It is a truism, unless you live in Antarctica, that pests will make themselves at home in your home or loft. There are a spread of insect pests you want to consider and no 2 are the same. Instead of spraying damaging chemicals into your house environment, think about employing organic, non-poisonous pest management. It's safe for your home's human occupants and for your pets also.

Pests will show up in the air, your carpeting, your kitchen counter and other places you would rather not find them. Let's have a look specifically at ant control for your house or recreational areas outside.

Remember that organic pest elimination varies somewhat with the pest you're handling and that just like with inorganic chemical pest management, you do not always use the same for ants as you do for fleas. Here's a glance at your organic options for ant infestation in your house. For the organic treatment of ants, a standard summer pest, you want to confirm your worktops are freed from crumbs and anything sticky or sweet.

Cover your food well and keep your honey wrapped up in a plastic saggy. Leave water sources off in the night and do not leave unclean dishes around. The same is true for your deck or terrace. Clean all food up after an outside meal and teach your youngsters not to throw food into the yard, like melon pieces or other sweet foods. Your organic bug control continues with a tiny spray bottle full of soapy water that you can spray on the tiny beasts. Put cucumber peels or slices in your kitchen, particularly where the ants come in. You may put tea bags with mint tea in them or cloves round the places where the ants are extraordinarily active.

See if you can trace the column of ants back to their entry point and set out a line of cayenne pepper, citrus oil, lemon juice, cinnamon or coffee grounds. Ants will not cross those lines.

For heavy organic bug control against ants, mix a bit of honey with an equivalent quantity of Borax and aspartame. Put about a small spoon and a half of the blend in a bottle and set the bottle ( without a lid ) on its side where ants are active. This acts as a sort of noxious bait the ants bring back to their colony. Keep little animals and youngsters away from this dangerous bait. Another organic bug control secret's to leave a low-wattage light bulb or nightlight around where the ants are. It interrupts their night and day pattern and can confuse their patterns of food hunting. If ants are on your deck outside, use your organic bug control abilities and put a few cloves of garlic, formerly cut into bits, between the cracks of the deck slats. Ants don't love garlic and will avoid the powerful odour. You may use some of the same indoor tricks out of doors, particularly those concerning the utilization of cayenne pepper, citrus oil, lemon juice, cinnamon or coffee grounds. You cannot use the trick using the dangerous bait outside as some little animals can get into it. There is no reason to turn to harsh and deadly chemicals, inside or out, when completely satisfactory organic bug control for ants will keep your house ant-free in a much safer way. So long as you keep your kitchen and the remainder of your house clean and follow the above methods to deter or kill ants, your summer experience will be more enjoyable and more healthy for you and your family.

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First you need to understand how head lice are spread. They cannot fly, leap or swim. The only way they can spread is by passing from one human host to another. People are the only host they can live on so pets and other animals are unaffected by them.

Humans have a natural closeness, they hug and kiss. Children play fight, hug, wear each others hats and scarves etc and often have their hair touching. It only takes a minute of close contact for the louse to crawl from one head to another and begin a whole new generation of infection.

Although these bugs cannot survive for more than a couple of days away from a host, that can be long enough for one to crawl from an infested head to the head rest of a sofa or a bed pillow and get transferred to another person.

As improbable as it may seem this is exactly how the parasites spread, contact!

The adult of the species has six legs each equipped with a claw that it will employ to cling very firmly to a hair shaft. The females lay up to four eggs a day attaching each one with a powerful glue to a hair while it incubates. The hatching period is about a week to ten days so this is the optimum period to eliminate the little critters.

To even find the lice you must carefully search, small sections of hair at a time and in good light. The eggs are tiny, somewhat similar to poppy seed but will be almost clear to pale off white in color. You should find them laid no more than about half an inch from the scalp surface attached to hairs.

If you have long fingernails you can draw you nails along the hairs dragging each egg off the hair but this is a very tedious way to do it. Plus there is a good chance you will miss lots of the eggs this way.

By far the best solution is to use a nit comb. The simple reason why is they are specially designed with teeth extremely close together that can trap and pull free these parasites. Using a comb you are likely to capture plenty of adult and young head lice along the way too.

A very thorough comb through followed by a good dedicated shampoo will soon have the problem sorted.

