The only reason squirrels would use a bird bath is if they are parched, so it’s important to provide some sort of water supply for them.
The best way to prevent squirrels from using bird baths that are only 3 feet off the ground is to give them their own own bird bath inside their natural environment. A better solution is to switch to a hanging bird bath dish, which allows you to employ the same squirrel deterrents you’d normally use on your bird feeders.
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Since all bird bath designs are open to the outdoors, it is impossible to prevent wildlife from reaching the water in a bird bath.
Given this, we need to get creative about how to keep squirrels occupied, and I have a feeling that a bird bath placed in a spot that is more conducive to squirrels than birds might be a good place to start.
To prevent squirrels from entering your yard, place a bird bath in or near their habitat.
This will hopefully prevent the squirrels from destroying your bird bath while attracting them to their own feeding area.
Keep squirrels away of your bird bath by installing deterrents or providing water for your feathered friends in another way.
For best results, place the bird bath in a secluded area among trees or on the forest’s edge, and keep a bowl of sweet water and peanuts nearby.
Similarly to how bird feeders can be protected from squirrels by being hung from a pole or tree branch, so too can a bird bath.
If you’ve ever tried to prevent squirrels from ascending a bird feeder pole, you know how difficult it can be. Now imagine trying to stop them from entering a bird bath.
Installing a squirrel baffle behind the bird bath dish is more successful than placing the baffle above the pole holding the feeder, as it prevents squirrels from jumping down onto the dish from above.
Move water into squirrel habitat
I can tell you from personal experience that if we’re talking about the kind of bird bath that sits on top of a stand, there’s no way to keep squirrels out of it.
Most wildlife can easily jump or climb up to reach this high up water source, making it impossible to keep unwanted animals away from bird baths on a stand, or the birds themselves.
Unfortunately, there is no equivalent of a squirrel baffle for a bird bath, which you would use to keep squirrels from reaching a bird feeder on a pole.
Even if there were, a squirrel baffle for a bird bath that would work with any kind of stand would be hard to come by. In contrast, universal bird feeder poles are designed to accommodate only one type of squirrel baffle.
Instead of trying to keep squirrels away from your ground bird bath, provide them with a bird bath of their own.
If the squirrels’ natural habitat is outside your property line, you can put up a replica bird bath or a new bird bath design in their preferred location.
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Alternatively, you can set up a feeding station for squirrels by placing a dish of water and sugar water next to a pile of peanuts.
Change to hanging bird bath type
Some types of bird baths are less likely to attract squirrels, but it’s still worth considering alternatives just in case.
You may recall that I mentioned how hard it is to keep squirrels out of a standard bird bath on a stand because it is only three feet or so off the ground, regardless of whether the stand is constructed of stone, metal, or plastic.
Unfortunately, there are currently no anti-squirrel gadgets that can be purchased and attached to a bird bath to deter squirrels.
The solution is to swap from a bird bath on a stand, which can be moved around as needed, to a bird bath that can only be hung.
The best method for preventing squirrels from accessing a bird feeder is to place the feeder at ground level or lower, below a squirrel baffle.
Who’s to say we can’t put a bird bath just below a squirrel baffle, or any other form of hanging dish, for that matter?
The use of a cheap plastic or ornamented bird bath that may be hung from a tree branch or a metal bird feeder pole is also recommended.
You can use the same method to keep squirrels out of a hanging bird bath that you would for a Shepherd’s Hook by suspending the dish from a bird feeder pole and placing a squirrel baffle at the top of the pole.
Similarly, you can use a water dispenser that hangs amid all your preferred bird feeders; this way, the water is protected from the elements, even though the birds can only drink it because they can’t bathe.
Situate squirrel feeder
It’s important to keep birds on a bird bath even if you’re trying to keep squirrels away from it, because attracting birds can be tough no matter where you put the bath in your yard.
Instead of using the bird bath meant for your typical backyard birds, you can construct a special place where the squirrels can take a bath.
If you want squirrels to drink from a watering hole you’ve set up, you’ll need to attract their attention in another way. Your new squirrel water source should be placed next to a specialized squirrel baffle to provide easy access to everything a squirrel could need.
A peanut-filled squirrel feeder should be hung from a tree at least 6 feet off the ground.
This is necessary before you can safely set a saucer or dish of fresh tap water on top of the squirrel feeder.
Squirrels are free to come and go as they choose, and as long as you keep restocking their food and water, they won’t go hungry.
Since a result, squirrels have no motivation to visit your yard, as they may find a more convenient water source and a food setup in their natural environment or elsewhere, bypassing your initial bird bath setup entirely.
Clear away bird bath
In my opinion, the best approach to prevent squirrels from using a bird bath is to remove it from its perch until the problem disappears.
However, if a reliable water supply is restored, squirrels will once again emerge from the woods, so clearly this is not the case.
A week or more without a bird bath has probably given the squirrels an opportunity to raid a new location, so you might be in luck.
And with that, they may have discovered a new food source that will discourage squirrels from trespassing in your yard.
If you are not that fortunate, you will need to hide your bird bath until you see fewer squirrels.
Indeed, during dry spells or hotter seasons, squirrels will make greater use of a bird bath. Because of this, having a feeder and water source for squirrels put up together is essential.
The birds still need daily access to fresh water, so if you must remove your bird bath so that squirrels don’t use it, consider suspending a water supply from a bird feeder pole.
Put out peanuts and a bowl of sweet water for squirrels, but keep them far from your yard so that the squirrels will go to your food and water rather than your yard.
Conclusion
A bird bath constructed of stone, metal, or plastic that is mounted on a stand cannot be modified to keep squirrels out.
The fact that this public bird bath is only a few feet off the ground means that the usual squirrel deterrents can’t be used to protect the birds’ food from the rodents.
Put a fresh new, low-priced bird bath in the squirrels’ habitat first. It’s understandable that this isn’t an option for many people, but if you have any nearby trees or woods that squirrels frequent, consider installing a bird bath there.
Ideally, this will result in the squirrels using their own dedicated squirrel bath instead of the bird bath designed for wild birds.
If I’m being honest, I don’t think many squirrels will visit a water source specifically designed for them. Place the bird bath close to a tree where a peanut feeder has been affixed to the trunk to attract squirrels and birds.
Squirrels can be enticed by nectar, so if that isn’t enough, prepare a mixture of one part sugar to four parts water, as you would for a hummingbird feeder.
Also, a hanging bird bath may be utilized in the same way that effective squirrel deterrents can be applied to a hanging bird feeder, so you don’t have to worry about a thing if you decide to ditch the stand-alone bird bath.
To prevent squirrels from drinking from your bird bath, you can either hang the water dish above a squirrel baffle or use a bird feeder pole to suspend the bowl.
It’s possible that the squirrel problem at your bird bath is out of hand; if so, you may need to bring the bird bath indoors until the situation calms down.
Source: https://petstutorial.com
Category: Birds
