An extra tall pole, with a large “torpedo” baffle, placed away from trees and anything else they can reach from.We talk about all things related to backyard birding and bird watching. Most other birds, especially our birdseed-loving birds, sleep at night. If you also put out suet, you will get even more interest. If they are willing to come to your house during the day looking for food, then they are going to be pretty relentless. Now that you live in a place with more natural habitat and more habitat diversity, it's practically guaranteed that you're going to have more wildlife around you. Put a smooth pipe around the pole of the bird feeder that is loose enough to move when the raccoon steps on it. I'm no ornithologist—in fact I'm just a simple sasquatch that loves birding—but I feel certain that the reason your feeders were emptied over night is not due to a bird. The flying squirrel and deer can also gain direct access to a feeder—even a baffled one (hint: one of these animals can fly). If you keep trash outside overnight, it will attract them with its enticing aroma of your uneaten food. Every new subscriber will receive one entry in the draw and we'll announce the winners on December 7, 2018. Hah, that'll show the little sucker!I never knew feeding birds could be so confusing. Any trapping must be done by people holding permits or licenses. Details about what native animals eat and why it's much better for the animals to eat their natural diet. Something is still tempting them at night. In most states it is actually illegal to trap wild animals, even for the purposes of transporting them away from your home and releasing them. We also participate in other affiliate programs. Basic Skunk Diet. In some cases if the feeder is small enough they may run away with the whole thing!I think they need a taller pole, with more distance between the feeder and the baffle (and a bigger baffle).Skunks are small to medium sized mammals, 8-19 inches long and 7-14 pounds. They dig out their dens as well as dig in the ground for grubs and other insects. ... Ratsak is a multiple feed product, which means a rat must eat the bait over a number of days in order to ingest a lethal amount. I have also had bears tear apart the feeders and eat the seed. One morning late this spring, after filling our feeders the evening before, I was astonished to see the feeders completely empty. (This is why they can also be troublesome in bird baths) They are very opportunistic eaters and will eat just about anything from your birdseed to your trash to your pet koi.They can be incredibly clever and agile when trying to get food. Position your feeders away from trees, the house, decks and tall shrubs by at least ten feet so they can’t access it from dropping down from above or a short leap.Many mammals aren’t much of a fan of thistle seed. It is their smell. raccoons, flying squirrels, etc will be able to get at the suet if it is against a tree trunk or something they can cling to. Deer?? Buying Suddenly getting sprayed with water while looking for any type of food is often enough to scare animals off. Raccoons are bad news for a feeder—they'll clean you out and steal the empty feeder. When very threatened, they can spray this noxious oily substance from special glands under their tail up to 10 ft. https://www.birdhousesupply.com/blog/6-feeder-thieves-and-how-to-stop-them Without food on the ground, the skunks won’t stick around and the raccoons and opossums will be less attracted to the area and alerted of the feeders above.