Wild Bill's 8 Station Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder

Over the last 30 years we have owned 3 of these feeders. The birds love it and the squirrels hate it. We have our's mounted on a wire cable between 2 trees, which keeps the bears away and the electric shock keeps the squirrels away.

Finally, a squirrel proof bird feeder that works. Our backyard deck overlooks a forest & pond w/ lots of wild life. I enjoy watching differ bird varieties come to the feeder. Problem is squirrels empty a feeder in a day, coexistence is not possible. I've spent hundreds of $$$ and tried everything, to no avail. Gate closing feeders do not work, squirrels just shake seeds out. Baffle mounts do not work, squirrels find a way to by pass. As a sniper in US Army, I can hit target consistently. I purchased a pellet gun with scope, set up a firing port from bedroom window and tried shooting squirrels (only 2-3 pumps, not enough to hurt – just sting a little). While it was fun and provided target practice, it did not deter the squirrels. I tried to build an electric bird feeder using electric fence supplies, it did not work. After 5 years, I was left in awe of the squirrel’s amazing power of focus and determination. A creature with a pea size brain has the ability to defeat human engineering by focusing on a single task, get the seeds. My money is on the squirrel every time. That is until Wild Bill’s electronic bird feeder. I’ve only had birdfeeder for a month, thus I am still in honeymoon period, however, here is my review:Pros:1. It is squirrel proof. This fact outweighs any cons. Enough said. I have spent hours of enjoyment watching wild birds come to feeder without having to refill seed from squirrels. I look out my window any time of day and see a wide variety of bird species feeding, frolicking and playing at the feeder.2. Power Level check. Turning on/off unit provides a series of beeps to inform you of power level. Without this, there would not be any way to check battery level.Cons:1. Difficult to mount on Shepard’s hook. I have 8 port feeder, fully loaded with bird feed is heavy. I cannot get enough distance from my deck to feeder to prevent squirrels from jumping on feeder. While I would have preferred the added level of deterrence from squirrels, it is actually not an issue. Disdain for squirrels has been replaced with delight. On the rare occurrence we see a squirrel, our house gathers around the window to watch. By now, the resident squirrels have been shocked and approach the feeder with great trepidation. When the squirrel touches electrodes and completes the circuit, zzZAP! Pandemonium ensues! A$$holes & elbows, a fluff of fur and sca-dattle at a high rate of speed! There is no way to view this spectacle without laughing.2. Needs more power. The feeder is powered by a single 9 volt battery. In order to maintain a steady supply of voltage, this needs to be increased. I recommend a bank of 3 to 5 batteries daisy chained in a larger battery unit. I am working on ways to modify this. Remember, volts create the shocking sensation and does not harm the squirrel. Amps are unaffected.3. Hard to recover feeder from Shepard’s hook. You are supposed to turn off feeder prior to retrieval and refill. On/off switch is difficult to turn off with hook mounted option. I am not going to reach behind feeder to steady it in order to push on/off switch. Trying to push on/off switch with pole or finger just results in a swinging electrified basket. I’ve seen squirrels get shocked, not something I wish to experience. Think of playing the game Operation when you were a kid. That’s what it is like trying to turn on/off the unit when mounted on a Shepard’s hook. In summary, excellent product. Highly recommend. It is the only squirrel proof bird feeder that works. Don’t waste your money on anything else. NEEDS MORE JUICE!

I live on a 70 acre farm in central NY state. We are blessed with an abundance of beautiful songbirds; in the summertime we even get a few of the rarer and more spectacular species like Tanagers, Buntings, Orioles, Waxwings, etc. We are also "blessed" with an over-abundance of squirrels (red and grey) and chipmunks. The winters 'round here get pretty brutal, and I always make a point of putting out lots of birdseed, mostly black oil sunflower seed, and suet. The birds rely on these backyard feeders when there’s 5 feet of snow on the ground, and, unfortunately, so do the squirrels and chipmunks. I get it; squirrels and chipmunks need to survive the winter too- and a well-stocked bird feeder is fair game. However it IS somewhat discouraging, not to mention expensive, when one finds empty bird feeders and suet cages the day after they were filled. Wild Bill’s squirrel-proof bird feeders seemed like a great solution. They were not.Over the years I have purchased 4 of these feeders, and regardless of the model and size, exactly the same thing has happened to each one. They start out working just fine. Squirrels climb the pole, start munching the seed, hit two of the contact points and get zapped. Invariably, however, the feeders stop working within a matter of weeks- sometimes within a matter of days. I take them down, clean the metal plate and the metal perches, check the battery connections, and put them back up. Sometimes they work again, sometimes not. Within 6 week or so they are totally dead. This has happened with EVERY SINGLE ONE of the 4 feeders I have purchased over the years. I recently purchased a new one- a smaller version. I mounted it on a pole. It worked 1 day and then stopped. The directions said that, if pole mounted, the feeder has to be absolutely level or it might not work. So I took it down from the pole and hung it from an 8’ high metal “T” hanger I made. Once again it worked for a few hours and then stopped. It is currently dead as a doornail. I bought this feeder on May 6; it set me back $129. Today is May 19 and it is dead. I am going to put the plastic baffle I bought at the local feed store for $15 back on the pole and return the feeder to it’s pole mount and just take my chances, I guess...So what gives? Is it the weather? It’s an outdoor bird feeder! It lives outdoors. It rains outdoors. It snows outdoors. If the feeder is so delicate that it stops working in inclement weather, what’s the point of having it in the first place? I am SO frustrated with this situation I decided to write this lengthy review- something I have never done (or extremely seldomly done) in the past.My advice would be save your money. Buy a $15 baffle from Agway or Southern States or Lowes or Home Depot or Tractor Service Center or wherever. I think you’ll find it works fine, even in the rain or snow, and even if it’s not 100% perfectly level.

FINALLY.....squirrel relief! I have an upper deck where I hang my bird feeders and these squirrels have wrecked havoc. I have used cayenne, pets, positioning to where I thought they couldn't get to but to no avail until now. This is one bird feeder they stay away from. My Arlo proves it! And as far as weather goes....it has poured down torrents of rain at least 5 or 6 times since I have had it and this bird feeder is still working like a charm. Now maybe for others when they checked, it may have had dampness near the electrical circuits and one just needs to leave it alone so it can dry out. Once mine is dry, about 24 or 36 hours after a rain, I turn it off and then back on. It would be great if we could to turn it off before it rains but our schedules make it impossible. STILL....it keeps on working. Maybe they have done upgrades with the latest models (in response to those commenters who have said there's quit working after a rain) ...not sure...all I know is mine keeps on working like a champ after a rainstorm. I have decided to get one or two more and find homes for my other feeders. It's awesome to finally know that.MY PROBLEM IS FINALLY SOLVED after many years! :-)BTW: If I get a furry Evil Knievel trying to get daring on camera...I'll post the video.

My wife has fought the squirrel battles for years and has lost. A little over a month ago, I saw an advertisement for this and decided to give it a try. Armed with her early Mother’s Day gift and a new bag of seed, installation took a few minutes and the wait commenced. It didn’t take long before Rocky tried to get lunch and went for an unplanned launch into the bushes. After a few days of family members making the same attempt with the same results, the squirrel activity is almost nonexistent. The only issue is our neighbor is considering suing us now that the furry creatures have migrated to her yard😀. Time will tell if this is the answer, but it appears to be.