Gardener Shares Clever Kitchen Staple Trick To Help Keep Squirrels Off Her Bird Feeder

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Millions of people enjoy birdwatching, but spotting squirrels on your backyard feeders can be very frustrating. When you've worked hard to create a bird-friendly garden by investing in high-quality seed, you may find yourself wondering how you can keep the crafty little rodents from chewing right through plastic feeders, breaking wooden perches, and scaring off your feathered friends in search of their next meal. While clever deterrents like installing a baffle or Slinky around a feeder pole can help keep squirrels away from bird feeders, it won't make the opportunistic critters any less hungry. One clever TikTok gardener, @MrsClareHoops, recently decided to try another approach. Instead of discouraging her backyard squirrels from stopping by for a bite, she tried to lure them away from her feeders by hanging a garland made from crabapples strung on heavy-gauge wire instead.

While there's no guarantee that offering up other treats will prevent squirrels from hunting out their favorite seeds, it could very well appeal to their adventurous palette. "Squirrels are generally considered omnivorous — that is, they have a very broad diet. But the bulk of their diet consists of different plant material, such as seeds, fruits, and herbaceous vegetation," the University of Nevada's Sean Neiswenter explained in an interview with Chewy. Stringing crabapples onto a garland is an easy way to get fallen ones off your lawn before they start to rot. That's something to keep in mind if you don't want a bunch of drunken squirrels wandering around your yard — a phenomenon that happens when they have unfettered access to the overripe fermenting fruit!

If you want to try making a crabapple garland for your backyard and test out this theory for yourself, start with a collection of intact fruit. Avoid pieces that are overripe because they're likely to crumble or fall apart during the stringing process. TikTok user @MrsClareHoops tried using natural twine for her first garland, and although this offers a charming look, she ultimately swapped that out for heavy-gauge wire. By bending the wire into a slight U-shape, you'll be able to keep the crabapples separated from each other. This increased airflow may help them last a little longer.

Once you've gathered these two basic supplies, you'll need to cut or drill holes into the center of each crabapple. While you could use a rotary drill with a long bit on the end, to avoid a sticky mess you could also opt for a basic apple corer. The final step is simply running your wire through each crabapple before creating a loop on each end for hanging. Feel free to alternate crabapples with other fruits like plums or pear to add variety squirrels will like and visual interest your family can enjoy.

You can place your fruity garland along a fence, deck, or strung between a couple of trees. However, if your goal is to keep squirrels off your bird feeders, remember to select a spot that's far enough away to distract them. You should also keep in mind that providing any type of fruity snack outdoors may also attract other visitors, like mice or raccoons.