Songbirds and squirrels have similar tastes in food, so it’s no surprise they are constant companions to backyard bird feeding. People tend to react to squirrels in one of two ways. They are cute and entertaining or it’s a lifelong quest to keep the critters out of the bird feeders.

I’ve been in this business for over 17 years and have tested or reviewed almost every squirrel-resistant and squirrel-proof feeder on the market. After all the testing, here are the two best ways I’ve found to keep squirrels from your coveted bird food.

The first, simply add a baffle to a bird feeding station. Squirrels can jump up to about five feet vertically, and they can leap eight to 10 feet between objects. So, the top of the pole-mounted baffle has to be about five feet high with the feeders above the baffle and the station has to be about 10 feet away from areas from which a squirrel could jump.

The second, the Wild Birds Unlimited Eliminator Squirrel Proof Feeder is the best feeder that I have come across. It’s the “Fort Knox” of bird feeders. Use this feeder in instances when you can’t set up a bird feeding station out of the way of squirrels.

The Eliminator’s weight-sensitive feeding ports deny squirrels access to the food. It can be added to a bird feeding station in the yard, from the deck or hung from a tree branch.