not attracting rats (which has prevented me from having a bird feeder). My wife may also approve the design from the aesthetic viewpoint. Thanks so much! LOVE LOVE LOVE!
Yes, my bird feeders attract rats also. So I hang them in the back yard away from the house. You are just going to attract rodents and other nefarious creatures if you feed birds. It is just the way it is. Every creature wants to eat -- it is what nature is. I do not worry about it. I have never had rats get in the house. They get in the garage (mine is detached from the house by 20 - 30 feet distance). I fixed that problem by putting the cat in the garage at night. She loves it! And she has left the 'prey' at the side door to show me she is doing her job. After 'hunting' all night, she is a lot calmer when I bring her into the house during the day. We used to have a problem with her being destructive. She just needed an outlet -- now she has one and I don't see near as many signs of rats now. People forget that even domestic animals have natural instincts and they are their happiest when they can indulge in those instincts.
What about bird poop. Seems an unhygienic design, to say the least.
Yes, my platform feeder always has those birdie t*rds in them, ugh.
Congrats on an aesthetically beautiful & highly successful design.
Your one of the few people who could outsmart a squirrel, I've seen plenty on you tube that failed to thwart squirrels.
COMPLETED AND IT REALLY WORKS!!! I did some additional "engineering" so I could hang mine on our porch. It has been fun watching the squirrels try to get to the bird food with no luck.
But...... Ugh, Ugh, Ugh......After all my work, I went out to the feeder this morning just to find that almost all the bird seed was gone with a lot of it on the ground. Knowing that it was impossible for a squirrel to do it, and highly unlikely for a bird to get that much seed out, I looked at a movement on the ground to see the answer, a chipmunk. I give up. I've decided just to go ahead and feed the little guy. Besides, he's cute. (Now that I feed him in the morning, he leaves the feeder alone.)
This was a fun project. I'm on to my next one, a squirrel proof Cardinal feeder.
Thanks Chris
I'm working on another design. I will be using possibly stainless steel rods horizontally instead of the circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
Just mix some cayenne pepper in with the birdseed. The chipmunks will leave it alone but the birds won't notice.
Would love to know how you tweaked the feeder to hang it...thanks!
@@stevensevek6151 Exactly. Cayenne pepper or white pepper. Birds don't have taste buds so they don't care !!
@@amw1118 here's an idea. Use the seat belt material to form a couple of triangles that the glass feeder can fit inside, making sure to "glue" it to the glass. Then, you could just hang the triangles with the feeder inside from a branch or hooks screwed in to the eaves of your house
I absolutely love this design. I originally found this video several years ago and followed your instruction on building one for myself. I’m happy to say that’s it’s been in use for 3 years now and it’s held up extremely well over our New England winters. My bluebirds absolutely love using it although I had to help a couple of them out because they didn’t seem to remember how they entered the feeder. The squirrels don’t even bother with this feeder any longer.
That's great! My feeder is still going strong. Been up for over 6 years now. I have another squirrel proof feeder planned to hopefully build this spring using sheet stainless steel. Stay tuned.
@@chrisnotap I'll be looking for a design that will let larger birds in like crows and cardinals but not the squirrels.
Thank you for reporting in on your homemade one's resistance to New England winters, it's so helpful to know it'll last in these conditions.
Squirrel comes back the next day with a hammer and a grin.
Most likely a rock and a high platform...
Throw and shatter
I'm working on another design. I will be using stainless steel rods horizontally instead of copper circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
More like a hammer and a rocket launcher...lol
How come you used glass instead of plexiglass?
@@TheRoyce55 forces squirrel to bring hammer instead of blowtorch which is more portable..lol
Are you a professional squirrel frustrator ?
+VEC7ORlt No. Just tried to figure out how to stop them from emptying the bird feeder of seeds.
smart
yeah fucking squirrel
They even scare my birds everytime i put the cage in my garden
Chris Notap my squirrels empty my feeder in one day...
VEC7ORlt Lol!
Absolutely love this design! It not only keeps the squirrels out, but also the wind and rain... and all the seeds they drop to the ground while rummaging through it.
I see this was the end result of the squirrel in a jar lol
I love how the birds seem to feel safe and relaxed inside! Great job!
If squirrels could talk, we would have heard cuss words like we've never heard before. LMAO 😹😹😹😹
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
🤣🤣
That is The most beautiful and functional bird feeder I've ever seen! I love the design and you could watch the birds get their food. It probably is somewhat weatherproof as well, unless the rain is going horizontal that is.. But wow, really, what a beautiful bird feeder!
