It is fun to watch the squirrels climbing a metal pole when they try to reach its height using their feet and access the food.
Can Squirrels Climb Metal Pole? Squirrels can climb metal poles when they have to eat food from a bird feeder connected to the ground with a pole. Moreover, they can climb it when ground predators are trying to chase them or they want to go inside the home. Furthermore, you can prevent them from climbing by increasing the pole height to almost 10 to 12 feet, using a resistant feeder, or making the surface slippery using oil.
It is better to keep a separate feeding tray for garden squirrels as these efficient climbers can target the bird food by climbing a pole.
Is it possible for a squirrel to climb a metal pole?
They are efficient climbers who can jump from a good height, making them a nuisance for home. They can jump down a tree and get into the garden to consume food.
They can quickly move up and down the platform to get food when it is at a distance from the ground. They can use their sharp claws to maintain a firm grip on the pipes.
Moreover, it is easy for these furry animals to move on a pole having an appropriate length as their physical ability helps them in this task.
Why do squirrels climb a metal pole?
You can commonly see squirrels climbing a pole connected with a bird feeder. The bird feeders usually hang in the air by providing vertical or horizontal support with a metallic pipe.
Some of the metal poles are fixed in the walls, while grounded ones are commonly present, giving a height to the food tray so that only birds can perch on them.
Additionally, they can climb water pipes or power lines to access the homes. They prefer to remain in the shady areas provided by attics that are not crowded with people.
Furthermore, ground predators can be responsible for this climbing behavior as they would rush onto a suitable platform to ensure their survival.
It is not possible for ground animals like cats and dogs to chase them on poles, so it can be a suitable route to escape their attack.
How do squirrels climb a metal pole?
It is pretty easy for squirrels to climb a metal pole as they have a strong tail and sharp claws that help them maintain outstanding balance and a firm grip on the surface.
They adjust their tails to keep their bodies balanced while moving higher on the long and thin pipes; otherwise, they can fall off the ground quickly.
Moreover, they have sharp nails and claws that are usually used in digging the ground to hide the nuts and food particles.
It is not challenging for these animals to get onto the pipe and reach the food tray as they used to climb tree trunks and jump on branches of different trees.
The middle digit of their claws is longer in size that can aid in climbing a pole or tree efficiently. So, they can reach a suitable height on a metal pipe using tails and feet.
How do you prevent squirrels from climbing metal poles?
It is easy to tackle the opportunistic squirrels that can move up on a metal pole if you understand the reasons behind climbing behavior and how they reach their height.
Squirrel-resistant feeder
Some bird feeders resist squirrels as they are activated by detecting weight.
They remain open when lightweight birds sit on them but close automatically when heavier birds or animals perch on them.
Moreover, these feeding ports shut off quickly through a small motor and push them away. The resistant feeders are pretty efficient in safely deterring these animals.
Use caged feeders
It is better to use caged feeders instead of providing open food trays to the birds as it can help keep squirrels away.
It allows small birds only as the cage holes are not large enough that they can access the food so they would lose interest in the bird feeder.
This way, you can keep bully birds and garden animals away from food that has managed to get access through the pole.
You can also use a wire mesh with a large pore size to allow small birds, but avoid entering larger ones and exclude these animals.
Increase pole height
They can only reach the pole of a certain height, so you can increase their height to keep them off from it naturally.
It is better to install it away from the trees in a garden at a distance of almost 8 to 10 feet from the bushes.
Moreover, they cannot reach a pipe of height more than 4 to 5 feet if it is present on the ground. In addition, they can jump from a tree to a pipe of a height of 6 to 7 feet.
So, you can keep its height to almost 10 to 12 feet to keep these animals away, as this is beyond their ability to reach them.
Use chili peppers
Chili pepper is a good natural repellant used for spraying on the poles. Birds are not affected by the taste of peppers, but their flavor is not desirable for squirrels.
Mixing chili peppers with seeds leaves an unpleasant taste in their mouth. However, it has no prominent side effects on a bird’s health and is considered a safe method.
Moreover, keep the quantity of pepper to a minimum to avoid severe irritation in bird’s eyes while eating.
Apply oil or wrap foil
You can use a greasy material on the pole to make it slippery, which reduces friction. They cannot reach higher and slip down the covered pipe even after several attempts.
Moreover, they do not like to chew aluminum foil; they hate it to be present in their mouth as it makes them uncomfortable.
Accordingly, you can wrap it with aluminum foil to keep these furry animals and other rodents away from it.
What type of poles can squirrels not climb?
Many poles can resist the squirrels from climbing due to reduced friction and smooth texture, unlike metal ones.
Moreover, they need a rough surface to climb, which helps them maintain a strong grip over the surface using their feet.
The plastic or PVC pipes are smoother than metal ones that can be used to cover them or replace them.
Almost 3 to 5 feet wider pipe can help prevent them from climbing. Additionally, the lead and aluminum pipes have reduced roughness and are lighter in weight.
However, you can also use metal poles by connecting them to an electrical source, as you can prevent them by electrifying them.
However, it is not ideal to risk the lives of other animals and children by electrifying them. Furthermore, steel and galvanized steel pipes can also be used to replace metal pipes.
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