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Keeping parakeets and squirrels out!

We want to protect our bird seed from parakeets and young squirrels, which eat everything we put out.  The bird table is already protected by galvanised mesh with a 5mm aperture, but the squirrel gets through that.  The squirrel-proof seed feeder keeps the squirrel out, but the parakeets have worked out how to defeat the spring-loaded mechanism.  What is the smallest size aperture of mesh we can use to keep the marauders out whilst letting in the robins, tits, dunnocks and goldfinches we love watching?

  • Thanks Alan. Keep your fingers crossed that the parakeets never make it to wherever you are. They are an absolute pest, eating everything in sight.

    We have tried all kinds of feeders and cages, but the parakeets are too clever. If they can get their heads through a hole, they can stretch their necks and contort the rest of their bodies into whatever shape is needed. What we have decided to do is to hang a squirel-proof feeder inside an obelisk and wrap thw whole thing in strong wire mesh. So the question is, what is the smallest size mesh we can use to allow the little garden birds in, but not the bigger ones.
  • Yes, I think that is what we will do and just hope that we make it big enough to let the robins in too!
    Thanks for the suggestions.