I'm really glad I did subscribe "back then" =D
My only complaint is the Glass bottom, but I can see why he used it. Easy to silicone. But glass is generally bad as platform in colder climates. Since I doubt that glass is an expensive kind *shrug* But that is just my opinion. Not like it effects the performance of it. Looks elegant, for sure.
PVC pipe easier to work with and much lighter.
@@LincolnSP150 the squirrels will just gnaw through PVC.
@@LincolnSP150 and squirrels can chew through it very easily! Their teeth are REALLY strong and they seem to spend all their energy chewing through anything to get the food inside! Since their unorthodox introduction to the UK many years ago, the American Grey Squirrel is considered VERMIN. They are a blight on the landscape due to their prolific numbers but mostly due to them decimating our beloved Red Squirrel population! They strip bark from trees and steal any (and all) food available... unless it's protected by something like @chrisnotap's design! They're not a protected species here - if injured, they are humanly destroyed by a Vet... not killed just because of their colour or their destructive, thieving ways! They might look cute, but I hate them with a passion, in case you hadn't realised, lol, there's just too many of them in my garden!
That has to be one of the most satisfying things to watch ever.
That is a very beautiful, functional and extremely easy to clean design - all the elements I look for in a product. I’ll be saving this for some day in the future to build one. 🙏🏻🥰
This is the FIRST fully squirrel proof bird feeder I’ve EVER seen, kudos to you 🙏
This is awesome and pretty you can see everything. I love that the birds can go right in and eat unbothered! Love it ❤
Genius! Finally one that works! Awesome design. Loved near the end where squirrel gets really determined and he still loses! Wish I had one...brilliant.
I have a 2nd new design coming this month! Stay tuned and subscribe!
Now you have to make a birdproof squirrle feeder 😂
This is a nice analytical solution. Multiple issues solved in a sleek design, and the finished product is very attractive. Well done Chris! :D
Glad you like it!
It’s not just working it’s also pretty looking. That squirrel is crazy trying! I love these creative/useful ideas, congrats!
You should set this video to a longer version to help with anxiety and meditation! Awesome vid! ❤️👍 I could watch this all day!!
Looks very nice and easy to make. Over 3k comments, I couldn't read them all. So, this may have been posted already. The only suggestion I can make is to use some sort of bumper, silicone bead, rubber, cloth, wood, etc. on the edge of the bottom glass. This would lessen the likelihood breakage of the opening panel in the event of an accidental drop.
Great tip.... yes!!
3:40 beautiful Northern Flicker, by far my favorite little birds.
A simple solution is to mount the feeder on a high pole. At the base of the feeder suspend a sleeve from springs that fits around the support pole.
As the squirrel climbs the pole and grabs the sleeve, he'll slide back down to ground level, then the springs will retract the sleeve.
Combine this with you new design and the birds could keep feeding without ever being bothered by a squirrel.
Plus you get to watch squirrels ride the firepole.
Squirrel would figure that out in 2mins. What's to stop him just going over the sleeve or climbing the springs? Might as well just use a wide based feeder. They'll still jump to the thing but at least it's not needlessly complicated.
We are not far off entering Winter in Manchester, England and I want to make a squirrel proof bird feeder so this is definitely in my saved list. I bought a bird feeding station in Spring and loved watching the Blue and Great Tits, Robins, Nuthatches and Goldfinches to name but a few but my God the squirrels are little demons lol. They take the lions share and wreak havoc. They wrecked the squirrel proof hanging bird feeder so I gave up for a while but I've got a few things in mind, this is one of them. Thanks Chris, fab invention 😊
Absolutely the best as well as functional and beautiful bird feeder design I have ever seen
coming from one that has gone nuts fighting squirrels. I noticed in you comment reply that 11/2" is large enough for cardinals? Could 11/2 " PVC pipe also be used? Copper is very costly here. Your design is very attractive and will look good in any environment, city as well as in the country.
Thanks so much for that!! You could use pvc pipe but there is a good chance they will just chew through it to get to the seeds. That's why I chose to use copper.
Hey yes ., thank you, 'never gave that a thought. You just convinced me. BTW did you mention in your earlier replies that the 11/2' is large enough for Cardinals ?
Yes, I have had cardinals go in it. It took them weeks before they ventured in ( 8 weeks). They seem to not be able to figure out how to go in a hole probably because they are open nesters.
