Squirrel Bait Station feed

[Tikkat3xl]

Hi all,
Looking into what I should put into the bait station for squirrels, they’re getting abit out of control on a woodland patch .
Peanuts being the best but the most expensive, and because I’m a tight git, would whole maize or whole wheat do the job of attracting them in?

many thanks

 

[willowbank]

Peanut butter rubbed well into woodwork keeps them interested.
Work it into difficult places to make them stick around trying to get it all out.
Use kibbled/cracked maize, again makes them work for it.

Willowbank

 

[badbob]

Mixed corn or cheap bird seed then you'll feed the wee birds as well .
Depends on the time of the year and natural food, acorns pine cones etc. They'll always visit pheasant feeders.

 

[merlin]

I use maize. Works very well.

 

[Grannysmith]

Peanuts get them from home bargains half the price of anywhere else and cut down the size of the hole so the have to work to get them out
160 squirrels since end Jan can't be wrong!
Maize is false econ o my if you are wanting to really reduce the little grey menace

 

[Longstrider]

Birdseed, maize and wheat will bring them in but nothing will get them as addicted to the feeder as avidly or as fast as peanuts in my experience.

Don't make the mistake I made and think you could take a whole load of nuts to the feeder in a vehicle and leave them 'safe' in a watertight, clip lid, 25 litre plastic bucket close by to save lugging nuts each time to top up the feeder ... 2 days after doing so the rim of the lid had been chewed away and the little sods left me with nothing but the brown papery skins of the whole lot! I cured that problem by getting hold of some 25 litre metal drums with a ring fastener for the lid.
The drum can also be used as a convenient seat (with a bit of foam as a cushion) in the hide while you wait for them to come

 

[johnnytheboy]

Dont mix what’s in the feeder or they will dig everything out to find the good stuff

it appears the more expensive it is the more they like it, peanuts are their favourite followed by maize then wheat

 

[foxdropper]

If you’ve had peanuts in feeder ,then try cheap corn they will scratch it all out looking for peanuts ,the smell of which takes ages to go from a wooden feeder .Anyone on the cull might be able to assist with nuts I’m told

 

[Tedward]

Might just be a dumb question here, but are we talking about shelled peanuts, or peanuts still in the shell - which would slow them down and make them work harder ?
If they recognised them as food.

 

[BenBhoy]

it appears the more expensive it is the more they like it,

Think I must have married a squirrel!

 

[foxdropper]

Might just be a dumb question here, but are we talking about shelled peanuts, or peanuts still in the shell - which would slow them down and make them work harder ?
If they recognised them as food.

If you can get them to flow through a feeder then great mate .The more time at a feeder ,the more chance of a humane shot to the brain .

 

[foxdropper]

Session on Sunday on peanuts

 

[Tikkat3xl]

So the squirrel shooting is going well, shot 30 since I posted this. Although the tree rats did get inside one feeder and ate a huge hole in the bottom so I reinforced it like Fort Knox.
I started feeding them on peanuts to get them eager for the feeder and now Currently feeding them barley as I have it to hand, but they keep emptying the barley onto the floor trying to look for more peanuts,
Does anyone have anyway to stop this or is it a waiting game until they realise there’s no more peanuts?

 

[foxdropper]

I’m afraid it’s a new feeder mate .The smell of peanuts takes months to go away and they are almost addicted to them .New feeder ,new location or same will happen .Mate of mine recently filled with whole maize after peanuts and same ,all over the floor within a day .
Sat in the hide yesterday morning but despite plenty of action on the cam ,nothing showed bar jays .Strange morning as no squig activity seen at all .

 

[Squirrelbasher]

You won’t beat peanuts, but unfortunately more expensive. They can’t resist them

 

[foxdropper]

Another good bag off a peanut feeder .

 

[Tikkat3xl]

Good shooting sir! I must admit I’ve reluctantly returned back to peanuts again as they are still coming thick and fast to the wood

 

[foxdropper]

Yep ,expensive but does the business .121 shot so far in this wood ,mental numbers for a smallish wood .