I use the excellent Roam wild squirrel proof bird feeders (peanut and also seed) which 100% keep the crows as well as squirrels away.
However I am struggling to find a solution for suet food.
The conventional fat ball cages are hopeless and broken/crushed balls even as dust congeal and get stuck in the main body of the Roamwild feeders.
ive tried using various other types of suet pellets but again they get stuck in the feeder upper body.
Does anyone have a solution to this ie a feeder & suet combo that slides freely through the feeder and is also inaccessible to crows as well as squirrels?
Hi Boris, maybe this would work better being an open mesh type fat ball feeder which is squirrel proof and more difficult for corvids to access the food - although they will try clinging on. To prevent squirrels reaching feeders I used to use a free standing pole with fitted baffle dome and as long as you place the pole far enough away from any "launch pad" like fences, bushes or twigs, the squirrel could not get to the feeders.
Open mesh feeders can be better as they prevent moisture build up in enclosed feeders which can get clogged up when damp. Did you try using the smaller suet pellets known as sprinkles as they are smaller and may drop down the feeder more easily.
This is the free standing pole with baffle to show you what it looks like
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Regards, Hazel
You're most welcome Paul, I would use the baffle dome and free standing feeder pole to stop the squirrels which I used in combination with a ground guardian cage which prevented the larger birds from accessing the food and it worked very well. Here's the type of guardian cage I used and although it's a bit expensive setting up the new feeding methods, it pays off in the long run as it saves you on the quantity of food you will need to buy. I used a raised tray inside the cage and used a piece of butyl heavy duty pond liner (cut to shape) to drape over the pitched roof so this kept the food dry during wet weather. Another feeder I found very successful which the smaller birds loved and the squirrels/crows, etc, couldn't access was a suet/mealworm feeder like THIS. - and we had 23 squirrels in our acre garden ! good luck and hope it works well for you.
Have added a bit more info on items you may wish to consider and gives an idea of what I used :
HERE is the feeder pole type that I used; I also bought a heavy metal base from my garden centre which I could attach the pole to in order to give it more stability during windy conditions. If you find the pole isn't high enough you can add an extension to it. You will also need the hooks for the feeders which easily slide on to the pole.