Thanks for your reply, about 8 weeks huh. Wow, yes i realize they are open nesters , well I'll give it try anyway and keep up with some of the feeders I am using now, however the squirrels and doves are driving me batty, even the 'hotpepper' is not keeping the squirrels at bay, but I saw that squirrel catcher and that one seems to make a lot of sense, and have it on my 'to build ' list. That leaves the doves to content with. Anyway thanks for listening.
Guess Mark Roper didn’t see this one when he made his squirrel obstacle course version.
I'm working on another design. I will be using possibly stainless steel rods horizontally instead of the circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
Its Rober 🙃
Roper’s attempt was pretty lame for him. He should have watched Daylight Robbery before designing it.
@@sailorman2617 To be fair his was obviously for entertainment.
but the obstacle course was fun and fantastic Gus is awesome.
Boy... wow... that squirrel was really wanting to
get what it could see and really trying to do so !!!!
Glad the design foiled it !!!!
And what a nice design !!!! ♥
You should patent and sell these
I already have. I stole the idea.
Now I'm turning over one million per month in sales plus overtime
I'd buy one
I’d buy one
where?
I've sold 152 of these at $45.00 each since March 3rd , I have 10 made at anyone time. I sell locally I'm surprised how well they sell.
I think this would help cut down on the cats attacking the birds as well. Since the birds feed out of reach.
Imagine how much bird shit fills up over time tho
@Anonymous I dont know where you live but people DUMP cats out here and I cant house 30+ cats on or in my place.
@Anonymous I live about 15 min outside of a metropolitan area, they don't dump them all at once but yeah, theres about 30 strays that got dumped this summer
Sadly the only real option is to call hopefully a no-kill shelter, but if not available, its better for all to euthanize stray cats. The damage they do to the ecosystems they do not have any natural place in is devastating. On average they're estimated to kill 3 billion songbirds a year in the US alone. Hope you can research and find a rescue or animal control to help.
@@mrs.h2725 that’s the sad truth of it. My wife works as an animal control officer and she has to put down roughly 700 animals every year. Roughly 60% of those are cats; stray, feral, or otherwise. If people actually watched over their animals, these creatures wouldn’t have to be destroyed. If only people were more responsible.
What a neat way to catch birds, the holes are exactly the right size. Birds fit through, eat too much, can’t get out. Brilliant!
I love the design. This also will prevent larger birds, like Jays from eating all the good seed, which is an issue I have. I do have one question for anyone using this design. What is your experience with rain. I have often had issues with rain getting into bird feeders and spoiling the seed to the point the birds won't touch it. Since this is a shelf, with no apparent drainage, if water gets into the feeder I would imagine there would be a lot of spoiled seed. Let me know.
I also saw many comments as to whether assembled feeders are for sale. I did not see any responses. If the creator is not selling them, is there anyone else? I'm not trying to cause any issues just curious if people are able to obtain similar units for sale, since not everyone is a handyman.
I am not selling them at this time but if I decide to I will contact you. Thanks!
@@chrisnotap Awesome. Thank you
@@chrisnotap yes, me too! I would be very interested in purchasing one!!!!
Next we see a bunch of ACME boxes being delivered in care of “the squirrel “
"BEEP-BEEP!!"
so funny! now when I look at a squirrel I'm going to see Wile E Coyote
A squirrel sized grabber would do the trick! Much easier than a squirrel sized leaf blower to blow the seeds out the other side LOL Love this design. Beautiful, functional and entertaining.
This is the most awesome bird feeder I’ve ever seen! We had a feeder when we lived in California, squirrels weren’t the biggest problem, our problem was the jays!
Fantastic birdhouse, I'm amazed! It's so cool to see the birds having fun :)
I don't think that birds live in this.
Cotronixco -- In my language the word for bird feeder and bird house are the same :P My bad...
This is brilliant, when the first little bird got the courage to go through the ring the rest followed.🙂🇮🇪
Double plus good, best I've seen, looks best too. This will also keep out large, marauding birds. Thank you!
I am ready to update very soon a new design with the same concept! Stay tuned and subscribe!
I enjoyed the video, then did notice it was six years old, so excited to see that you’re coming out with a new video in a day or so. By far the best squirrel proof design I’ve seen, very interested to know if you’ve had the same success against raccoons, who love to perch, and use their long arms which could easily fit through your holes. It’s always something. LMK. Thanks Chris
This is SO satisfying. Finally, a UA-camr has overcome the squirrels!