By James Lamb

For solutions and sound advice on treating and eradicating head lice including a video to show you exactly what the little critters look like, please go straight to my dedicated web page here at http://www.squidoo.com/Head Lice Treatment

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While it's fun to feed pigeons at parks and courtyards, pigeons and similar pest birds can create all sorts of problems. They cause millions of dollars in damage to buildings, facades and mechanical structures--like air conditioning units, telephone, electrical and lighting systems. Pigeons can also create a health hazard. Because their poop, besides being corrosive, can carry any of 60 known diseases.

Fortunately, man has devised all sorts of clever pigeon and pest-bird deterrents. And unlike the days of old when property owners used poisons or shotguns to cull down pest bird populations, today's methods are far more humane. One way to discourage pest birds from "taking over" an area is to exploit their natural fear of predators. And few predators are as despised among pigeons and most pest birds as the Red-tail Hawk.

All the more reason why a Red-tail Hawk decoy can be particularly effective in ridding an area of pest birds. Pigeons instinctively recognize the aerial outline of this highly skilled hunter. Armed with razor sharp talons and eyesight eight times as acute as a human's, a Red Tail can dive after its prey at up to120 miles per hour (they can spot a pigeon from 150 feet above the ground and snatch birds right out of the sky).

A medium-sized bird of prey, the Red-tail Hawk is the most widespread and common member of the American family of large soaring hawks. It's also one of the largest hawks, typically weighing between 2 and 4 pounds. The female is nearly 33 percent larger than the male and may have a wingspan as wide as 56 inches. These birds prefer to soar at high altitudes using their sharp eyesight to zero in on their prey below. An aggressive hawk, the Red Tail will tenaciously fight to defend its territory. All of which is bad news for any pigeons and pest birds that dare to invade the Red Tail's space.

Pigeons and similar pest birds will quickly recognize the Red-tail Hawk for it can be found in a wide range of habitats and altitudes. This includes deserts, marsh-shrubs, grasslands, coniferous and deciduous forests, agricultural fields, and even urban areas. It is a very adaptable bird, equally at home in varying heights above sea level, and capable of breeding throughout much of North America-from western Alaska and northern Canada all the way down to Panama. Red Tails can also be found in cities, perched along highways on utility poles and other lofty structures. So pigeons and other pest birds will always be on the lookout for this highly skilled predator.

Once you've purchased a Red-tail Hawk decoy, correct positioning is essential for maximum effectiveness. That's because hawk decoys rely on their outline in the sky and the shadow of their body and wings on the ground to be instantly recognized by pigeons and pest birds. For this reason, hawk decoys should be suspended as high as possible above a pest bird's area for maximum threat posture. This can be accomplished using a suitable pole, open tree branch or other extension above the problem area. The decoys should also be moved around at least once a week, otherwise pest birds would grow accustomed to them and no longer regard them as a threat. Also, when purchasing a hawk decoy, opt for one that is made of durable weather-resistant plastic. One other tip: the overall effectiveness of a hawk decoy can be magnified when used in conjunction with ultrasonic or audio deterrents. So it pays to talk to a pro about which deterrents to use with any particular type of pest bird.

Finally, hawk decoys are an environmentally friendly alternative to ridding an area of pigeons and other pest birds. They don't harm anything or anyone. They just rely on a pest bird's natural instincts to keep them away.

By Alex A. Kecskes

Need help to get rid of pest birds? Contact Absolute Bird Control, Inc. the #1 distributor of Quality Bird Control Products. Call today (949) 472-4369 or visit us at http://www.absolutebirdcontrol.com

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Rat Traps

Many different types of rat traps are available on the market today from live catch traps to traditional break-back traps.

The live catch traps on a whole tend to be cage traps. The rat is tempted into the cage with a bait (many types of bait will work from chocolate to cereals). The bait is placed onto the platform or hook (depending on the design), as the rat is feeding it will trigger the trap and the cage door will close trapping the rat inside.

Knowing your pests

The common rat - rattus norvegicus has been around since the early 18th century, these rats can be found in both urban and rural areas, they can be found both indoors and outdoors and often associated with sewer systems.

The common rat will reach sexual maturity at 8-12 weeks, the gestation period is 21-24 days, litter size on average is 6-11 with around 4-6 litters per year, and the weaning period is 3-4 weeks.

The average life span for the rat is around 1 year; it is likely that less than 5% of rats will survive more than 12 months.

Before starting trapping you will need to learn a bit about your pest, identify where they are living, feeding and travelling. Things to look for are droppings, smear marks (these are oily / dirty looking marks) these smear marks can be found along the rats run, around doors, skirting boards holes in the building fabric etc.

