Very glad to help. Yes it's one of my favorite things to do because I used to get metal shavings everywhere and they stick to my fingers when I clean up the magnet. The bag is just the bomb.
This is one of the best how-to videos I have seen. Clear instructions, view of materials, excellent pacing with no empty moments. I'd love to see the squirrels trying but can imagine it!
3:40 Ingenious how you pick up the metal swarf with a plastic bag wrapped around a magnet. Separately, I made a baffle this morning by sliding a length of plastic drain pipe over the wooden post holding the bird table. The square post at 45mm square was a tiny bit too big for the pipe to slide over, so I took a rasp to the four edges of the post and rounded them off a bit all the way down the post. Not much filing was needed. It took about 10 minutes to file all four "corners" until the pipe slipped over, but was still a snug fit. Since the pipe had been in my garage for five years it was dirty, so after sliding it over the wooden post I gave it a good scrub. My problem isn't squirrels, it's a rat that comes under the neighbour's fence and climbs up the post. The very smooth pipe will hopefully make it impossible to climb up in future.
Made one of these in a similar fashion using sheet aluminum and a 3 pound coffee can. I drilled and then pop riveted the entire thing together, put it on my birdfeeder and have not been bothered by raccoons since. Works wonderfully and didn’t cost me the $60 that the one from the bird supply store would’ve cost.
Most detailed and complete instructions for any project I've seen! Were you a teacher? I know you didn't write instructions for putting together products bought for the home since they rarely make sense! I need to try this for my bird feeders since the squirrels empty them while chasing the birds away. If you have any ideas on how to deter blackbirds, starlings, etc. I would greatly appreciate seeing them. They are worse than the squirrels!
Thanks so much. I'm not and official teacher but i know most people do not explain things well. I want people to understand. I trap starlings to control their numbers since they are an invasive species. Grackles I feed cracked corn so they leave sunflowers alone.
I have a baffle given to me as a gift for my bird feeder which is on a 3/4" painted metal pole. Your baffle works,but I would be nervous mounting it so close to the ground-squirrels can jump a surprising distance. My baffle is mounted just under the top of the feeder pole, which is about 6' tall. It is entertaining to watch squirrels try to defeat the baffle,sometimes crawling up the open bottom of the baffle before giving up.
Squirrels are amazing. I agree it is good to mount so they can't jump past the baffle. It's important not to have something they can jump from like a tree as well.
@@BackyardBirdsUS I agree! Squirrels will try every possible way to get past a barrier. I was also careful to site the feeder well away from nearby trees. Lately,I have found that large grey squirrels can defeat my baffle by gripping the feeder pole with their hind paws,and hopping up and over the baffle. I fixed that by hanging an 18" length of 2" PVC pipe just below the baffle. They cannot get any purchase with their hind paws with that arrangement.
I suggest that you use three sheet metal screws to attach the HVAC pipe to the can. This will prevent the pipe from rotating inside the can. This is a code requirement for HVAC installations which I learned the hard way when I sold my house a few years ago..
Excellent job! 👍 This is great if you're using conduit but not an easy task for a shepherds hook if it has several spiked anchors (or whatever they're called) spread out beyond the can's diameter; however, the duct pipe wouldn't be a problem since it opens. Maybe some shepherd's hooks feet would fit through the can if you took the bottom off. I do plan to make a bird feeder pole from conduit though and I have a friend who manages a cafeteria where huge cans are abundant so I will definitely consider doing this project as an upgrade for it and for my shepherd's hooks IF it'll fit!👍 Many thanks to ya'!🙂
Finally getting around to making my baffles. I noticed in my Troyer catalog that they now have sniffer holes in the top of theirs. I don't know if that makes a difference or not I'm told a large snake can get around a baffle. The claim is the sniffer holes allow the scent to enter the can so a large snake will go in instead of around. I don't know, but I'm going to add these to mine. Just thought I'd put that out there to see if anyone smarter than me has an opinion.
This won't work with with shepherd's hook bird feeder poles. Those have a side foot on the bottom for stability and you can't slip the can over it. However, the duct pipe will go around the pole. For a cap on duct pipe I use the bottom (or top) of that can. Cut hole in center, and then cut a slit to center so you can put it around pole. Wire the can to duct in a couple of places.
I absolutely love that you have this channel Jeff ♥ It is so important to have a real wildlife education channel. I've never heard the word Baffle used this way until I watched your video. I have an interesting question for you, is there any type of baffle that can be made to prevent critters from getting into a screech owl home attached to a tree? I'm new to this aspect of owls and birding when it comes to their homes. There is so much information on your channel I just know I'm going to be visiting you quite often. It's import for there to be 'serious' birders out there doing proper videos as there is too much misinformation out there. You are a delight and I can feel how much you love our earth bound feathered angels. I find it amazing that you filmed all it took to make this and explained it in easy to understand terms. So many people get angry at the squirrels for eating their bird feed in their backyards but clearly what you have shown here is a safe and effective way to stop this. Big like my friend.
Thanks. You made my day. I agree there is so much misinformation out there. I'm glad people are learning from my channel. I have screech boxes mounted to metal poles so squirrels can't get in the box but never had an owl nest in them. I don't mount boxes in trees because the squirrels just move in. That said I know if no way to prevent them. They can climb metal poles too hence the baffle. Keep me posted if you get screech owls.
@@BackyardBirdsUS I'm so glad I found your channel, I seen your channel featured on our mutual friend's page "Osprey Momma' and had to see what you are about. Osprey Momma is simply the best so I knew your channel would be amazing. I will definitely keep you posted if I get screech owls♥ Have a wonderful day.
I am trying to get ready for nesting season, and looking for a Universal Mounting Pole Kit, They are very expensive. Any idea where to find something similar to attach new bird houses? I am beginner's bird watcher.