I'm working on another one. I just finished getting data on the squirrels.......ua-cam.com/video/dmPb_wTVPqY/v-deo.html
Squirrels need love too
@@MrSammcauley somewhere else.
I just put 6 inch stainless steel pipe on the bird feeder pole. It is not as pretty but is certainly effective!
What's wrong with squirrels? They have a right to exist. You want to torture them?
I am amazed at the seatbelt used as a hing.
"hinge"
Hi CHRIS, No matter how many times that I watch this, it's GREAT! Have the squirrels given up? Or are they still trying to figure a way in?
They still attempt to get in and it is into it's 5th season.
The squirrel makes a deal with a young bluebird and they split the profits.
What profits? Bluebird can get all the seeds he wants...no profit for him in giving half of it to the squirrel.
What will the bird get in return?
@@09kaustubh gets to live
@@09kaustubh squirrels tend to steal bird eggs or kill birds (albeit rarely)
Clever design. I am wondering if it keeps younger,smaller squirrels out though.
Well,where I live,young red squirrels are quite small.
I would suggest adding some F21 to the mix.... its a car car wax you could apply to the glass. No real reason other than the fun of watching the grey bandit sliding off the sides. :)
We don't have chipmunks. I don't know if a chipmunk would be able to climb the steel pole. Maybe other commenters came read and answer this for us.
Chipmunks are pretty small and most likely would be able to get through the holes. Have a trailer out near Belleville area and there are probably more chipmunks trying to get into the feeders than squirrels. Where i live though there aren't many chipmunks so it depends on area.
Z
That is awesome. Thought it was plexi at first. Then I saw you cut the glass. Really kool idea and great craftsmanship.
It's my experience that squirrels actually eat the food I put out and birds toss most of it on the ground. Also, here in the PNW, we have Douglas squirrels that are about 1/4 size. They can fit through those holes at a gallop. But that IS a lovely feeder. It even looks nice just sitting there glinting in the sun.
Well done! Never thought I'd see the day a squirrel proof feeder that actually worked!
You haven't seen the ones where the owners electrify the feeders. The birds can eat freely without harm but the squirrels get a shocking surprise. It doesn't harm them but it let's them know they are not welcome. What if they do come back? They get more of the same!
That feeder won't prevent baby squirrels from getting to the birdseed. My design works on all squirrels large and small, and it didn't cost me anything.
Not sure I can adequately describe it here, but I will try....I took a black tree nursery style plastic pot (about 1-1/2 to 2 gallon capacity), drilled a hole in the middle of the base a bit smaller than the pole so it stays in place when it is slid up the pole. I removed the stabilizer bar on the bottom of my shepherd's hook pole and slid the pot up so it hangs like a bell when the pole is upright. Any lip should be removed from the mouth of the pot so the squirrels have nothing to grab onto. The squirrel will climb the pole till it's inside the pot. When it can't see it's destination, it climbs back down the pole till it can see it again. It continues the cycle till it gets tired and gives up. If the pot has drain holes for water, they must be covered else the squirrel will chew a hole big enough to squeeze through. You could also use an old Home Depot style 5 gallon bucket or plastic mop bucket, just make sure the lip is cut off so the squirrel has nothing to grab onto when it jumps. This deterrent won't work if the squirrel can jump from a tree branch or building onto the feeder. I live in the country, it may not be pretty, but this method has been flawless for 3 years.
Wow what a wonderful inversion may God bless you & give more such ideas 😍.
Definitely the best squirrel proof bird feeder you can make
At first I was like man how is that going to work then that huge squirrel showed up, lol I thought they were smaller..
Very satisfying seeing your constructions methods, I love when intelligence shines. Great job!!!!
I like the way you make sure theres no sharp edges to ensure their safety.
@Russian Bot watsa matta no one touch your wee wee
AMAZING! Hope that the guy has patented this deal and made a fortune!
I am thinking about selling them.
no way, there are plenty of flaws with this design. Most of them will be obvious with time. Also don't count out the squirrels too fast. They are learners and will eventually crack this. Usually people think there just needs to be one more improvment to the design and it'll be squirrel proof. But guess who will get the last word, the squirrels. They will destroy it and if not they'll show the path to even smarter and more destructive animals like racoons.
@@chrisnotap Have you made a decision on making and selling these? Please let me know if and when you do.
Very creative…I’m impressed! Takes a smart guy to out-smart a hungry squirrel!
