Squirrels are incredible climbers and can climb easily and jump high enough to reach many far-to-reach surfaces with little to no effort. Squirrels are known to be expert acrobats in trees and can jump from one tree to another. But what about metal poles? Can squirrels climb metal poles too?
Unfortunately, yes, squirrels can effortlessly climb metal poles. They can reach 8 feet with their jumps, and their tails help to give them balance.
To some, squirrels can be cute to admire from a distance and see what they do in your garden, but for other people, squirrels can rather be annoying.
They may cause a lot of commotion, specifically on your bird feeders and bird houses, and scare off any birds you like seeing. They can cause damage to your property, and they can be hard to shoo away as squirrels are very determined, if they see an opportunity for acquiring food, they will take it.
If metal poles are what you’re worried about that a squirrel will climb on, then you’ll probably have to squirrel-proof the pole because squirrels can easily climb onto metal poles even if they’re polished.
They jump high and can reach 8 feet, and their bushy tails help them with balancing. The tail allows them to cross long thin wires easily. If they see food, nothing is stopping them as they need to store as much food before winter.
They have a huge appetite and can eat up to 1kg of food every week. They’re also smart and cunning animals, so they’re pretty good at overcoming obstacles in their path – no matter what you try!
Can Squirrels Climb a Shepherd’s Pole?
Unfortunately, yes, squirrels can easily climb up a shepherd’s pole – especially if you normally hand bird feeders from a shepherd’s pole in your garden.
Can Squirrels Climb PVC Pipe?
Squirrels can sometimes climb a PVC pipe but it won’t be as easy for them. There will be far less friction which can make it more challenging for a squirrel to get a grip on the pipe.
How Do You Stop Squirrels Climbing Metal Poles?
To make it harder to climb metal poles, there are certain things you can do with your metal pole.
You can stop squirrels from climbing onto metal poles by putting something on your poles, such as petroleum jelly or grease or making it electrical, which will make the pole complicated to climb for the squirrel.
You can also change the pole’s material so the squirrel can’t climb it at all. Using a material such as a PVC pipe or a polyethene pipe that produces the least amount of friction is the most difficult for a squirrel to climb onto. Squirrels use friction force to climb onto poles.
Certain items can be fit on or around a metal pole that prevents squirrels from climbing on them:
Attach a Slinky
Attaching a slinky to the upper section of the metal pole of the bird feeder will make things very complicated for squirrels, as when they’ll try to climb up, the slinky will drop them down.
Mix Bird Food with Cayenne Pepper
A squirrel won’t climb up the metal pole and eat the bird food if it’s mixed with something that squirrels don’t like and something that deters them.
Such a thing is cayenne pepper. Adding cayenne pepper deters squirrels but won’t affect birds as they don’t have taste receptors for the chemical capsaicin, so cayenne pepper doesn’t bother them at all.
However, squirrels despise the taste of capsaicin, so they avoid it and any area that smells like it.
Hang Irish soap
Another thing that deters squirrels is Irish soap. Squirrels hate Irish soap not because of its taste but because of its intense and unpleasant smell.
Putting a bar of Irish soap in a sock and hanging it anywhere near the metal pole or bird feeder will make the squirrels run in the opposite direction if they come near it.
Use a Weight-Activated Feeder
Weight-activated feeders have specific food ports that close when something heavy is placed on them. As squirrels are heavier than birds, the feeder will close when a squirrel sits on it.
Use Seeds that Squirrels Avoid
There are certain food items squirrels don’t like eating, and safflower seeds are one of these. A squirrel hates safflower seeds, but birds love eating them.
Squirrels don’t like the bitter taste of safflower seeds, and neither the crows. The seeds are rich in protein and fat; many birds love eating them, such as the grosbeak, the northern cardinal, and the house finch.
Use a Squirrel Baffle
A baffle is a device that people often use to prevent squirrels from climbing onto metal poles or bird feeders. The device is cone-shaped, and it makes squirrels slide off whenever they try to jump on the bird feeder.
For double the protection, you can also smear Vaseline or anything slippery on the pole.
Fed Up With Squirrels Ruining Your Garden?
We’ve Put Together a Complete and Free Guide on How to GET RID of Squirrels Finally! – Including Deterrents and Preventative Measures to Take:
The 5-7-9 Rule
The 5-7-9 rule takes advantage of a squirrel’s abilities to jump and climb. Squirrels can’t jump 5 feet high from the ground, 7 feet across, and 9 feet down. You can stop squirrels from climbing your metal pole and stealing bird food by placing it far enough and high enough for a squirrel to reach.
Summary
Squirrels are excellent climbers and can jump very high and even higher if they’re jumping from an already high surface as they most often do.
Due to their excellent tree climbing skills, agility, and speed, they can be very annoying pests and annoy you and the birds in your yard as they climb metal poles and steal bird food from the feeders.
Luckily, there are several things you do with the metal pole and feeder that prevents squirrels from coming near to it.
Ryan is a keen gardener from the UK who’s spent years dealing with countless, common pests over the years so knows the ins and outs of how to deal with pests in the garden