The rats droppings are around ½" long spindle and slightly banana looking in shape with pointed ends, they are a dark brown in colour and supple looking, after 3 days they will harden and lose their colour. Once you have identified the run the cage trap can be placed along this run but you have to take into account rats suffer from neophobia, this means that anything you put down for the rat he may well avoid for a good few days.

The trap needs to be checked every 24 hours so not to cause the trapped animal any further distress. Break-back traps and electronic traps are designed to kill the pest instantly.

The break-back trap is set off by the rat placing its paws on the baited platform thus setting off the trap and a spring loaded bar comes down on the rat breaking its back and killing it instantly, the electronic rat killer is a tunnel design, the rat will enter to feed from the bait placed within the devise and as the rats paws touch a pad inside the unit it is electrocuted and dies instantly.

These types of traps need to be placed as above along rat runs and again the neophobia will come into effect.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-trap-rats-447723.html

Author: Jamie Simpson

About the Author:

Rat traps and cages are fast and effective ways of controlling your rat problem. Rat traps are available from PPC Supplies.

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I know it sounds unpleasant but if you want to learn how to kill moles, then you probably have a pretty good reason. That reason is probably due to the damage that moles can create in your lawn. Not only are the mole hills unsightly but the tunnels the little rodents excavate are dangerous to those walking or playing in your yard. So, just how do you go about killing moles in your lawn you may be asking? Basically, the methods fall into two categories. One involves trapping the moles and the other involves poisoning them. These are also the most effective methods to kill moles in your lawn.

Some may suggest drowning them but that method is largely ineffective. When it comes to traps there are a variety of traps to choose from. One of which is the scissor trap. The scissor trap is placed in an active tunnel and when the mole passes between the jaws and hits the trigger the scissor jaws snap tight killing and trapping the mole. The harpoon style mole trap is another popular choice. The harpoon is best used in a shallow tunnel. As the mole passes between the tunnel bottom and the trigger it pushes up on the trigger which then activates the harpoons impaling the mole.

Some other types of traps include tube styles, pinchers and chokers. When it comes to poisoning moles, methods range from creative uses of vehicle exhaust fumes to off the shelf poisons and baits. Using your car exhaust may sound fun but it is very ineffective and difficult to set up. If you enjoy having your neighbours point and whisper about you then by all means try it out. But, if you seriously want to use poisons or baits to rid your lawn of moles stay away from your tailpipe. Poisons can be effective but they will probably require multiple applications and other duties like watering them in.

By Grant Nettles

Trapping is by far the most effective method for getting rid of moles in your lawn. Now is the time to cure your mole problem and get your beautiful lawn back. Please visit our site to learn more about trapping moles.

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What is Head Lice – Know About Prevention for Head Lice

Head lice are parasites that live first and foremost in a person's scalp. They flourish here and lay their eggs and increase their numbers. One should learn how to prevent head lice from infecting a member of your family because the removal of these parasites can be bothersome and may require a long time.

Causes of Head Lice

Causes Personal cleanliness and hygiene have nothing to do with getting infected with lice. It is a myth that being unclean or living in unhygienic conditions puts a person at a risk of getting infected. Lice cannot fly, jump or walk on the ground, and they are not transmitted by pets. The fact is that head lice get passed on from person to person through close body contact or head-to-head contact. You can also get lice by sharing hats, pillows, beds, towels, combs, clothes, headphones and other items with a person who is infected. Anyone can get head lice, but they are more common among school-aged children. Head lice spread more easily among children 3–12 years of age because they share their belongings more often than adults and play close together. Females of all ages get head lice more often than males do.

Symptoms of Head Lice

The main symptom is an itchy head (caused by the louse's saliva when it removes a tiny amount of blood from the scalp), but a person can have head lice and not know it. “The gold standard for diagnosing lice is finding a live one on the head, but they can be very difficult to spot,” notes Will. They crawl fast (up to 12 inches or 30 cm per hour – that's fast if you're the size of a sesame seed!) but do not fly or jump.

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Head lice prevention

One sure way to prevent head lice infestations is to nip it in the bud by learning what signs to look for in a child. The signs of a head lice infestation are vigorous scratching of the head, the presence of nits or egg cases and possibly dirty pillows.

Treatments for Head Lice

One of the most popular home remedies for head louse is plain white vinegar, just pour a little onto the head and work through until all the hair is thoroughly saturated, allow it to soak for a few minutes and then rinse and comb using a head lice comb. Also olive oil can be used as well as mayonnaise, all of which work very effectively in most cases.

