How to Prevent Raccoons and Squirrels from Eating from Your Suet Feeders

Those beautiful backyard birds love flocking to your suet feeder, and why not? That feeder contains delicious food that birds go wild over. But there's one problem. Birds aren't the only ones that love eating from suet feeders.

Furry invaders like raccoons and squirrels also want to help themselves to the contents of your suet feeder. This is a problem for all kinds of reasons. First of all, you want the birds to enjoy the suet. That's kind of the whole point. But you also don't want squirrels and raccoons to hang around and make themselves at home in your backyard. So we asked the experts for advice on protecting suet feeders from these curious critters.

Squirrels and raccoons love suet for the same reasons wild birds do.

Why do squirrels and raccoons want the suet?

The suet you use to attract birds may be even more of a target for mammals than birdseed. "Suet is a calorie-dense food, which means an animal can stock up on its daily caloric needs very quickly," said Rebecca Lexa, a certified Oregon Master Naturalist and the author of The Everyday Naturalist: How to Identify Animals, Plants, and Fungi Wherever You Go (Ten Speed Press, June 2025). "Raccoons, squirrels, and other mammals need a lot of energy, and a suet feeder represents an easy meal. Any omnivorous mammal that is able to reach the feeder may very well try to get this tempting snack," explained Lexa. Energy-rich food provided in a consistent location is a big attraction to animals.

Raccoons and squirrels are smart and crafty.

How can I prevent squirrels and raccoons from taking the suet?

The good news is that you have lots of options to keep mammals away and protect the contents of your suet feeder. Let's look at a few of our favorites.

Bring Feeders in at Night

The simplest solution is to take your suet feeder in at night. Be sure to store the suet feeders overnight in an enclosed area away from pets and children in a garage or garden shed. While this may not help with squirrels that visit the feeder during the day, it should immediately put any raccoon issues to rest, because raccoons are nocturnal. However, the idea also has downsides.

"It's certainly inconvenient to bring feeders inside, particularly one consisting of greasy foodstuffs," said zoological curator and veterinary scientist, Dr. Jordan Carlton Schaul.

He also warned that storing suet feeders indoors may draw the attention of indoor pets. "It may be the best option if raccoons continue to present a problem as nuisance backyard visitors," he said. Schaul said some people advise against moving feeders in at night because it can disrupt birds that have become accustomed to feeding on suet. "I think this is a relatively unlikely concern compared to others," he said.

Offer Hot Pepper Suet

You can also experiment with flavors of suet that birds enjoy, but squirrels or raccoons may find less appealing. Try something with some kick, like the C&S Hot Pepper Delight No Melt Suet Dough. Birds don't mind the hot-pepper flavor, but squirrels will think twice after taking a bite. It's made from corn meal, roasted peanuts, and high-quality rendered beef fat. And you won't end up with a sticky mess on your fingers because this product also features a "no-melt" dough, which works well in hot weather and warmer climates (up to 100°F).

C&S Suet offers several types of hot-pepper-flavored suet to help you attract different types of birds while keeping squirrel and raccoon interaction to a minimum. The C&S Hot Pepper Suet Nuggets are bite-sized and easy for birds to break apart, and it's easy for you to mix with a 5- to 10-pound bag of birdseed. Try C&S Hot Pepper Suet Dough Plugs if you enjoy watching woodpeckers. The plug shape mimics the natural feeding behavior of woodpeckers, so you're giving them food in a way that's familiar to them. Attract a variety of birds with the C&S Hot Pepper Suet Dough Balls. The dough balls offer all the benefits of the suet dough cakes but are easy to handle with less mess.

Try Squirrel-Proof Feeders

Depending on the tenacity of your squirrels, you may have success with a squirrel-proof suet feeder. Manufacturers use different techniques to make them squirrel-proof. Some feeders snap shut under the weight of a squirrel, blocking access until they leave. Other feeders have holes that are too small for squirrels but the right size for the birds you want to attract.

Think Like a Critter!

Kick your imagination into high gear and try to think of ways that squirrels or raccoons can access your feeders. "If you're going to put out suet feeders, you need to make sure only flying birds can reach them," said Lexa. "Hanging suet feeders from or very close to trees makes it easy for mammals to climb or leap onto them." She emphasized that squirrels and raccoons have no trouble climbing down from the roof to reach a feeder suspended on a balcony or porch.

While squirrels and raccoons can be quite acrobatic in their attempts to reach feeders, they do have their limits, explained Lexa. "Proper placement of feeders allows enough distance that mammals can't jump or climb onto them, while still allowing you to access the feeders to clean and refill them."