This may seem wonderful from one carpenter with tools but no one has ever offered their services to a 64 yr old disabled lady living in a suburban duplex home who doesn’t have those tools in any way shape or form and my boys are business type so they couldn’t help me either??
@@BackyardBirdsUS yes.as a career in sheet metal I know that any joint like that takes 3 screws/pop rivets minimum to hold it strong and straight unless you spot or tack weld it in same way...
Hi Jeff,I don’t know if you remember me the guy that thought I had a wheatear in Ohio?You May remember but idk.Anyways,I have another bird I can’t figure out.Is there a way I can send you a picture?? Please reply I’m curious thanks Jeff. Sincerely Nate
LOVE these Squirrel videos USA humans feeding sparrows complaing ? godamit aint the squirrels keeping you in Work making tin hats and wizbang crap for them to play on 😬🙃🦘 💗it 🍷cheers MAKE A CATAPULT SO WE CAN LAUGH
Excellent video Jeff! I love all the detail you provide in terms of tools and supplies required. This makes it very easy for someone to duplicate what you are showing. Also, the verbal and video "how to" allows for virtually anyone to follow your instructions! On another note, we have baby Gila Woodpeckers in our Saguaro cactus! I hope they will come to the opening at some point so I can get some video!
I just put put up two of these on feeders that have been ravaged by grey squirrels and raccoons. They have been working great! I did use the 6” duct end caps in place of the cans since I could purchase at the hardware store along with the 24” duct. Thanks so much for the post…many birds are now happily fed but the other critters have to work a little harder for their supper.😆
I agree this is one of the best how-to videos I have seen. Clear instructions, view of materials, excellent pacing with no empty moments. I made one of these baffles and it is working great. Thanks for sharing!!!
What a great idea and I loved how you showed every step in making it,,Even I could make one know..LOL..Thanks for sharing...👍 ....💘🐥🐥💘..Happy Filming..💘🐥🐥💘....
I'm catching up on all of my comments today. I've been working on another project which I really should make a video about as it is super interesting. Plus dealing with other stuff. Need to get back to normal.
pro tip: you can make a similar design with zip ties, tape, and several plastic 2-liter bottles with the very bottoms cut off. trim a line down the side of each bottle and wrap around the pole, one below the other. rest them atop several zip ties secured tightly around the pole so they can rest on the zip ties. repeat to process once per bottle until you have 2 or 3 bottles "stacked" on the pole vertically. this achieves a similar effect for much cheaper, lighter, and with less equipment and work required.
@@BackyardBirdsUS please do! it's really easy and costs only a couple dollars to implement because most people already have most of the stuff needed :) i filmed a video about it for my channel but haven't posted it yet. i can return to remind you when i do, if that's helpful.
oh BUT THEY DID GET in they stole the can and made a Laucher now they do fly bys onto bird feeders squirrels smarter than most americans now they learn fast 😬🚀
❓I just had a thought/ question.... do you (or anyone else) think a "pipe" could be made using a bunch of cans by removing the bottom and attaching them together somehow? If so, do you think critters would be able to climb since cans have ripples on the side? It seems to me a bunch of FREE cans would be a very economical way to DIY this baffle (IF it'd work)!👍😀
Hi. Just found your site and now I’m reading everything! So glad I found you! I found a very cool log pole hanger made to hang bird feeders on. The gentleman I bought it from made it, and it’s almost 7’ tall. Of course, my next step is to figure out how to put a baffle on it so I won’t look out my window and see a snake climbing it to get to the bird seed! It’s all connected so I can’t get a #10 can on it, but I’m going to see if a duct piece will work. Anyone have any more ideas, please? Thank you!
Would this baffle prevent chipmunks from getting on a bird feeder (feeding ports close when the full weight of a squirrel holds on to the perch) at the top of a pole?
Great job! I do something very similar in my yard, except without the can and my post is a wooden 4x4 post. I should take a video one of these days... Thanks for sharing!
It's best to use a baffle especially for snakes. But I find the can alone works too keep squirrels away. Squirrels used to climb pole and chew on hole, ruining the nest box.
Thank you good fren, not what I'm looking for but inspired me to go for it. I made an in-line backdraft baffle/damper for bathroom exhaust duct using a coffee can, small hinge, and rivets.
@@BackyardBirdsUS Well, it got me to stop over thinking and just get to work on it :D The metal lid was bit too heavy for the bathroom fan so will modify it with a plastic or a foam flapper. Think I'll make some bird houses over the winter for spring time, maybe they'll leave my garage alone.
I have a large raccoon baffle from WBU, and it worked for several years, until last night. One of the raccoons found a way to access the feeders, and that worries me since I use those same baffles on my nest boxes. What is different about the ones you make as opposed to the WBU kind, and can the baffle you made be used with a WBU nest box pole? Also, the baffles and poles have a slight texture to them. Could this be how they were about to scale the baffle? It swings and bangs against the pole, and the sound scared off the other raccoons who ran like the devil was at their heels. lol But it didn’t bother the one who scaled it. I still have no idea how that raccoon managed to get up there.
Racoons are persistent pests. Hard to know how he did it without seeing him do it. I don't know what a WBU baffle is. But it seems no baffle is 100 percent effective. Is your pole leaning? I had an issue with a squirrel because the leaning pole gave him access.
That should be fine. Don't do it in the morning or evening as they lay eggs in the morning and roost in evening. But during the day will be fine. The birds seen to know you are helping them. Just be careful if they have what that you don't break them.
That's a very good question. I don't remember but think the can was cut to get it on that pole. In that situation i suggest a squirrel baffle that you purchase that fits. I show one in my squirrel baffle video.
