Making a do-it-yourself squirrel feeder is the perfect choice for those people who care about mischievous fluffy animals.
Observation of proteins also brings a person positive emotions. Squirrel feeders ( do it yourself ), photos of which you will find on the Internet, have a different design.
Thanks to such structures, rodents can find themselves additional food in the winter. The feeder will allow the squirrel not only not to starve, but also will become an adornment of parks and yards.
How does protein eat in vivo?
The main protein in the diet is the seeds of various trees. Squirrels find such food both in summer and in winter. Animals love to feast on the seeds of fir, Christmas tree, walnut, hazel, beech. Rodents eat acorns if there is no possibility to satisfy hunger with other food. Often, the population of these animals is directly dependent on the number of coniferous stands and their level of productivity. In years of crop failure, it is almost impossible to see squirrels in forests and gardens.
The protein diet includes not only the seeds and fruits of various plants, but also the bird's eggs, which the protein takes out from the nests devastated by it. There are times when even small chicks serve as food for the squirrel. In addition, the animal can attack another rodent, the size of which is smaller.
Proteins eat nuts, as a rule, in the winter. They become the main product used in the cold season. Animals carefully hide nuts under the bark of trees, in abandoned hollows or in moss. In the diet, the overwhelming majority are cedar nuts and hazel fruits.
Mushrooms for squirrels are of secondary importance. Animals are stocked with mushrooms, hanging them on the branches of trees. The animals also dig out icy mushrooms from under the snow. Especially squirrels love tubular species of mushrooms.
In addition to mushrooms and seeds, proteins feed on inflorescences of trees and bushes, plant roots, needles, lichens and many other types of plant foods. But such products are not the main ones for squirrels. They serve as top dressing. In years of crop failure, animals can feed on the bark and buds of trees. But with such a diet in protein, fat deposits are deposited in small quantities.
Natural habitats
In conditions of natural habitat, these rodents are found in forests and steppes. Since the second half of the last century, squirrels have moved to gardens and city parks. The animal builds its nest in a hollow or spherical nest. They are based on rough branches. From the inside, the squirrel lays its nest with soft litter from the soaked bark. In the urban area, they can occupy wooden bird houses.
Endowed by nature with a considerable share of ingenuity, the rodent will not migrate to warmer climes during the cold winter. The animal understands that people provide it with fertilizing. The difference between these rodents from others is that the animals are active in the daytime.
The life of squirrels in the city is facilitated. People constantly make squirrel feeders with their own hands and feed the animal. Therefore, it is not difficult to find food for them. The taste preferences of these animals vary. Not every squirrel decides to try cookies or cornflakes.
Squirrel Feeder with Jar
Many people wonder how to make a squirrel feeder with their own hands.
To make a squirrel feeder with your own hands at home is not particularly difficult. But still some efforts will have to be made.
A can feeder is mostly used in Western Europe. And this should not be surprising. Such a device has a great view, and it is very convenient for the animal, since it is easy to take food from it.
The design of the feeding house helps to ensure that the food goes only to the squirrels, and not to large birds that steal food from other people's feeders.
For this method of construction, you should use the most ordinary glass jar. The transparency of the container will make it possible to observe how the squirrel regales its nuts. Only a rodent can get into the bank.
To create this feeder you will need:
- a wooden board, the length of which is 180 cm;
- screws;
- glass jar;
- ruler;
- saw;
- sandpaper.
In the walls of wood on the sides, drill holes of such a size that the body of the squirrel crawled through them freely. The ideal diameter is 15 cm. A large hole is cut out in the center of the board, into which the neck of the can will enter. The design is extremely clear and simple.
It so happens that the birds nevertheless crawl into the bank for the purpose of heating. Therefore, from time to time it is necessary to clean the feeder from the feathers and bird droppings collected in it. The main thing is that such a feeder bring joy to the squirrel.
Second way
Do-it-yourself squirrel feeders can be made in a different way. It should be noted that this method is more complicated than the previous one. To make such a feeder, you will need natural materials that are very attractive to animals.