Don Orkoskey, a wildlife photographer for over 20 years, recommended making sure there are no launching sites within 10 feet of the feeders on all sides. "Squirrels can, in fact, jump 10 feet horizontally," he pointed out.

One option? Mount feeders on a smooth metal pole tall enough that mammals can't jump onto the feeders from the ground. Then place a baffle on the pole below the feeders to keep them from climbing up. Another option? Rig a pulley system over a tall tree branch so you can raise the feeders high enough that critters can't reach them from the ground, but also lower them to clean and refill them. Add a baffle to the rope above the feeder so squirrels and other critters can't climb down to them.

Install Baffles

The idea of a baffle is to convince squirrels or raccoons to give up. Baffles offer physical blockades that are either challenging, scary, or simply impossible for a squirrel or raccoon to cross (though don't ever underestimate their ability!). Sometimes a baffle looks like a rickety lampshade that hangs above the suet feeder. When squirrels or raccoons try to crawl down it, they can't reach the feeder.

"I would use raccoon and squirrel pole baffles in addition to sturdy weather-proof suet cages specifically designed to protect suet from these mammalian pests and larger unwanted avian visitors," said Schaul.

Try a Toy

Sometimes people choose to hang a coiled spring toy from a feeder pole, with the pole inside the toy. As squirrels climb the pole, they will find the coiled spring toy either too startling or too wiggly to maintain a grip.

Feed the Squirrels

For another option specific to squirrels, Orkoskey suggested actually feeding the squirrels instead of purely discouraging them, as you can somewhat control their actions this way.

"Another thing that I do to try to keep the squirrels at bay is to feed them peanuts," said Orkoskey, who uses unsalted peanuts for this purpose. "The squirrels do go through them quickly, but I feed them away from the bird feeders, and a number of birds enjoy eating those as well. I often get blue jays, European starlings, and grackle eating the peanuts with the squirrels. Given that all three of those can be very mean, I don't mind feeding them away from the other birds."

C&S Squirrel Snaks delights squirrels with a recipe featuring corn, roasted peanuts, almonds, pecans, and walnuts. Or set up a squirrel feeder and stock it with C&S Sweet Corn Squirrelogs.

Note: Before you start feeding squirrels in your neighborhood, check your city's ordinances to make sure it's legal to feed them.

DIY Soda Bottle Baffles

For a super-inexpensive squirrel solution, try an empty 2-liter soda bottle. You can modify it into a DIY baffle. One method is to carefully cut off the bottom of the bottle, then slip the modified bottle over the top of your feeder pole, with the cut end facing down. You can use zip ties or similar fasteners to keep it in place. With luck, squirrels will climb the pole, only to find themselves blocked by the interior of the bottle. With nowhere to jump to, they have no choice but to retreat.

BONUS TIP: Keep Feeders away from Windows

While you're working to outsmart squirrels and raccoons, consider the ideal placement of your suet feeder. You've put effort into choosing the best single cake feeder for your suet. Now you want to attract the birds. One common birding mistake is to place the feeder too close to a window on your home, garage, or shed. This may increase accidental bird window strikes. You don't want to put out an open invitation for birds to congregate in an area where they may find reflections confusing and become injured.

The common advice for placement is easy to remember: the 3/30 rule. Position your suet feeder either less than three feet from any window or more than thirty. This way, birds are either too close to the window for speed to injure them, or they're far enough away to make collisions unlikely.

Saving the suet for birds isn't the only reason to keep squirrels and raccoons out of your suet feeders.

Why is it important to keep raccoons and squirrels out of the suet?

Besides keeping the suet available for the birds, you have plenty of other reasons to keep critters out of your feeders.

"Suet is high in stearin or tristearin (aka glyceryl tristearate), which is the solid component of animal fats," explained Orkoskey. "It is easy for opportunistic urban wildlife, such as raccoons and squirrels, to become not only habituated to people and human dwellings, but also food-conditioned to this high-fat, high-energy bird feed, because it is so attractive as a food rich in fat during the seasons that are toughest to survive."

He noted that during winter, these critters might otherwise enter a light dormancy known as torpor to conserve energy. At this time, access to your suet feeders becomes even more attractive. "Not only might they eat all the suet they can access, but they may also damage or destroy the feeders in the process," said Orkoskey. "If they don't damage the feeder, they might frighten birds from feeding."

You also don't want to attract sick animals to your feeders. In some places, it is against the law to deliberately feed wildlife, and mammals like raccoons can also carry rabies, of course. "Squirrels and raccoons carry several zoonotic pathogens — disease agents that are transmissible to humans, including the bacterial pathogen that is the causative agent of leptospirosis," said Orkoskey. "Therefore, habituation and food conditioning indirectly present a veterinary public health risk to pets and people. This is a negative consequence of human-wildlife conflict that is often overlooked."

