Nuts are the best bird food for attracting woodpeckers. Hands down. Problem is squirrels love nuts as much as woodpeckers. So how do you put nuts out without squirrels wolfing them all down before the woodpeckers even know they are there?
Gotta get get creative. Large nuts like peanuts and walnuts are too big for ordinary squirrel proof bird feeders. A platform feeder is best for peanuts and walnuts. The magic is keeping the squirrels off of it.Once you get the materials this takes under an hour to assemble. And it’s less than $30. If you have some scrap wood and screws laying around its less than $15!
You need:
Squirrel baffle
4x4
Metal post
Screws
Fence panel
To put it together you’ll need a saw and a screwdriver. Pretty straightforward
Step 1: Set out your materials in your basement or work space
Step 2: Cut your 4x4 post down to 4ft in height. Cut your Fence panel to 2ft in length. Important the post be 48" or higher because squirrels cannot jump that high from the ground
Step 4: Screw your 4x4 to the metal post
Step 5: Place your squirrel baffle on top of the 4x4 post with the hole centered on top, then place your fence panel on top of the baffle
Step 6: Drill a screw through the fence panel and through the center of the squirrel baffle
Step 7: Place nuts on top!
Squirrels are crafty. You will quickly discover if they find a way on top of your platform. You can place an additional 4x4 spacer between the baffle and the platform if they find a way to climb up