You will need the following tools:
- hammer;
- hacksaw for a wooden surface;
- drill;
- nails and screws;
- screwdriver for screws;
- wood board;
- bars and mounting shelves;
- water resistant adhesive.
Dimensional drawing of a wooden feeder
Before proceeding with the manufacture of the product should outline the project. How to make a do-it-yourself squirrel feeder? Drawings containing all the parameters of the future product provide the contractor with ease of work. There are many options.
Squirrel feeder, the drawing of which indicates the dimensions of the back wall, roof, side walls and shelves, has a greater completeness (guaranteed there will be no large gaps, gaps and other shortcomings).
The size of such a feeder is selected individually. Approximately one should take 30 cm in length and 40 cm in width. The mount for the feeding trough should be carefully thought out.
Working process
A circle with a diameter of 10 cm is cut out on the facade. This will be the entrance to the feeder.
The squirrel feeder house should not be made from materials containing toxic substances. The specific smell of the product will frighten off the animals. Care must be taken when subjecting the material to rigorous testing. Make sure that the product does not have sharp parts that could seriously injure a brisk animal.
The first stage of work is the transfer of the intended dimensions of the drawing to a wooden board (material of manufacture). You can cut the boards with maximum precision using a hacksaw.
When all parts of the future structure will be cut, you should start working on each part separately. All details are thoroughly sanded.
The next stage is fixing the facade to a small-sized shelf, which was called the “balcony”. The basis of this shelf is a bar made of wood, which resembles a step. It happens that a part of the board is attached to the beam to increase the size of the ledge. The product is fastened with nails or self-tapping screws. It all depends on the preferences of the manufacturer.
Next, a shelf is applied to the side. It should be located strictly under the entrance to the house, but taking into account that the lower structure was not blocked. Otherwise, the animal simply does not fall to the bottom of the feeder.
Plastic bottle feeder
People have learned how to use a plastic bottle for different purposes: from making original jewelry and souvenirs to building houses for four-legged friends. If you use a large plastic bottle, you can easily make a squirrel feeder.
How are squirrel feeders made from plastic bottles?
A plastic bottle is taken from 2 to 5 liters. A large hole is cut in the bottom. Food is placed at the bottom of the bottle. The bottle itself is hung from a tree in gardens or parks.
A squirrel feeder from a plastic bottle is also made from the top of the container, which has a conical shape.
The cut out funnel is attached with the screwed stopper to the plank. Feed is placed in a plastic container.
Box-based feeder
How to make a squirrel feeder quickly? The unified option is to make a feeder for the animal from an ordinary box. But if kefir bags are suitable for birds, then a larger box is suitable for squirrels.
An entrance of sufficient size is cut out on the side of the box. A rope is attached to the top wall. To this end, small holes are cut through which the rope is threaded. The feeder can be hung on a tree.
Wooden pallet
The basis of such a feeder is a wooden pallet with sides and two pieces of plywood. Pieces of plywood are fixed together by means of small nails. They are nailed to the edges of the pallet. The feeder is suspended on a tree or placed on a non-tall post.
Corncob
The corncob is very easy to use. It attracts protein with corn, which is worn on a sharp wooden peg.
The convenience of this feeder is that the birds will not be able to cope with the large grains of corn, and only proteins will get food.
What can animals offer?
For squirrels, the contents of the feeder are especially important. It is clear that feeding rodents with natural food presents a certain difficulty. Therefore, when choosing, be guided by products that are more suitable for squirrels.
In winter, animals can be offered dried fruits without sugar and any additives, as well as lard without salt. It has a lot of calories and vitamins. Dry mushrooms, oat and flaxseeds are also suitable. The rodent can also be given peeled walnuts, sunflower seeds and inshell hazelnuts. The main thing is that salt, sugar and aromatic additives are not present in the products.
Remember that the most hungry period is the beginning of spring. Squirrel stocks germinate and become unfit for human consumption. Therefore, you should not stop feeding with the retreat of cold weather.