Just because you don't see raccoons doesn't mean you don't have them visiting your yard.

If I don't see raccoons, does that mean I don't have them?

A squirrel problem is easy to recognize because the squirrels themselves are so visible during the day. But you may not actually see raccoons, even if you have a problem with them. Raccoons are nocturnal, and they tend to sneak into the yard during the night, help themselves to the feeders, and slip away again long before dawn. If you see signs of raccoons (like tracks or overturned garbage cans), you can confirm their presence with an infrared trail camera or security camera. (You can find inexpensive camera options online that fit the bill.)

What common mistakes should I avoid?

Besides the useful things you can try, some ideas aren't as helpful. The following ideas are either not very effective or have too many risks and downsides associated with them. Celebrating birds and wildlife is the goal, and we advocate for methods that don't cause the animals harm. The following courses of action should always be avoided.

Why Live Trapping Isn't a Smart Move

Live trapping and relocating troublesome raccoons is not recommended for many reasons.

A relocated raccoon must struggle for life's basics in a strange environment, trying to find food, water, and protection from predators. This can lead to high mortality rates. Also, it may not solve your bird feeder problem.

Additionally, new raccoons tend to simply move into an old raccoon's territory. "The 'vacuum effect' tends to prevail when one traps and relocates a family of raccoons," explained Schaul.

He also warned that "a homeowner or resident may inadvertently trap unintended targets, such as a neighbor's cat." This same scenario generally holds true for live-trapping squirrels as well. It seems like a good thought, but it's not very nice for the animals.

"Also, the main attractant is not what you think it is," says Schaul. "In essence, un-managed garbage may be the primary attractant, and the presence of bird feed may provide an additional source of food that reinforces return visits."

Note: Trapping and relocating raccoons is illegal in many states, and another reason we don't recommend it!

Setting Out Poison Is Never a Good Idea

As with live trapping, other passive control methods are not recommended and should be avoided.

"It's all too common for people to try to use poison to kill 'nuisance' animals," said Lexa. "While putting out rat poison or other toxins may seem like a great way to permanently get rid of any mammals that may eat it, there's no guarantee that the only animals that eat it are the ones you want gone. Other wildlife and even pets and young children may find the poison and eat it, leading to tragic consequences."

She noted that the other wildlife, like vultures and hawks, may scavenge the carcasses of poisoned animals, and the poison can harm them as well. Putting those poisons in the environment is a lot of risk and can lead to unintended results. "Skip the poisons, and find ways to discourage raccoons and squirrels from getting to your feeders in the first place," she advised.

Petroleum Jelly May Harm the Birds

You can attempt to make your feeder poles and posts slippery so critters can't climb. You could choose petroleum jelly, vegetable oils, or even some household lubricating oils to make it difficult to grip the surface. But be sure to consider the reasons to forgo this route.

"I'm not a fan of greasing feeder poles," said Orkoskey. "I get a lot of woodpeckers and nuthatches, which can easily hold onto the vertical pole while waiting their turn at the feeder." He felt that grease prevents the birds from landing safely. "You definitely don't want to make the feeder more difficult for the birds themselves to use."

"Second," added Orkoskey, "grease goes bad. It becomes rancid, and that's no good for the birds. Also, if they get it on their feathers, it can stick to them. I think greasing feeder poles is never a good idea."

One Size Rarely Fits All

Be ready to experiment, improvise, and maybe suffer a defeat or two (or three!). "A big common mistake that I see when people try to keep raccoons or squirrels away is thinking one solution will work for every situation," said Orkoskey. "As a result, people get upset when what they saw work for someone else doesn't work for them. Raccoons are especially smart critters, and squirrels are also highly intelligent. If you try something and it doesn't work, chances are that another approach will work."

Discouraging squirrels and raccoons from visiting your suet feeders takes patience.

Discouraging Squirrels and Raccoons from Suet Feeders Is Possible

It's wise to discourage squirrels and raccoons from sharing suet feeders with birds. Not only do they steal food from the birds, but they can scare birds away. Squirrels and raccoons can even pose a potential health threat to animals and humans. But you still have plenty of options to protect your suet feeders and keep the critters away. Then your backyard birds can enjoy suet in relative peace.

Learn more about attracting birds to your backyard in The Essential Guide to Creating a Backyard Bird Oasis and A Complete Guide to Supporting Your Backyard Birds in Every Season.