It's a Bird's Life

[SquirrelChaser]

My wife and I enjoy feeding birds and have several birdfeeders in our yard. We also put food out for the squirrels hoping to distract them from the bird feeders. Unfortunately, the squirrels eat their food and empty the bird feeders as well. I am trying to design a device that can be attached to our existing feeders and will deliver a mild shock to any squirrel that gets on the feeder and completes the circuit. While I'm a novice at electronics, it seems to me that the device must use a capacitor in order to deliver enough power, yet be small and light weight. My plan is too use the circuit board from a disposable camera, but I have a few questions.

1. Is the capacitor design the most practical?
2. Is there a way to avoid the constant drain on the battery caused by the propensity of the capacitor to lose charge between activated discharges, since the battery would need an open circuit to recharge the the capacitor?
3. Is the capacitor in a disposable camera too large for this use?

Thanks for your help. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

 

[TrevorP]

1. In my guess yes it would ensure that the shock would end quickly.
3. Yes. Yes it is. I got shocked by one once...it's one mother of a shock. Gave a guy from school a burn on his hand.

I just want to say that this plan is somewhat inhumane. If you want to stop squirrels from climbing the feeders do what they do on palm trees. Thin metal wrapped somewhere about half way up. Then just put a little bit of grease on the metal.

Why a quick shock might do it most squirrels probably don't have an AMAZING memory therefor you might end up shocking the same squirrel more than once. And how do you make sure NOT to shock the birds?

 

[justDIY]

a flash capacitor has enough juice to stop a humans heart ... one guess what it can do for a squirrel?

this is by far my favorite squirrel retaliation device... haven't built my own though

**broken link removed**

 

[Optikon]

My wife and I enjoy feeding birds and have several birdfeeders in our yard. We also put food out for the squirrels hoping to distract them from the bird feeders. Unfortunately, the squirrels eat their food and empty the bird feeders as well. I am trying to design a device that can be attached to our existing feeders and will deliver a mild shock to any squirrel that gets on the feeder and completes the circuit. While I'm a novice at electronics, it seems to me that the device must use a capacitor in order to deliver enough power, yet be small and light weight. My plan is too use the circuit board from a disposable camera, but I have a few questions.

1. Is the capacitor design the most practical?
2. Is there a way to avoid the constant drain on the battery caused by the propensity of the capacitor to lose charge between activated discharges, since the battery would need an open circuit to recharge the the capacitor?
3. Is the capacitor in a disposable camera too large for this use?

Thanks for your help. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

This age old problem has been solved a number of ways that are low cost and humane. Don't fool around with dangerous shocking circuits.

 

[Stellarcore]

Here is an interesting alternative for you that I saw on TV once.
Design a device that is triggered by the weight of a squirrel (I'd guess some kind of switch with a tensioned spring). The birdfeeder hangs from the switch on the device, which hangs from the tree or post. When triggered, the device starts a motor that begins to spin the entire feeder quite quickly (maybe 2-5 revs/s) causing the squirrels to get thrown off (or voluntarily jump off). Its may be tricky though to calibrate it finely enough so that its triggered by a squirrel, but not a flock of birds.

I guess step 1 would be to catch a squirrel and weigh it. he he he

 

[kchriste]

You can buy squirrel proof bird feeders. I have one; it is a long plastic tube with multiple feeding holes. Around the tube is a wire cage with bird perches and solid sections just above each feeding hole in the plastic tube. The wire cage is suspended by springs that will stretch under the weight of a squirrel and cover the feeding holes. The springs have enough tension that birds don't lower the cage.

this is by far my favorite squirrel retaliation device... haven't built my own though

That's pretty funny!

 

[ericgibbs]

hi,
I know its an old thread, but I saw this article regarding squirrels and bird tables.

I'm going to give it a try.

 

[audioguru]

HEE, HEE.
I like the squirrel catapult.
Yesterday I saw an ordinary squirrel jump from a fence and fly pretty far to a tree trunk.
Maybe it has practised from the catapult.

 

[Optikon]

hi,
I know its an old thread, but I saw this article regarding squirrels and bird tables.

I'm going to give it a try.

Chili poweder is much more humane, I like it.

Audioguru: Catapult? How immature. There is an old adage:

"You can judge a man by his treatment of animals."

 

[HarveyH42]

I doubt anything is truly 'squirrel-proof', they are very persistent and patient.

 

[audioguru]

Squirrels steal food from big dogs.

 

[HarveyH42]

Squirrels steal food from big dogs.

That's one of my pictures too! My lab buries the biscuits out in the yard, the squirrel dig them up almost immediately after the dog goes back into the house. I see them on the security camera, and go take pictures if I can find them.

 

[monkeybiter]

I like the chilli powder idea, but I think I'd need two or three squirrels for a platefull.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

I like the chilli powder idea, but I think I'd need two or three squirrels for a platefull.

If you watched the recent TV programme "Britains Best Dish", one of the main course was 'squirrel pie'

 

[monkeybiter]

the main course was 'squirrel pie'

mmmm...Tufty

 

[dknguyen]

How will a squirrel complete the circuit any differently than a bird will? Either way, sounds needlessly complicated, hazardous, and perhaps not so humane.

 

[audioguru]

Have you noticed that a squirrel waits until a car is coming then tries to cross the road? Is it because a squirrel is overly religious and thinks, "God will save me"?
SPLAT!

 

[HarveyH42]

Personally, I like the squirrels. Unless somebody is putting food out for them (my dog), they collect the acorns from the oak trees. Once those things sprout and take root, they are a real pain to get rid of.