Thank you! Cheers!
I love the way he spins on the branch out of sheer frustration.
Absolutely brilliant!
I could sit & watch your feeder all day long. Thank you!
Am I seeing correctly? It looks like the cardinals and larger birds are excluded.
Cardinals do go in it. It takes them a while to figure it out. I guess being open nesters, they aren't used to going in a hole.
@@chrisnotap i see that like chipmunks, red squirrels could still possibly get in
Being that its in the backyard and not in a school where "somebody's feelings could get hurt"🙄, not everybody gets a trophy!
1:05 What do you do with the rest of the car once you’ve used the seatbelt for this project? 😛
This 'auto' be the best comment here! What a gas!!! LOL. 'kay, I'll show myself out 😂👍🏼😋
😂
@@bobcaygeon6799 you ought to car’ful. You’ll drive us to distraction with such puns, or at very least ‘tyre’ us all out.
@@bakedutah8411 😂🚗
Actuelly a good solution.
Also keeps pigions out, you can still see the birds.
Nice!
ha, squirrel must have been mad. Nice job. I used to have bird feeders in the back yard and the squirrels would take all of the food that was for the birds.
yes, they don't stop eating. They will eat all seeds available.
You could tell he was pissed. XD All that tail-flicking.
acet7 I
acet7 - Squirrel Frustrater In Chief!
Have you all seen the Squirrel-a-pult? Google it. Hilarous.
Wow what a cool bird feeder it doubles as a weird art piece too!
This video popped up on my list again and still say - No food today Mr. Squirrel. That is a pretty clever Bird Feeder. Thanks for the video.
This is such a good idea. I do not understand why anyone would hit the thumbs down?? Thanks for sharing 😊
Thanks for watching!
Really attractive , you must be an engineer. I think you out smarted the squirrels, they just don't understand. Lol GREAT JOB....
I really like the copper rings, and the see-through part of the design.
I kept waiting for the squirrel to come back with a rock in its hand!
Lol this is so awesome, I'd build that just to watch the tormented squirrels keep falling Off it lol awesome idea you should spray some WD-40 on the outside glass so the squirrel slides off faster
No then they lick their feet and how would you like to eat wD40?
Clever design but does restrict the size of the birds that can or would feed. Very good, nevertheless.
Bigger birds can use their beaks.
I hate when they like the comment but don't answer
@@GoogleAccount-kp9dt even if it is to say something pointless like that
That’s when you scale up the dimensions of the holes for larger birds, but then you run the risk of squirrels which is what this feeder was designed to keep out in the first place
My best method for squirrels giving a local teen a pellet gun ,they basically drove the squirrels over here to extinction,and I give them 10$ a squirrel
I'm loving it. I love on a 2nd level apartment and put seeds and Unsalted peanuts on a camping 🏕plate. I have bluebirds, wrens,Cardinals, sometimes Blue Jay's come grub. Tbere are 2 squirrels that try to get freebies. I have to sit inside and watch the birds to chase off the greedy squirrels. This is awesome thx
Birds: Finally a human who understands our pain and can help us piss off the squirrels 🤷🏽♂️
A bird feeder like that needs marketing.
Other have said the same.
Chris Notap Sometimes, a great idea can't be ignored. People battle these furry little critters all the time. That alone is worthy a product that halfway works, but your Squirrel Thwarting bird feeder seems to have done the trick with flying colors. Again, that can't be ignored. Invest in yourself!
Thanks for that. I'm considering selling them.
Chris Notap Sell enough to make that investment. I am thinking national sales after that. You need Kickstarter also. Get some good funding that way. Then become ultimately wealthy from the ever sought after squirrel free bird feeder. It is like the Holy Grail of feeders.
Good luck, I hope you make it big. I believe this is one of those Million dollar ideas.
DO IT
Lol. So clever. Thanks for the laughter. This feeder would be beneficial to also keep the starlings and jays at bay. ☺️😊
Hey, really nice work man. That is a wonderful looking and functional invention. Thanks for the cool video.
Brilliant and you can watch the birds feeding through the glass.
This is flippen fantastic. Take a bow. Nicely done.
Squirrel hires a raccoon to figure it out.
I appreciate every aspect of this video.
What a wonderful idea. Good job.
Two questions:
1] What about PCV, rather than copper pipe? (Easier to work, and possibly easier to find.)