To treat head lice you can buy a chemical based shampoo that can eliminate the lice. Make sure you follow the application guide to the letter, because incorrect use will not wipe out all of the lice. You will also need to comb through the hair with a fine tooth comb to remove any nits that are not killed by the shampoo.

Modern over the counter treatments have come on in recent years and are a lot safer than they used to be. They are usually a lot quicker and less fiddly to use than natural treatments.

Make a smooth pate with grinded and well blended paste made with the seeds of custard apple and apply it on the lice infested head overnight, in the morning the hairs are to be washed thoroughly. However, the paste in poisonous in nature should never be used with children and take all possible precautions to protect your eyes from this paste or paste infested water.

There is a wide range of treatment methods starting from homeopathic to ultra-modern techniques to deal with head lice. You can be sure of the effect of one of these methods only if you try them out. Normally, certain mixture of chemical washes, combing and cleanliness is sufficient to tackle this problem. It's important to thoroughly wash all linens that include bed sheets and bath towels to kill the loitering pests. Always keep in mind that you're never alone. Your head has got some uninvited visitors called head lice.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/what-is-head-lice-know-about-prevention-for-head-lice-699922.html

Author: Peter rodrick

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Natural Breast Enlargement at Natural Breast Enhancement

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Termites are every homeowner's nightmare, but there's another insect that should also strike terror into the heart of the homeowner. Carpenter ants cause millions of dollars a year in damage to houses throughout the country, but they're not as well known as termites. If you live in an area that often has wet or damp conditions, or if there is a damp spot in your home, your house could be at risk from carpenter ants.

What Are Carpenter Ants?
Carpenter ants are insects that live in hives. Their life cycle is similar to that of any other type of ant - they have queens that lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, some of the ants will be drones, some will workers and some will be queens. What makes them a danger to your house?

Despite popular belief, carpenter ants do not eat wood, but the do tunnel through it. They move through wood and create tunnels and galleries in their search for food and to create nests. In the process, they weaken and eventually destroy the wood in which they are nesting. If that wood happens to be a part of your house, your house is being destroyed. It's not unheard of for nests of carpenter ants to destroy structural support beams on which your house depends. The longer a carpenter ant colony remains in your house, the worse the damage they can do to your house.

How do you tell if you have carpenter ants in your house?
The most obvious signal that you have carpenter ants, of course, is seeing them, but it's not always a reliable sign that you have nests of carpenter ants in your house. Since the damage to your house is caused in tunneling to build nests, your biggest concern is whether or not there is a nest in the house. Carpenter ants nest both inside and outside a house, and they'll travel as much as 100 yards from their nest in their search for food. If you're only seeing the occasional carpenter ant in your house, particularly if it'd during the late Spring or Summer, there's a good chance that it's just a worker wandering far from his nest.

On the other hand, if you're seeing carpenter ants inside during the winter or early Spring, it's an almost sure bet that you have at least one nest indoors. Carpenter ants typically go dormant during the winter. If the nest is indoors, it may be warm enough to wake up the ants, or prevent them from going into dormancy at all. Since ants are most active at night, it's not uncommon for a homeowner to enter a room, turn on a light and see ants scurrying for cover. The most common places to find carpenter ants are places that are moist - cabinets, sinks, rolled up towels, tubs and areas around the toilets.

How to Keep Ants Out of Your House
Prevention is always better than trying to cure a problem that has set in. The best ways to keep carpenter ants from setting up shop in your house are:

-Eliminate high moisture conditions that attract them. That means fans in bathrooms, and dehumidifiers in rooms that have a high moisture quotient, especially in regions that are moist to begin with.

-Replace moisture-damaged and rotted wood before ants are attracted to it.

-If you store wood or lumber near the house or in a garage, be sure that you keep it dry.

-Stack firewood away from the house outside to prevent ants from migrating from the woodpile to the house.

-Remove tree stumps and roots.

-Keep trees and bushes near the house pruned and trimmed to eliminate ‘highways' that invite carpenter ants into your home.

Where are they nesting?
Before you can eliminate a nest of carpenter ants, you have to find it. The easiest way to find the nest is to follow an ant home. One way to make it easier to follow the ants home is to give them food. They're particularly fond of tuna packed in water. Set out little flakes of tuna, and then watch for ants. The tuna will actually make it easier for you to follow the ant back to its nest.

