After spending a lot of time and money trying to keep the squirrels from ravaging my bird feeders, I finally gave in and got them their own feeder! After looking at many different squirrel feeders I selected the Squirrel Diner, mainly because it was made of metal rather than wood (I didn't think a wooden feeder would really hold up under rain & snow, nor keep the feed from getting soggy & gross).
The feeder is solid, heavier than I thought it would be, and some of its design features give it advantages over the wooden models. First, the lid protects the feed from rain and snow while still being easy for the squirrels to lift. I filled the feeder with a mix of unsalted peanuts and a seed/dried fruit/nut mix I found. It took the squirrels some time to figure out how to access the food. The feeder has no perch for them to sit on, so they have to figure out how to hang on to the vertical slats and push their heads up under the lid. Once they do this, they can hold on to the edge of the container and dip their heads in for a mouthful. Not all of them have figured this out yet and it's fun to watch them try! I like that they can't actually perch on the feeder and stuff themselves on the food...it would be empty in a day if they could. They have to work a bit for it, get a mouthful, and then go sit on a branch to eat it. One very small black squirrel realized he could climb completely inside the feeder to pick out what he wanted! Since they can't perch, don't hang the feeder too high because they sometimes fall off!
While they're learning, the squirrels have tried chewing on the vertical slats to no avail and this is another advantage of the metal feeder. They really can't damage it like they can a wooden version. Best of all, the squirrels are spending less time trying to defeat my bird feeders!
All in all, a good, solid feeder.
UPDATE, JUNE 2009: Well, the feeder is still holding up! However, one determined squirrel managed to chew apart the thin, plastic sheets in the front of the feeder that prevent the food from spilling out. Although he managed to bend the vertical metal slats a bit, he did not break them. There are metal tabs inside the feeder that hold the sheets of plastic in place, so I decided to replace the clear plastic with thin sheets of aluminum (found these at the hardware store in the aisle with the dryer venting parts). I cut these to the same size as the plastic sheets and just used the metal tabs to hold them in place. With this the feeder is up and running again, except the squirrels will not be able to chew through the aluminum plates.
UPDATE, NOV 2013: It's been five years since I purchased this feeder and I'm pleasantly surprised to say that my squirrels are still happily pigging out on dried corn and nuts, and are leaving my bird feeders to the birds. I still find the squirrels entertaining. Having watched them for a while now, I've come to the conclusion that black squirrels are inexplicably smarter than gray squirrels! The black squirrels learn quickly to lift the lid and enjoy the smorgasbord, while the gray ones never seem to figure it out and spend all their time poking and chewing on the metal slats for very little reward. I'm sure there's a squirrel expert out there who could explain this rodent mystery! Even after five years of very determined gnawing, clawing and poking the feeder remains intact. I have to replace the aluminum plates about once a year but it's an inexpensive and easy fix. This is one incredibly durable feeder and was definitely worth every penny.
Update June 2020: Well, folks, it finally bit the dust. Not the squirrel feeder, but the tree it was attached to! Oak rot made its way throughout my yard, and over the last five years it killed six of my trees one by one, finally killing my squirrels favorite hangout. The feeder was getting pretty dilapidated, so I finally invested in a new one. Any feeder that can outlast a tree is aces in my book so, naturally, I'm sticking with the Squirrel Diner. I'd be nuts not to!
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This Item  Heritage Farms Woodlink Squirrel Diner Feeder Model 75590 |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $27.23 | $69.99 | $20.99 | $23.98 | $27.99 | $23.98 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sturdiness | ||||||
| Easy to assemble | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | galaxy marketplace | Gtongoko | VASGOR | YHLWLL | MIXUMON |
| material | steel | Metal | Alloy Steel | Wood | Wood | Pine, Acrylic, Wood |
| style | — | Sturdy | Durable | With Umbrella | Durable | Style 1 |
| mounting type | Deck Mount | — | Hanging Mount | — | Window Mount | — |
Reviews with images
So entertaining
I absolutely love this squirrel feeder. I purchased this as I have a problem with the Jay's stealing all the squirrel food, and when that feeder would empty the squirrels would go after my bird feeders. So I decided to give this one a try. Needless to say I love it! It does the job, and it also provides quite the level of entertainment watching it. It took the squirrels at least 2 weeks or so to figure it out, and now they fight over who's going to sit in it. Now if only I could figure out a way to keep the trash pandas from empty it, it would be golden. I still give it 5 stars though.