2] What about plexiglass, rather than window glass? (Aside from being easier to work/shape, I’m also thinking about safety here; for example if the feeder were to get dropped, for example during cleaning or installation.)
PVC is soft and they will chew right through it. Plexi is harder but they will chew it too.
Chris Notap : OK, good to know. Thanks.
That squirrel was really pissed off...!!!
if you want to really piss it off, I'd suggest an oil down or some kind of spray, however the fluid would need a viscosity so it's not so runny but low enough that it doesn't provide friction for the squirrel to keep from sliding off.
Did anyone else hear a high pitched squirrel voice continually cussing? LOL
@@Icarus_and_Me Melbourne as in Victoria or Florida?
I like birds, but as a rock climber I was mesmerized by the agility of the rodent!
Fantastic,lovely watching small birds eat with no fear
Maybe squirrel proof but the Chipmunks can still get in LOL🤣
Correct. They are much smaller.
@@chrisnotap Maybe some kind of baffle to prevent the chipmunks from climbing up?
I used to see Chipmunks all the time when I was a kid. Now I don't think I've seen on in years.
Squirrel: “I’VE BEEN BAMBOOZLED”
🤣🤣😂😂🤗
Very ingenious. Unfortunately bigger birds like blue jays are screwed but it’s great to see little birds slip on in there. And more the feeder is beautiful design. You should consider selling them on Etsy. Custom order. I would definitely buy one. Nice job.
That's the best feeder I have seen to prevent squirrels!
You may be the smartest human on the planet... I don't talk to the rest of us without handing us crayons... Really Cool :-)
beautiful balance of style and substance! Bravo!!
Glad you like it!
There's no stopping squirrels. Haha. They'll figure it out.
We are now into our 5th season and they still haven't gone near the clip.
I'm working on another design. I will be using possibly stainless steel rods horizontally instead of the circles. First I need to determine the perfect distance apart that the rods need to be so a squirrel cannot enter and will still allow the birds to get in which will be another video in itself!! Should be very entertaining! If you want, you can Subscribe Here: ( and don't forget to click the Bell to Get Notified! ) ua-cam.com/users/chrisnotap
@@chrisnotap
I'm surprised they have chewed through the soft copper.
Very clever! Humans: 1 Birds:1 Squirrels: 0 (and no moving parts to boot!:) Cheers
Chipmunks will win in the end
That’s off Chris I’ve been watching your videos for an hour now and love are you design and manufacture your feeder I really appreciate its attributes, I might have a go at making one 👍
Glad you like them!
Won't a bird crash into that glass?
No. It's on an angle. If they do they deflect off.
I think you can draw (or carve) a grid pattern on the glass to prevent them from crashing into it, birds' eyesight do make them harder to reconize transparent materials
Chris Notap yea except birds fly at all angles not just parallel with the ground.
He did put sticks in for them to land on. Birds are actually fairly intelligent when it comes to finding chow and they can see edible stuff from far away.
Chris Notap, you could add ultra violet paint on the glass, the birds will see it but we cant and wont obstruct our view.
Man that is awesome, you can just see him doing the mathematical calculating! ;D
That was cool! 😎 You even got some good footage of the birds. It looked liked there was a mama feeding her babies and whatever that black and white speckled bird with a touch of red on its head was, he sure was pretty. ♥️
Super, can I get one already made?. No way I can do that and I really, really want one. Thanks
Sell a complete one on EBay, I’d buy one but I don’t have the time to make it myself. But nice idea.
Look at the size of the feeder. The shipping box would have to be larger, of course. Plus, it is mostly glass which means it is fragile so it would have to be well padded. Therefore, you would be talking about a large heavy shipping container and your final costs would be astronomical. Instead, how about hiring a local crafts person to make one for you?
Great design. Did you use the same silicon to stick the bottom glass to the wooden base?
Yes.
@@chrisnotap cheers Chris. Keep up the good work. 👍
Squirrel be like: what wrong have I done to you that you are feeding the birds but not me. Why are we still here just to suffer😭😭😭.😁😁
Almost felt bad for the squirrel! Poor thing!
Great design, Chris!
That is absolutely excellent, I am more than impressed! Did you see the expression on the squirrel's face? I hate squirrels, that have caused havoc with my environmental tree planting efforts killing many of my saplings. The look on his face made my day. Do not know if you have seen the excellent Mark Rober squirrel assort course thing but you should do and like wise he should see your movie. I will build one of those when I have some time. Many thanks
Peter G Watts
Squirrel : " I shall return "