Controlling Carpenter Ants
While it's possible for a homeowner to control carpenter ants on their own, it's not an easy task. It's better to contact a professional. A homeowner can still play a vital role in eliminating carpenter ants by providing as much information about the infestation as possible.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/all-about-carpenter-ants-what-they-do-and-how-to-avoid-them-403291.html

Author: Stephanie Larkin

About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about large businesses for home owners such as Orkin and Terminix

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One of the most exciting innovations in the pest control industry is the use of infrared technology and termite inspection. Infrared technology is used to detect heat in small spaces and is perfect for use in the termite inspection because it can detect colonies that are massed together and make it easier for the pest control operator to pinpoint the location of the infestation and effectively get rid of the problem in one fell swoop.

Finding termites can be difficult, yet knowing where they are located is important when deciding on the correct eradication program. The traditional method is to simply tap on the wood with the back of a screwdriver, or to poke holes in walls or even pull them apart.

Infrared technology and termite inspect now offers a new, high technological detection system that is quick, effective and does not require any damage to houses.

Infrared technology and termite inspection is being used with an increased frequency because it can easily detect the presence of termites by simply inserting a small camera at the end of a thin rod and then manipulating the camera around to find the termite swarms.

Because termites mass together to work on the wood, where there is one, there is always more. That's why infrared technology and termite inspection go hand in hand.

Thermal imaging technology detects heat patterns. When termites invade buildings, the normal heat patterns of the walls, floors and roof are changed due to the presence of termites. The thermal camera records this change in heat patterns and indicates the exact location of any termite infestation.

A color image shows hot spots as red or yellow and cold spots as blue or purple and these heat patterns indicate termite infestations. That means that infrared technology and termite inspection can be much more effective than the normal ways of doing a termite inspection.

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However, termites are considered cold blooded insects, so how can they generate heat? Termites are hosts to bacteria, which live in their gut, and these bacteria help break down and digest cellulose, the main component of wood. It is this digestion and chemical reaction that generates the heat.

That's why infrared technology and termite inspection makes the location of termites much easier thus allowing the pest control company to target the specific areas where termites are located and make the treatment effective.

The pest control company that pairs infrared technology and termite inspection together is one that is highly effective and employing the latest tools in pest control so that they can do a great job for you - the consumer.

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When the termite inspector is looking for termites, often, they will have to cause a certain amount of damage to the home in order to see if there is any evidence that termites have been there. That means opening up holes in walls, floors, etc.

With infrared technology and infrared cameras, all the pest control operator has to do is make a hole the size of the camera. The camera is mounted at the small end of a pipe much like what doctors use to perform arthroscopic surgery.

What that means is that the hole that needs to be made is very small. Once the camera is inserted through the hole, it sends back a very clear image that allows the termite inspector to see any possible damage inside walls and floors.

12 22oz Termite Prufe Spray TERMITE PRUFE TRIGGER SPRAYSpray into termite holes; mud tubes; cracks; crevices; wall and ceiling voidsPenetrates deep into wood and does not lose its strength with ageIdeal for infested wood; can be used as a preventive treatmentAlso effective against wood destroying beetles; carpenter ants; wood rot and moldSIZE 22 Oz.

Of course, any type of disturbance to an area that may have termite damage will cause the active termites to move to a new location to avoid the disturbance. That can interfere with any localized treatment that the inspector will suggest.

However, the camera can move about stealthily in a way that will help the termite inspector see where they are moving and then suggest ways to target specific areas where they think the termites have moved to. That's why it is so important to have a trained and licensed inspector look at your property to determine the level of your termite infestation.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/detecting-termites-through-infrared-technology-795478.html

Author: Jesus Saku

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Learn about how to remove a tick and ticks on dogs at the About Animals site.

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Humane mouse traps are increasingly becoming the traps of choice in dealing with unwanted mice or rats in the home. There are many reasons for this. This article will explain why other solutions to rodent control are less than desireable, and are even dangerous to use. Also included is a brief overview of the humane traps that are available.

The conventional methods for catching mice are spring loaded traps, glue pads, and poison.

Spring loaded traps

Spring loaded traps have been used for a very long time. You think of it as baited with cheese (peanut butter and grains work better)ready to lethally slam its metal bar on the unsuspecting mouse.

But on closer inspection it has major drawbaacks.  For example, mice are very quick and sneaky.  They don't always trigger the spring, but instead simply steal the bait.  

