The 2 Best SQUIRREL-PROOF Bird Feeder Poles! (2023)
Do you need a way to keep squirrels out of your feeders?
Maybe you’ve spent time and money finding bird feeders that claim to keep squirrels out, but these tenacious little mammals have found a way into each one. Or, you might have a collection of feeders you love already, but they aren’t squirrel-proof.
Either way, your bird feeder pole could be the answer you’ve been looking for!
If you have squirrels, and most of us do, you know just how smart, athletic, and daring they can be. Squirrels will do almost anything to reach the easy meals located in your feeders. That’s why it’s so important to find a squirrel-proof feeder pole that can stand up to these persistent mammals!
The 2 BEST Squirrel-Proof Bird Feeder Poles:
#1: Squirrel Stopper Pole and Baffle Set
Compare Prices of the Squirrel Stopper Pole!
- JCS Wildlife *Use code BWHQ to receive 10% off!*
- Amazon
The Squirrel Stopper is very popular and consistently gets excellent reviews from its users. It is one of the ONLY bird feeding poles currently available that is built specifically to STOP squirrels straight from the factory. In full disclosure, I personally own (and love) this squirrel-proof bird feeder pole!
Here are the best features of this bird feeder pole:
- To accomplish the almost impossible feat of stopping squirrels, a spring-loaded baffle is attached directly to the pole. The baffle has incredible flexibility and can move up, down, and side to side. I’ve never seen squirrels get past the baffle, nor have heard of it happening to anyone else!
- The pole can hold up to 8 bird feeders (or hanging plants) from the metal arms. The Squirrel Stopper can handle just about any bird feeder, except for ones that are incredibly heavy. I would not put any hopper-style bird feeders on the Squirrel Stopper, due to their weight.
- The installation of this bird feeder pole is relatively simple. It took about half an hour from opening the box to having the Squirrel Stopper installed and in the ground. The instructions in the box are not great, but luckily building this pole is not rocket science. Thankfully, no tools are required; everything you need comes in the box. View a PDF of the instructions here!
- Screwing the pole into the ground is surprisingly easy. An auger attaches to the bottom of the pole, and then you use one of the cross tubes to screw it down into the ground. It took less than a minute to get the pole almost two feet underground! But if your ground is dry and hard, it will definitely be more difficult. 🙂
- It will look great in you yard! The Squirrel Stopper pole gives you a legitimate bird feeding station. Just a warning, it is taller than it looks in pictures. The horizontal crossbars are about 7 feet (2.1 m) from the ground.
- The construction of the Squirrel Stopper is sturdy. The pole is 16 gauge steel and includes a black powder coat finish. The vertical pole has a diameter of 2 inches (5 cm). The horizontal cross tubes at the top have a diameter of 1 inch (2.5 cm).
It’s hard to imagine not being satisfied with the Squirrel Stopper bird feeder pole.
It looks great, has eight hooks to provide lots of feeding options, and is easy to install.
One note of warning: if you plan to hang large hopper-style feeders, you may want something thicker than the Squirrel Stopper. It tends to lean over time if a lot of weight is placed on one side.
*Here’s a video of the Squirrel Stopper in Scott’s backyard!*
You can see a decent close-up view of the pole, along with plenty of feeders and birds!
Some people have complained that this pole rusts over time. Rust could be prevented by periodically spraying on a rust preventer like Rust-Oleum (Clear).
The Squirrel Stopper is easily one of the BEST purchases you can make for backyard bird feeding.
#2: Advanced Pole System
The Advanced Pole System is ONLY available at Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU), which is a chain of retail stores found in North America that specializes in bird feeding. The staff is always knowledgeable and helpful, and they only sell quality products. For example, you will pay more for your birdseed at WBU, but you can count on it being fresh.
As mentioned above, Scott has used the Squirrel Stopper bird feeder pole in his backyard with great success, but I use the Advanced Pole System (APS).
The options with the APS are almost endless as it’s entirely customizable, which is one reason why I love it! You can start with just a simple shepherd’s hook design, or you can mount your hopper at the top and platform feeder in the middle of the pole. From there, it’s easy to add extra arms for additional feeders, suet cages, or small dish feeders.
My current setup is a hook on each side for a tube feeder, with a tray in the middle and a suet cage above the tray. I also have a large baffle below the tray feeder to stop squirrels. Make sure to look at the pictures above, which were taken in my backyard. 🙂
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The 8 BEST Bird Feeder Poles (Sturdy, Stylish, and DIY Options)
The following video is a quick introduction to the Advanced Pole System.
Is the APS considered a squirrel-proof bird feeder pole?
The Advanced Pole System does not come with a squirrel baffle permanently mounted like the Squirrel Stopper. But it’s easy to add a baffle to prevent squirrels from climbing up. Wild Birds Unlimited offers a few options tailored specifically to this pole system, or you can look on Amazon.
Do you want more information about the APS?
- Check out the interactive brochure that Wild Birds Unlimited has on its website. It shows lots of pictures and different ways to customize the APS to your needs.
- My recommendation is to visit your local Wild Birds Unlimited store. The locations I have visited always have pleasant people working who are eager to help. You can see the different attachments and ways you could customize your bird feeder pole. That’s how I planned and customized my setup!
Do you have a squirrel-proof bird feeder pole?
Let us know how it works in the comments!
