Feeder problem guide
Raccoon Resistant Bird Feeder
A raccoon resistant bird feeder is mostly a question of when the food is out: raccoons work at night, and the simplest fix is a feeder that is not there after dark 1.
Everything below about feeder design, foods, placement and cleaning is drawn from Project FeederWatch 12 and All About Birds 3.
Take it in at dusk
If your mammalian visitors appear only at night, FeederWatch's first recommendation is to try taking your feeders inside at dusk 1. Raccoons learn a reliable food source fast; a feeder that is empty or absent for a week usually breaks the habit. Offering only what birds eat in a day means there is little left to raid.
A raccoon resistant bird feeder mount: pole and baffle
Raccoons climb poles and trees and reach farther than squirrels, so the same rules apply with more margin: a smooth metal pole at least ten feet from any tree, fence or building, with a large baffle below the feeder 1. Hanging feeders under a tilting baffle of at least 18 inches are squirrel measures 1; against raccoons, a pole with a stovepipe-style baffle is the more reliable mount, and lids need a latch a raccoon cannot lift.
Where the problem is bears rather than raccoons, FeederWatch recommends against any feeding except when bears are hibernating 1.
Placement, squirrels and windows
Place feeders close to natural cover such as trees or shrubs, which offer birds refuge from predators, but not so close to strong branches that squirrels can jump across — a distance of about 10 feet is the usual guidance 1. Windows are the other hazard: collisions kill perhaps a billion or more birds a year in North America, and older rules about safe feeder-to-window distances are no longer thought valid — if a window is near a feeder, treat the glass with markings spaced no more than 2 inches apart, external screens or cords, rather than worrying about the distance 3.
Squirrel baffles — barriers placed between squirrels and feeders — are usually the best defense. Squirrels can jump to feeders placed less than ten feet from a tree or building, so a pole-mounted feeder in the open with a baffle below it, or a tilting baffle at least 18 inches in diameter above a hanging feeder, is the arrangement that works 1.
Keeping the feeder clean and the birds healthy
Clean seed and suet feeders regularly — every week or two, and more often during heavy use or wet weather — by scrubbing off debris and washing the parts thoroughly with warm water and dish soap 1. Hummingbird feeders need cleaning far more often, every couple of days and ideally every time they are refilled; discard the solution and clean immediately at any sign of cloudy water or black mold 1.
If a sick bird appears — House Finch eye disease shows as red, swollen, runny or crusty eyes, and avian pox as wart-like growths around the eye, bill, legs and feet — remove the feeders the bird is using for a couple of weeks and clean the feeders and the area thoroughly, so disease is not spread at the feeder 2. Salmonellosis, caused by Salmonella bacteria, is a common cause of mortality in feeder birds and spreads the same way 2.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I stop raccoons emptying my feeder?
Bring feeders in at dusk, put out only a day's food, and pole-mount with a baffle at least ten feet from anything a raccoon can climb 1.
Should I stop feeding if raccoons keep coming?
Yes if it becomes a wildlife conflict — and in bear country, only feed while bears are hibernating 1.
How often should I clean a bird feeder?
Every week or two for seed and suet feeders, more often in wet weather or heavy use; every couple of days for hummingbird feeders. Scrub, then wash with warm water and dish soap 1.
How far should a feeder be from a window?
Distance rules are no longer considered valid; instead make any nearby window bird-safe with markings spaced no more than 2 inches apart, exterior screens, or hanging cords 3.