Secondly, think about what the mouse trap is supposed to do.  If it actually does catch the mouse, the mouse may still be partially alive, squealing in agony but unable to get away.  Or the mouse may bleed to death, possibly spreading infection on the flooring surface, both from the blood and from evaacuating its urine and feces.

Mouse Cube The Gentle Mouse Trap Mouse Cube is for those pesky mice who simply refuse to leave no matter what you do. These great little traps do no harm to mice. Just bait with a little peanut butter and crackers and they walk right in through the one way door for a little taste. Once they're trapped just pick up the trap you don't have to touch the mouse jump in your car and drive the little mouse to it's new home. Note be sure to check the traps twice a day so Mickey or Minnie don't get too upset . You'll receive four humane reusable mouse traps and full directions for use.

Thirdly the trap may catch the mouse, kill it, wet the home owner has no clue that the mouse was caught. So the mouse may lie dead for days, decomposing.  And the bait may also begin to rot, possibly attracting insects.  So for these reasons the traditional spring loaded trap poses health risks.

Glue Pads

Glue pads are rectangular items that lie flat on the floor.  You place them where you think mice travel, along baseboards,around furniture.   It's guesswork.  It is possible to bait them, but you have to devise your own way to do it.

If a mouse does travel over the pad its legs will stick to the pad. So the mouse will be trapped there alive.  And afraid.  And squealing and angry.  When you find the mouse it will most likely be alive.  Picking up the little critter - withot getting bitten - is a dicey affair.  And if it's still alive do you kill it? This is far from the best solutin.

Poisons

Poisons are not a great solution either. Yes they will kill mice. They eat the horrid stuff then go somewhere to die a painful death by internal bleeding.  If their carcass is hard or impossible to get to, they will decompose over time emitting a horrible stench.  And of course poison not only kills mice, it also kills pets.  Andlittle children who poke around and find it.

Humane Mouse Traps

So the modern solution is humane mouse traps.  These come in various shapes and sizes.  Some are made of transparent plastic.  Others are metal, with trating to allow you to see what's inside and to permit air to flow into the chamber.

You bait them with a peanut butter and grain mixture and when the mouse enters the main chamber a flap shuts to capture it. But without harming the mouse.  Some models cantrap 2 or more mice at a time.  They present no problems like contamination from infected blood,urine and feces.  

You simply pick up the trap, take the mouse to a remote location, set it free into the wild, and go home.  The traps can be reused. And they are very affordable.

People who use them say really good things about them.  So if you have a mouse problem I suggest you try humane mouse traps to solve that plroblem.

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There are really 2 basic approaches to keeping squirrels out of your bird feeder. The first is to simply try to block them from getting to the feeder. There are two common types of feeders that do that.

Baffled Bird Feeder - By simply restricting access to the the food in the feeder, you frustrate them and they move off. The advantage to using a baffle is that it more or less separates the squirrel proof barrier from the feeder itself, so that the bird have free access to the bird seed, and any size bird can still use the feeder. This is often the more aesthetic approach. This is often done by pole mounting the feeder, and putting the baffle on the pole. Other types use a hanging arrangement and the baffle forms a roof over the feeder.

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The disadvantage of this approach is that squirrels can leap large distances, and are incredibly agile climbers, so that they will often find a way to land on the actual feeder and bypass the baffling. With the top mounted feeder you may also find a squirrel smart enough to climb down and cause the feeder to swing, and while they may not gain access to the feeder itself they can cause the bird food to spill to the ground, where they can get all the food they want.

Caged Bird Feeders - Another very common solution is to use a caged feeder. These are easy to spot, the construction includes some type of cage around the actual feeder area. It's a fairly open mesh, and in fact a tube style caged feeder looks similar to an electronic bug zapper with the open mesh surrounding the tube.

Caged feeders are better at keeping the squirrels out of the feeder, but they can still get to it and scare off the birds that are trying to use the feeder. This is often the case when you are trying to attract smaller birds.

The second approach to getting rid of squirrels in your bird feeder is to move them out. The much more effective types of squirrel proof feeders are those that cause the squirrel to fall off or be thrown from the feeder. There are two types of those feeders as well, weight activated feeders and the battery powered or electronic motorized feeders. While this won't harm the squirrels they are fun to watch in action...

You can learn more about these feeders and see videos of these squirrel proof bird feeders in action at http://www.birdfeederz.com This includes the motorized Droll Yankees squirrel proof birdfeeders as well.

By J Ruppel

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