Plans to Make a Squirrel-A-Whirl Feeder

Choose a tree that has at least 40 inches of trunk space. This space allows the wheel part of the feeder to rotate without disruption. The space next to the squirrel feeder needs to be free of obstructing objects. The best way to ensure you have ample room is to measure 40 vertical inches of the tree trunk and 40 inches horizontally across the middle point of the vertical measurement. Trees that stand alone work best for a squirrel-a-whirl feeder because fallen branches or leaves from another tree will not keep the feeder from spinning.

A squirrel-a-whirl feeder does not contain many elements. You can choose any number of posts to extend from the center of the feeder's wheel. Most feeders have three, but you can use four or five safely. The wheel for the center that allows the posts to spin should be small so that a squirrel cannot use it for a resting point. Keep the wheel about 1 foot away from the tree trunk to keep a squirrel from crashing into the tree when it's on the spinning wheel.

You have a couple of options to use for squirrel food. Most squirrel-a-whirl feeders have ears of feed corn on the end of each post. Feed corn is grown to feed farm animals, and the corn kernels are dispersed when they become hard. Stick the post up through the bottom of a corn cob before attaching the post to the wheel. Consider using fruit instead of corn if you have a hard time finding feed corn. Apples work well because you can pierce them easily and they hang onto the post securely. If you want to use a lighter food product, smear peanut butter on the end of each of the posts. Squirrels use their front paws to feed themselves, and so add peanuts to the peanut butter. You also may stick shelled peanuts into the peanut butter. This creates work for the squirrel and prime viewing for you because you can watch them crack open the shells and use their paws to remove the nuts.